By : Carl Booth

If estuary salt water crocodiles below, and a screaming variometer 'off the scale' don't stir the blood, then you've really submerged for good. The Albert River estuary, in the lower southeast corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland, Australia is the home of the famous Morning Glory Wave ride.

Little is known about how this fascinating cloud wave forms, and even less about its times of arrival. But Rosco Duncan and his B10 Mitchell Wing recently gathered some further information for those interested in this North Australian wonder.

Some years ago Rosco had mentioned to me that he had a B10 in his backyard and was trying I set a little propulsion rig set up behind the cockpit. Last year the proudly claimed to have made a few 'hairy' lengthy takeoff with a small 80cm wooden prop turned by a direct-drive single-cylinder 215ccCuyuna.

But this year the word had got around that Rosco had ridden the morning glory in his modest but efficient soaring ship. I was really impressed and decided to visit him immediately on his return from the 'croc country' and get the details.

In September Rosco Journeyed north to the Gulf area with his hang gliding mate Chris in the hope that they could catch the Glory this year. It was a lengthy expedition, demanding weeks of patience and considerable gliding/soaring skills. Rosco's B10 was fitted with a ballistic' chute back-up, an emergency position beacon, 5 liters, of water ( for drinking ) two RT systems, smoke flares, and the usual instruments necessary to avoid 'failing out of the air'. And of the course of man-eating crocs were hoping that the little old Cuyuna would give up the ghost some where out over the salty swamps of the Albert River estuary.

Rosco had noted that the B10 fully loaded had a 300ft/min sink rate. If that Cuyuna failed it was Crocodile Dundee stunts all over again.

Flight preparations were made for the first attempt on 16 September. Due to the fact at the Glory is only soarable soon after drawn, one has to be in the air by first light.

The 20 liters of leaded petrol and two-stroke oil were enough to keep Rosco in the air for several hours. But would he find the glory? Climbing out on a north-northest course at a very modest 150ft/min, the B10 skirted the eastern side of the Albert River. It was a 10km trip to the coast and then the search would take place.

A 30km/h headwind made the going a little tough foe the little Cuyuna and its homemade prop. But the Mitchell Wing is a penetrating/lifting profile and Rosco made it comfortably up to 1500ft asl. Although the big white 'Wave' did not appear the, air was soarable for approximately 15 min above the coastline. And on the return leg further secondary smaller waves were encountered.

Of particular interest was the smell of campfires and salt swamp in these secondary waves. Somehow the air was originating from the estuary area below. And the last descent into Burketown airport was turbulent, hinting at a shear layer behind and below the lift waves.

On 22 September a further attempt was made and over the coast the climb rate registered was 600ft/min. The height at which the wave lift was encountered was 1200ft, and on the return trip to Burketown Rosco was descending with full power on at a remarkable 800ft/min!

But the third attempt on 22 September was to be the big day. While traversing the salt flats towards the coast this time, Rosco saw a large 'wave' cloud increasing in size as he approached.

It seemed to be 'alive' and waiting for him! The base was a clearly defined flat level at about 900ft. The top showed the classical Morning Glory curved wave-form and Rosco estimated it to be around 3,000ft asl. As the B10 approached this awesome appearance, it hit lift and the variometer started to tell a startling, ever increasing serenade. The B10 turned north over the sea to skirt the leading edge of the wave, and the vario 'screamed' and went right off the scale at the top.

Oddly the air was not turbulent, related Rosco to me. He had expected the worst at this stage, but it was like riding a big white snow wave and a lot of fun. The air became considerably cooler, although at no stage did Rosco start to freeze up.

At about 4,560ft above the Gulf of Carpentaria, the little B10 levelled out in beautiful soft soarable air. And the port side under-wing camera shows a smiling Rosco riding the Morning Glory in a south west direction towards Burketown. You'll notice he is not wearing a helmet, so the cold was not a problem. However, RT contact was important because there were other soaring 'objects' in the misty visibility, including a hang glider, piloted by Chris McDonald. Chris had been car-towed up! This was really Crocodile Dundee stuff.

Several years of preparation had been rewarded. Rosco and the B10 had found the famous but unpredistable wave. Many pilots have undergone the long arduous trip to the north of Australia without ever sighting the cloud.

It was definitely not a long weekend outing, but a game of patience and luck if you had the time and friends to take part. And if you went down in this country, it was highly likely that you would have to walk out, leaving your aircraft to be 'consumed' by the salty topical swamplands, not to mention the biggest most dangerous crocs the world ha to offer.

Examining the wave clouds, it is interesting to note that the lift disappears around 0800h. This is experienced by a 'falling through' attitude, into warmer air. The main clouds actually breaks up and dries up, losing its moisture content. Rosco counted all in all 11 separate waves stretching back towards Buketown, becoming increasingly weaker.

Nobody as yet has been able to fully explain the etiology and origin of this phenomenon. Some mention the convergence of two separate air messages over the Cape York peninsula, rising up and drifting in a southwest director. But how does the dawn till 0800h life expectancy fit in? This is truly a challenge for the met freaks, and I would like to hear some further comment on this.

Quite apart form the structure and timetable of the Morning Glory it is a brilliant feat with such rather 'basic' construction as a 215cc Cuyuna and an 80cm hand carved wooden prop, to experience this unique Australian wonder. Rosco cut the prop from a Dept of Main Roads signpost - I forgot to ask him just how big the croc knife was that he had Lashed to the small cockpit of the B10.

Article reproduced from Microlight Flying