Turn While You are in Lift
I spent the day with a student from MN and he got to experience some wave, it was small and we only climbed about 700 ft above release, but it was better than landing so it was a win, and it was mid-January and we are flying... Most of our day was climb 50 ft lose 30.... it was a slow climb. The average climb rate would be better if we could climb the entire time, so let’s avoid losing 30 ft each time. To do this it requires less exploring and turning back around while we are still going up, not waiting for the vario to drop off to zero. If you wait to zero to turn around you will probably start losing as you turn, however, if you are too far upwind or downwind you do not know because it is sinking everywhere at this point.
If you turn around once out of the lift how do you know you didn’t drift upwind or downwind? As you turn around you won’t find it. You might be upwind or downwind or just beyond the lift and slowly returning to the area because you went too far. It is a guess when trying to re-intercept the lift.
We can use this same theory when on the ridge too. No reason to run the entire length if the strongest part is on the north 1/4 of the mountain. Work smaller figure-8's in that area of strongest lift to continue to climb the entire time.
It is very difficult to gain altitude but very easy to lose it.
Now let’s think of a task, OLC (Onlinecontest.org), TAT (Turn Area Task), even US AST (Assigned Speed Task, because the area is large enough). Turn while you are still in the lift. If you are nearing where you are planning on turning and you find good air, whether it's blue or under the clouds, it makes the most sense to turn around while you are still in lift. The extra little distance probably will not be a gain based on the extra altitude lost by going through the same sink twice. You would do that deviation towards lift if you are halfway down the course-line.
If you turn while still in the lift you can slow down, do your pull up turn your heading and accelerate on your new course all while going up. If you wait a few more seconds you then are doing all of that in sink. In newsletters from before you want to do the initial acceleration in the lift, not the sink.
Mentally you are starting that new leg in lift!!! You're awesome!! Changing a leg, the sky will look different, you have been looking at the clouds with a particular sun angle and wind angle. Normally it takes a little bit to re-adjust and become comfortable with this new sight picture. Starting it off at cruising speed and climbing is a great way to start. Starting it in sink and having just lost a lot of altitude.
Plus you're higher so clearly your xc speed is better. You might be a little less mileage but you have a faster speed. However, there are times when this doesn't work. There might not be lift as you near the turn or you are just turning based on distance on the GPS. Also if you are going to be under-time on a TAT, which is really a distance day and not a speed day you might need every last foot of distance.
Photo: Fotorama Co NZ
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.
