Gaggle Etiquette

For quite a considerable time now, soaring pilots have found it beneficial to fly in the company of others, competing teams have certainly found this to be a highly effective method in order to maximise their climb rate, and for others, a great way to enjoy the company of their soaring buddy too!

Whether we are in a competition or not, many people have a competitive nature, this often comes to fruition when two or more pilots have their own idea of how to centre a thermal and where the core is, this is an attempt to out-climb each other.  Not a bad thing, the downside is that we tend to get in each other's way, which means the climb rate deteriorates, possibly to a point where it’d be better to be alone!  The risk increases too, especially if there is no regard for the other pilots.

Basic gaggle rules

I hope to be able to explain how we can maximise our climb rate by using other gliders while keeping the risk of a midair low.  To achieve this we need to accept some basic rules:

• Always assume that the other pilot hasn’t seen you. However, if they have, then assume that they will manoeuvre towards you!
• If an aircraft is growing larger in your canopy and is remaining stationary in the relative position, it WILL hit you.
• Always keep other gliders that are near you in sight, and make sure they can see you.

Blind spots, this is where two gliders can’t see each other due to the glider structure and pilot ergonomics/physicality. We can’t see behind and below us in general, so we must do everything we can to avoid this situation for obvious reasons.

Entering a gaggle

When entering an area of lift where there is a glider already climbing, assume that they are centred in the core already.  If you feel the core before entering, do not turn early, give the pilot who is already there respect, and join in a manner so they don’t need to adjust their turn.  If they aren’t in the core, then gently lead them back towards it.  If we join a thermal in a way that alarms the other pilot, then they will widen or tighten their turn to give greater separation, thence losing the core and wasting time recentering it.

The perfect join is one where we place the glider on the opposite side at the same angle of bank and speed. To do this, we should assess the other pilots turn extremities.  The easiest way to do this is to wait until you see the gliders from behind, then mark a virtual point on the horizon.  Fly towards this point and intercept their flown path.

Flying in a gaggle

Once established in the thermal, always keep situational awareness where they are, and keep in mind that others will be joining you at some stage too.  You can now use each other to maximise the climb, if they go up in your canopy, widen out the turn in that direction, if they sink, then tighten up to avoid that area.  The other pilot should be doing the same, by working together, you can maximise your enjoyment and average climb rate.

Leaving a gaggle

When leaving a thermal, leave in a predictable manner, there’s always a chance that you haven’t seen someone else.  If you hit another core just after leaving, it’s better to just pass it up, often it’s a bogus climb from the acceleration out of the previous climb, but also because you’re just about to turn back into oncoming traffic or have overlapping cores, which will again, reduce your overall climb rate. (Editors note: Before leaving the thermal be sure to check for other gliders that may be on the outside of your turn. Check the opposite way before rolling out. Someone may be there!)

Happy climbing with others, it’s a fun and rewarding part of the flight!

Banner photo by Sean Franke

 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.