Connect the Dots
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 as it is 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 reach, and you have to make the most efficient connections to that target. They do not always align into a beautiful street. However, there are a lot of times that you can make that connection if only 3 or 4 clouds at a time. Those small connections increase the odds of finding a thermal, avoid the sink, and maximize your time in lift.
Wind
Typically, wind aligns cloud streets or lift lines. Just because it is blue does not mean that it is not aligned; clouds make it a lot easier. Getting turnpoints to align with the wind can generally make for a faster run. If you are flying a turn area task, you might consider where you turn between the two points to get a long run down a cloud street.
As you go crosswind from thermal to thermal, and you notice large amounts of sink that are not there when you go into the wind, thermal to thermal. This observation is a good clue that it might be streeting. You want to minimize that time in the sink and cross the areas of sink quickly.
You might have to run into the wind, then make a deviation to the next street. In the blue, if it feels like it could be streeting, then it is definitely worth the effort to run into the wind and feel the air like hunting under a cloud for the core, but without the cloud. You have to relax and turn into any bumps and see if it gets better. Not circle at every bump, if your left wing raises a little, then turn left, and as the heading changes, notice if the vario increases. If it does, then you could keep going; if it decreases, then back on course, you go.
Forecasts
An easy way is to look at your favorite soaring forecast and see if streeting is appearing. Sometimes you will see it in the forecasted thermal strength or convergence models. Looking up at the sky before you take off is probably a good idea as well. Many times, the perspective from the ground makes it much easier to see the formations than from cloud base. I also recommend looking at the cloud shadows.
Leaving thermals
When in doubt, heading out into the wind might be a good idea. If it is streeting or another area of lift heading into the wind is probably worth a little deviation. Even if it is more or less just over to the point where you first found the thermal, then back on course. Doing this will help if another thermal started off the same trigger.
Garret Willat holds a flight instructor rating with over 8000 hours in sailplanes. His parents have owned Sky Sailing Inc. since 1979. He started instructing the day after his 18th birthday. Since then, Garret has represented the US Junior team in 2003 and 2005. He graduated from Embry-Riddle with a bachelor's degree in Professional Aeronautics. Garret represented the US Open Class team in 2008 and 2010 and the Club Class team in 2014. Garret has won 3 US National Championships.
