Rotor Puzzle

Since the earliest encounters with rotors in his early glider flights in the lee of the Riesengebirge, Joachim Kuettner's scientific imagination was captured by this turbulent atmospheric phenomenon. His fascination with rotors has extended well beyond that shared by many glider pilots who know that the road to a smooth aerial elevator fueled by mountain waves leads through a rough turbulence of the rotor zone. In this lecture we will show that the search for scientific answers on rotors form an almost continuous thread through Joachim Kuettner's career, from those earliest investigations that form part of his doctoral thesis through a number of subsequent field programs throughout the span of his career, including the Sierra Wave Project and the Terrain-induced Rotor Experiment. His first-hand experiences as a pilot and his love of flying form a major part of this life-long quest for resolving the rotor puzzle.