[ricki]

Lots of good points thanks for posting them! Did you ever hear the story of the 35 or so Luftwaffe sailplane pilots who were tasked to evaluate storm clouds in the 1930's. They actually intentionally flew into Cumulonimbus clouds to try to evaluate the conditions. Amazingly, I think two pilots actually survived, though I am not sure how. The winds and conditions inside these monsters can pale what happens outside, 120 mph winds straight up, hail, perpetual white out, not a nice place for humans. Heard stories of hang gliders getting sucked into CB clouds and spat out on the landscape miles away, expired and iced over in a fetal ball. They couldn't dive fast enough to escape the clouds in some cases before they were vacuumed up into hypoxic conditions above 12,000 ft..

Good rule, "Im Safe." If it doesn't feel right or if you aren't feeling stoked about the session blow it off. It may blow you away otherwise. You are right, these things have factored in some accidents.

Isn't another part of the avoidance of powered flight into CB or storm clouds is the unstable flight characteristics, tendency to stall, be blown into loops or other erratic flight? I recall something like this from ground school but that was about 17 years ago. If so, I think it relates well to kiting. If a 747 isn't rated to fly through the influence of one of these storms, where the hell do we get off thinking we can handle it with a passive kite and body weight? Some commercial pilots have been killed kiting in squalls which frankly amazes me. We need to take weather seriously, it can still take you out whether you think about it or not.