Soaring and Cross Country Flying. Presentation Material. Copyright Andy Davis

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1 Soaring and Cross Country Flying Presentation Material Copyright Andy Davis

4 Introduction Assumptions basic knowledge of thermalling, Macready, navigation, airspace and gadgets PART 1 - Thermal Soaring - expanding on basic BGA instructional techniques PART 2 - General Cross Country Flying.. Preparation Top Tips and Common Errors Interactive Q&A

5 Part 1 - Thermal Soaring Lookout Handling Location Centring Selection Decision Making

6 LOOKOUT FLARM is not a substitute for good lookout LOOK BEFORE TURNING - turn your head BEFORE moving the stick to the SIDE and UP TRIM Maintain a regular lookout while turning scan horizon both into turn and ahead LOOK OUTSIDE THE TURN before STRAIGHTENING / RECENTRING LOOK OUTSIDE THE TURN AND BELOW BEFORE LEAVING

7 HANDLING 30 deg bank minimum Consistent deg bank desirable ATTITUDE, TRIM, AIRSPEED, ATTITUDE SENSES FEEL, HEAR, OBSERVE LOOK OUT SPEED APPROPRIATE CIRCLE BOTH WAYS

8 LOCATION Cloud, Sun, Wind, Hot Spots, Contrast, Surface, Slope, Shadow, Convergence, Birds, Smoke, Wave, Ridge, etc Mental Model Walk in the woods Trigger Points Cloud Recognition Observation Fly sensitively

9 Cloud Recognition

10 Learning Point Observe Both Tops and Base. Tops = History? Base = Now

11 Classic Cumulus Lifecycle

12 Cumulus Base Detail Look Hard for Step or Moving Tendrils

13 Don t confuse spread-out ruff with step

14 Are Thermals Vertical? Or Leaning with the wind?

15 Airmass Models Unstable Airmass / Long Lived Thermals Considerable thermal depth Thermal column is substantially vertical Long lived regenerating clouds Polar Air (W, NW, N, NE winds) Stable Airmass / Short Lived Cumulus Shallow or bubbly gusty thermals No lift just below a climbing glider Clouds are short lived and ever changing Fly under fantastic looking clouds no lift Equitorial air (SW, S, SE, E winds)

16 Long Lived Cumulus Self Perpetuating Lifecycle. Regenerated by its own circulation. Search under centre of cloud and developing edge

17 hort Lived Cumulus sky rapidly changing ood lift close to cloud-base with nothing below earch between best clouds and obvious trigger point

18 Cloud Shadow Trigger Lift is biased towards sunny side. When low, search along line of advancing shadow + scalloped edge

19 Approaching Lift LOOKOUT - TRAFFIC and CLUES Fly all the way to the target area for lift (weave?) Slow down as air gets bubbly Fly sensitively in trim with fingertips Turn immediately satisfactory lift is felt / sensed Confirm rate with glance at vario Decide to stay or go Roll In or Out ATTITUDE airspeed - trim flaps attitude airspeed trim Centre on maximum acceleration Check Averager OBSERVE ASK THE BIG QUESTION

20 Centring What will the pilot see on his vario?

21 Variometer Lag Assumptions: Glider Inertia: 1.0 second Vario Time Constant: 2.0 second Brain inertia: 1.0 second IAS: 50 knots (25 m/s) Glider sink rate: 2 kts Solution = Max acceleration

22 Centring using the Principle of Maximum Acceleration

23 Centring by tightening up or opening out? Skilled pilots use a combination of the two methods. N.B. Reducing the angle of bank as you enter the

24 IS TOTAL ENERGY PERFECT? Thermal Mass = Thousands of Tons

26 Thermal Boundary Windshear Classic TE Vario Readings The pilot MUST fly a constant attitude and centre by feel on the vertical accelerations..

27 Or spend a load of money on an expensive variometer system with accelerometers! Alternatively spend a fraction of the money on lots of launches..it s much cheaper and more fun to fly and practice!! Fly at every opportunity practice and refine LIFT LOCATION, CENTRING and HANDLING. Airbrake Down, Climb Up, Airbrake Down etc. Circle Both Left and Right Force yourself to LOOKOUT and OBSERVE Ask yourself the BIG QUESTION

28 THERMAL SELECTION GENERAL RULES. 1. If I hit something that feels stronger than the day s average I will always stop and climb regardless of altitude 2. My time is precious I will only invest it for a good return or when absolutely essential 3. Everything that happened before is history all my decisions are based on what I see ahead. 4. As I climb up I continually look ahead and ask myself the BIG QUESTION

29 THE BIG QUESTION If I leave this thermal right now is there a good possibility of finding stronger lift? YES..LEAVE NO STAY, climb some more then ask the BIG QUESTION AGAIN NOT SURE STAY, climb some more then ask the BIG QUESTION again and SOON.

30 End of Part 1 QUESTIONS?

31 Part 2 Cross Country General Top Tips Common Errors Q&A session

32 Preparation Equipment: Glider, Trailer and Personal Retrieve arrangements Rules and Task Objectives Airspace Practice How to train effectively Andy Davis Soaring Course

33 Equipment Glider: L/E, sealing, Wheel brake, Pee System Instruments: Audio T/E vario, ASI, altimeter, navigation aids, FLARM. The KISS Principle Databases: TP and airspace IGC Flight Recorder(s): Comp Fix interval? Batteries and chargers. Extension lead Tools and spares (tyres, inner tube, skid) Trailer tyres, brakes, lights, spare tyre, security Water ballast filling, Trestles, Tie Down, Washing Kit

34 Personal Equipment Drinking Water Hat Sunglasses, Specs Current Map PDA + data base Pens, ruler, protractor Food Bags Comfort lumbar / cushions Peeing System

35 Airspace and Altimetry Know the rules - where you can and can t fly. Use current map and airspace files Understand how altimeter setting affects you Know your local Letters of Agreement.

36 Cross Country Principles Don t waste time striving for maximum height in every weak or weakening climb Altitude (height) is only a tool to get you to the next climb and not an end in itself Being low is not necessarily a problem, but Being low in the wrong place is a huge problem Avoid getting low in the wrong place by. Asking the Big Question, deviating, holding or even making a U turn.

37 Speed to Fly (MacCready.ish) There is an optimum Mc speed to fly for climb rate to maximise average x/c speed, but.. The actual speed you fly has less influence than selecting the correct climbs and routing A good compromise Mc setting is half climb rate Fly the Mc speed as a target block speed and only vary for prolonged sink or lift Fly at a speed that gets you to the next potential climb with an alternative option if it doesn t work

38 Selecting Climbs Always stop and circle if the climb appears to be better than the day average As you get lower be prepared to invest more time Continually scan ahead and review climb rate Ask the BIG QUESTION regularly The fastest pilots generally take the strongest climbs, BUT..before deviating far off track for an isolated good climb, consider INVESTMENT and RETURN Proportionality 2 kt average is 100% better than 1 kt average, but 5 kt average is only 25% better than 4 kt Resist the temptation to turn in every bit of lift

Routing Deviate as required, ideally 30 deg or less Large angular deviation may be justified, e.g. in heavy streeting Weave to follow the energy and follow it to logical conclusion Route around bad areas if cannot glide comfortably across, but.

39 Routing Deviate as required, ideally 30 deg or less Large angular deviation may be justified, e.g. in heavy streeting Weave to follow the energy and follow it to logical conclusion Route around bad areas if cannot glide comfortably across, but. Use your glide angle and height as a tool to cross a bad area to better conditions Strategy: Target climb + alternate

40 On Task Don t forget that by RACING you fly DISTANCE Be ruthless. Has the climb rate dropped? Can you reach a better climb? Look ahead, gear change as required and be prepared to push on or slow down Approaching TP is it soarable? Conditions on next leg? Wind? High or low? At TP Priority is LOOKOUT and FIX in SECTOR Clip the TP and get on with the next leg

41 If You Are Getting Low Consider a bigger deviation to stay airborne before all options close. 90 deg or even 180? Be flexible, e.g. holding / ridge Don t continue at low level just because the others are Always keep a landing option open stepping stones Make your decision to land in good time to fly a proper circuit and stick to it Contact farmer, phone crew / control

42 Final Glide Human Factors tired, elated, stressed, irrational Simply an extension of the soaring flight Monitor progress and ACT in good time Funnelling effect. LOOKOUT and SA Airfield / Finish Frequency + Radio Calls Avoid low / dangerous flying Straight-In Landing or Circuit Announce Intentions Monitor Energy and Fly Safely LOOKOUT + AIRSPEED

43 Practice Effectively every flight should have a specific training objective Fly x/c whenever possible Set achievable tasks with Start, TPs and Finish Practice both fixed course tasks and AATs Estimate speed and start at the optimum time Make a real effort to finish unless clearly impossible Work on Lookout Fly with other gliders Waterballast Compare your flight with others, analysis tools

45 If You Can t Fly X/C Fly at every opportunity Practice finding lift low down and centring Improve your climb rate experiment (bank etc) Circle both ways Airbrake down and repeat Work on Lookout Fly with other gliders Practice for field landing Select fields and visit them later Final Glides

46 QUESTIONS

47 Jonker Sailplanes News JS1C won both 18M and Open at WGC 2017 SACAA Type Certificate awarded in 2010 M&D Flugzeugbau partnership In EASAland JS1C is Type: JS/MD Single MD TJ42 engine EASA certified in 2016 JS/MD Single EASA Type Certificate imminent JS1-SL prototype will fly late 2017 JS1-SL customer deliveries from mid 2018.

48 JS3 News JS3 15 metre prototypes flew December 2016 Flew in 15 metre class at WGC 2017 JS3 18 metre will fly April 2017 Customer deliveries from mid 2017 SA and EASA TC process in parallel Additional model under JS/MD Single TC

49 The Jonker Sailplanes Product Range JS1C WGC winning 18/21m span for 18 metre and Open Classes. Pure sailplane or with jet sustainer JS1-SL 18/21m span with Rotax / Binder system JS3 15/18m span for 15 metre and Open Classes. Stunning performance predictions. Pure sailplane or jet sustainer JS2??

Table of Contents. 1. Training in the vicinity of the airfield. 2 Weather and Gliding

Table of Contents. 1. Training in the vicinity of the airfield. 2 Weather and Gliding Table of Contents Preface to the third edition 2 About the Author 3 Foreword by Ingo Renner 4 Foreword by Michael Sommer 5 Content at a glance 6-7 To my family / The use of icons 8 1. Training in the vicinity