Finding Lift Under Clouds & Climbing

Clouds tell the story, obviously! I only look up when I'm flying CU days, which is why it's so important to me to have clear sky ahead & around me. I don't have to look out so much for other gliders, but can look up & out for clues to make me go faster. There's information overload out there if you're wanting to find it.

Look Ahead

I look 30-60 sec ahead of the glider, not giving a damn about deviations, sometimes 70° off course for quite some way - but I didn't have to stop & therefore I was able to sample more climbs & choose the best, as well as dramatically increase my netto, which equals speed, even if I don't stop in the strongest climb of the day. The risk is lower.
 
I look UP for the daggies, the whisps turning at the edge of clouds, the concave domes & rainbow colors...
 
Yes, rainbow colors at the edges of clouds, that & the cloud turning, indicates to me fresh & strong lift.
 
Naturally, look out for birds, listen to what the glider is telling you, listen to your intuition.

Stop Only for the Best Thermals

It seems ridiculously stupid but only stop for thermals that feel like thermals. Some days are hard & require a searching turn, but I'm really aggressive now with only stopping if I know I can core it in one turn max, I hope that I can core it within half a turn now. This is easily doable in gliders like the LS8 & V2a, just listen to the glider & your bum. It will become an obsession & give quite a thrill when you start getting it right, all the time, but needs constant work, discipline & belief.

Core Every Thermal

I don't look inside the cockpit at all when it comes to entering a climb, nothing zip. Maybe the wind before entering the climb area, that's it. The key point is a supreme vario & it's setup. The ClearNav still wins every time, I literally core every thermal off audio alone. I don't even need to look at the averager, it's not that important to me. What is, is the feeeeel of the thermal, does it feel like a strong one for the area? Of course, I look at the averager, but it's only a quick cross-check & to calibrate my bum/ears for the day.
 
Then look back outside, find reasons to stay, find reasons to leave.

 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.