lift
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March 30, 2023
Editor: In Part I, Roy began a discussion with Strategies When You Are Low. Thermalling low can be dangerous. These two articles are focused on mitigating risk and increasing your chances of climbing away from a safe altitude. Follow along as we continue to get lower...
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June 02, 2022
One of the best things that can happen to us whilst we are climbing, is to be joined by another glider. Better again if it’s a similar type as the one we are flying, and a pilot of a similar or better standard than ourselves. This rings true when both pilots know how to take advantage of one another, and can see each other all the time. Why is this true? Because we are able to compare our
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January 14, 2021
Thermal entry You're approaching an area of lift, you can either see it, or you can feel it approaching, you slow yourself down to heighten your senses, hear the air better, feel the wings coming alive, listen to that audio become more excited - but which way do you turn? How do you attack that area of lift?
Attack the Area of Lift
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August 20, 2020
Searching the sky for the best lift is endlessly challenging. Decision-making is essentially a three-stage procedure. Firstly, continually analyze all relevant factors – the wind, sun, ground surface, and the shape and texture of the clouds throughout the flight. Secondly, use all your experience of ridges, convergence, wave, thunderstorms to process this information. Then try to build a mental picture
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March 08, 2019
35:1 at 70knots
A typical flight in the ASW-19 I would see 35:1 at 70knts (I fly on the strong days). However, the glider is really only able to achieve somewhere around 20:1 at that speed. Either this ASW-19 is really good or I was selecting a good path. So a fun goal I set is 50% of the polar (not best L/D), but anytime you are better than the polar you are doing something right.
Lack
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October 26, 2017
One of the most common un-centering techniques that students demonstrate to me is switching directions in a thermal. It always happens, a student is not completely centered, the ADHD kicks-in, or something kicks-in and they decide to switch directions. I make sure to look around really well and let them fly right out of the thermal, generally not finding it again. Makes for a good debrief.
Typically