Dolphin Flight and the Art of Speed
For many pilots, cross-country soaring feels like a series of stop-and-go manoeuvres: glide, find a thermal, circle until you’re high enough, and repeat. While effective, this "classic" style can feel mechanical & also risky if you push it too low. If you want to transform your flying into a fluid, rhythmic dance, see your average speeds skyrocket, then it’s time to embrace the Dolphin Style of flight.
Dolphin flight is the art of adjusting your airspeed to the rising and falling air around you without stopping to circle as often - once I completed a final glide from an outlanding situation, to 150km away without stopping! It's named for the way a sailplane undulates through the sky, much like a dolphin leaping through waves.
The Practical Perspective
The physics or theory can be dense, but the practice becomes intuitive over time. Instead of treating lift as a "parking spot" to gain altitude, treat it as a "speed boost."
- The Pull-Up: As you enter an area of lift, resist the urge to kick it up & crank it in. Instead, gently ease the stick back, leaving energy in the glider for any surges of lift within the rising air. As the glider slows, you spend more time in the rising air, and your flight path angles gently upward. You’re "zooming" your kinetic energy into height.
- The Push-Over: As you transition into sinking air, ease the stick forward, and gain the speed gradually to feel the air better. Increasing your speed helps you get through the bad air quickly, minimizing altitude loss, as hard as that is to get your head around.
The goal isn't to stay at a single altitude, but to maintain a high average energy level as you move forward. While easing the stick forward to gain more energy, if you feel another surge, then repeat the process :)
Increasing your Personal Satisfaction by using this method
Beyond the numbers, Dolphin flight offers a profound psychological shift. There is a unique "flow state" that comes when you stop fighting the atmosphere and start moving with it.
- Effortless Progress: There’s an incredible satisfaction in watching the miles tick away while your altimeter gently descends, maintains, or climbs, all without a single turn.
- Reduced Fatigue: Constant circling is physically and mentally taxing. Dolphining allows you to keep your eyes on the horizon and your "head out of the cockpit," making long flights feel much more relaxed and fun too!
Boost Your Cross-Country Speeds
- The math is simple, when you circle, your groundspeed is essentially zero. Every minute spent in multiple 360-degree turns is a minute you aren't getting closer to home. By "Dolphining" through a cloud street or a lift line, you maintain a high forward velocity & increase your chances of finding a strong core. Even if you only gain a few hundred feet in each "zoom," those gains add up, often allowing you to skip two or three thermals entirely.
Soon you’ll find that the sky is no longer a series of obstacles, but a continuous wave for you to ride.
Happy dolphining,
Adam Woolley
Banner photo by Petr Kolmann
Adam Woolley was born into the gliding world, being the 3rd generation in his family. Going solo at 15, his thirst for efficiency in soaring flight & quest for a world championship title to his name has never wavered. One big passion is sharing his experiences & joy with other glider pilots all around the world. Adam is an airline pilot in Japan on the B767 & spends his off time chasing summer around the globe. He has now won 7 national Championships & represented Australia at 5 WGC's & 1 EGC.
