Cloud Street
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May 04, 2023
I’m on the jet home from the Flight Challenge Cup in Prievidza, Slovakia. It’s among the first few competitions that get flown in Europe alongside the Pribina Cup, often they both receive 100-plus entries each (year). The spring conditions at the FCC can either bring really exciting flying and fast speeds along convergence lines, super tactical weather, or just rain. Fortunately
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February 25, 2021
It happens all too often when we find a day where there are good soaring possibilities or life gets in the way which doesn’t allow for cross country. Too short a soaring window, restrictions on the sailplane because of club requirements, the wind is too strong, you’re not feeling up to it, etc.
Rather than just aimlessly flying around the local airfield, some of the below items can be practiced
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August 20, 2020
Searching the sky for the best lift is endlessly challenging. Decision-making is essentially a three-stage procedure. Firstly, continually analyze all relevant factors – the wind, sun, ground surface, and the shape and texture of the clouds throughout the flight. Secondly, use all your experience of ridges, convergence, wave, thunderstorms to process this information. Then try to build a mental picture
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July 23, 2020
When we are flying cross-country, the picture as we look ahead is packed with potentially useful information to help us decide where to point the glider.
While a fat cumulus cloud lying bang on track might seem the obvious place to go, that will not always be the best decision. If a hard right avoids that beautiful well developed cloud, but takes you to a cloud street that runs for 100km and -
April 16, 2020
In my last article, I wrote about stitching the sky, effectively how to fly cloud streets in the blue, or at least give yourself the best chance to maximize your chance of staying within one & extending your glides. Clouds, glorious clouds, they sure make life easier
The beauty about clouds is that they give all sorts of hints, that's of course if you're willing to look out for them. There's
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April 02, 2020
Learning How to Stitch…
Strange subject line. I’m a flatland pilot, some would say that’s easier, others would say that’s harder – how do you know where the thermals are or where the micro-energy is in the sky? In this article, I hope to describe how to do just this, though for the blue, or as some might like to say in a dry sky, no cumulus…
I first heard of the technique from a -
May 09, 2019
I am sure that at some point in your childhood you played the game connect the dots. It might even be on the back of your cereal box right now. Assuming you are eating something as wonderful and nutritious and designed for a four-year-old. The rest of you will have to relive your youth.
Thermals are similar; you have to have a target cloud or point you are trying to get to, and you have to make -
May 17, 2018
Remember that sailplane racing is a game of duration, not short sprints. There is no throwing out your bad day, so my best advice is to not have a bad day. You have to think tactically about how each decision will add up to 9 good days of flying.
Flying fast doesn't always mean the highest speed. Sometimes it means avoiding getting stuck. You can have the fastest flight, up to a point, but
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January 11, 2018
For all of you following Adam Wolley's Gliding Adventures. He had a video after Day 1 at the Australian Multiclass Nationals. Interviewing Peter Temple the day 1 winner. Peter mentions his strategy to align his legs into and down wind. With a 12 kph faster speed, I think he made it work.
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October 19, 2017
Energy lines, you have read about them, pilots talk about following them. But what are they talking about and how do I find them?
Basically, we are just looking for organized lift that is linked together to form a line. Sometimes it is straight but many of the times it snakes through the sky. Normally this energy line is formed by the wind or terrain.
The terrain is the easiest to visualize.