_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Introduction..........................................................................................................................3 Clothes.................................................................................................................................3 Effective Landing technique.................................................................................................3 Effective take-off technique.................................................................................................3 When to take off...............................................................................................................4 Poor bird lift indicators.....................................................................................................5 When not to take off........................................................................................................5 Effective thermal technique..................................................................................................6 Rigging.............................................................................................................................6 How tight to turn?............................................................................................................6 When to leave a thermal at height (>2,000 AGL)............................................................7 When to drift with a weak or zero thermal (when you are low)......................................7 Effective glide technique......................................................................................................7 Glide ratios...........................................................................................................................8 What is needed to make Kasteel from the Dam? .............................................................8 What is needed to make Rustenburg from the Dam?.......................................................8 DHV and glide ratios........................................................................................................9 Collectors + Triggers...........................................................................................................9 Poor triggers...................................................................................................................10 Cloud types........................................................................................................................11 Good safe clouds............................................................................................................11 Poor clouds....................................................................................................................11 Too good clouds (? )......................................................................................................11 Get away from clouds....................................................................................................11 Position of lift.....................................................................................................................12 Downwind......................................................................................................................12 Into wind........................................................................................................................13 Wind effect on thermals......................................................................................................14 No wind..........................................................................................................................14 Mild wind (20 km/h)......................................................................................................15 Strong wind (30 km/h)...................................................................................................16 Changing gears...................................................................................................................17 Height related.................................................................................................................17 Strategize........................................................................................................................18 Time related....................................................................................................................19 Take-off......................................................................................................................19 Landing.......................................................................................................................19 Loosing and finding thermals again....................................................................................20 No wind days..................................................................................................................20 Strong wind days............................................................................................................20 Strong wind gradient......................................................................................................20 ____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 1

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________ Inversion.........................................................................................................................20 Shear layer......................................................................................................................21 Roaming cores................................................................................................................21 Fear management...............................................................................................................22 Learning.............................................................................................................................22

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 2

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Introduction
I wrote this little booklet to assist pilots in their quest to get better. It can be read by all experience levels but would be most beneficial to the pilot who has their glider control and thermalling under control, and want to better their XC flying. These are my views from my experience. Other experienced pilots may have different view which of course is fine as our sport is half science half art.

Clothes
Shoes Must be able to walk, not just fly. Good ankle protection, water proof. On cold or big days I have 2 sets of socks. One thermal pair I fly with and when I land I exchange that for normal not so hot socks. Gloves thin, needs to be able to feel the toggles. Use layers of thermal gloves underneath. Rather wear thermals than normal clothes its thinner and warmer, and limits body movement less.

Effective Landing technique

You get low you land. I dont know if there is much more to add to this apart from selecting the biggest field with the least trees, power and telephone lines, fences and indigenous population. Also dont land on a clear thermal trigger if you dont like surprises (e.g. in the large ploughed field next to the single large tree in the middle of the field)

Effective take-off technique

Many of us have been taught the incorrect method of changing hands to swap toggles in the reverse launch. I used this technique for over 10 years until I upgraded to a glider which came up fast and furious, pulling you off your feet when you are still facing the glider. At a place like Porterville with the cross wind take-off this could be fatal. So all I really have to say about take-off technique is to use the method of holding the toggles in the correct hands from word go it is only confusing to pull the left toggle for the right wing in the beginning. If you are still using the old technique then convert before you get a faster glider. All it takes is a few practice afternoons on a rugby field to alleviate many anxious and probably dangerous launches. The performance gliders now adays have quite high stall points, I found that I need to run a lot faster and face directly into wind.

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 3

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

When to take off

Really a short-ish answer when you are confident that you can stay up. This means that You can see a pilot staying up close to take-off You see birds thermalling AND climbing The ridge lift is strong enough. Also you see a pilot hooking a thermal in the valley below and you are confident that you can glide there from take off to meet up with that gilder at about the SAME height. And you see a well-defined cloud moving in and is confidant that you can glide to under the cloud to get lift. Lets rate the reliability of these (1 excellent, 3 should be OK, 5 risky) : Pilot on take-off thermalling but not really getting high Pilot on take-off thermalling and specking Buoyant air in general Vultures, eagles, hawks thermalling Swallows Ball of swallows going up Crows Ridge lift Cloud moving in high and small Cloud moving in not small, well defined and dark base. Pilot thermalling low in valley but climbing nicely Pilot climbing nicely in valley but already on your height or above you A gaggle (e.g. 3 gliders) climbing nicely in valley but already on your height or above you 2 1 3 2 4 2 5 2 4 3 1 4 2

The two surprises are the ratings for some birds, and pilots climbing out, but not beneath you. The reason for this is simple when you try and connect with a pilot above you, you cant see the position of the pilot because of the large piece of cloth above your head, and also thermals tilt. When you are above the pilot its easy you have time to find the thermal and visibility is good. Not all birds soar equally well, swallows can stay up in virtually nothing and should not be considered a sure thing, when you have a ball of swallows and the whole lot is zipping vertically up then sure, otherwise dont bet on it. Crows like to fly in ugly rotor like air, I dont know why but they have warped sense of humor. It is very easy to join a pilot in a thermal is the pilot is beneath you; you glide to a position above the pilot and even if you are sinking you are confident what worse case scenario that you will connect with the lift when you are on the same height.

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 4

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________ If a pilot is above you it is much harder, you have to look up (and past the big piece of cloth above you) and only have the luxury of the knowledge that you are sinking and if you dont connect with the lift by chance you will land. When its a whole gaggle you can see the thermal size, position and tilt better, vastly improving your chances. Of course, a combination of these makes for a sure thing; e.g. eagles climbing under a cloud or pilots getting up everywhere. My favorite is to wait for someone to hook a solid climb in the valley, pull up, 25 % speed bar there and then climb out with the pilot (thanx bud!). I also cant resist enough going for a nice formed cloud. Good bird lift indicators Vultures Eagles Ball of swallows the whole ball must go up

Poor bird lift indicators

Crows Small hawks?

When not to take off

When it is stable, everyone is sinking out, you are standing in cloud shadow, there is a large cloud shadow approaching take-off, the wind is too cross, too many monkeys in the sky (I term a monkey as a beginner pilot with more enthusiasm than air law knowledge and just enough skill to be in the way all the time on launch...yes yes I know we all were monkeys at same stage), too many whirlies, too hang over or just dont feel like flying.

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 5

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Effective thermal technique

Rigging
No cross overs on your harness Open your chest strap as much as you can handle Pack your harness with equal weight distribution left and right (very important thats why I discourage side attached reserves)

When you hit lift; Immediately look for birds, insects or fluf go there Look if you can see a cloud forming above you Turn towards the most pressure in wing or where you know the thermal is Quickly ascertain thermal drift direction and speed (about 2 turns should do it) Lay back Cross you leg (not for pods) Lift your buttock Turn with your hip Really shift your body weight Pull the break Outside break little or no break Learn to body steer now on your 1/2. One day you will fly a far faster glider and then will need to body steer to thermal efficiently.

How tight to turn?

Tighter than you think! Just before the point where the glider starts slipping into a spiral. Wont I loose too much height? No do the maths; If you turn tight you may generate sink of 2 down. If the core is 4 up you will net climb 2 up. If you did not turn as tight you may only sink by 1.5 down but will only ride the thermal at, say, 3 up and you will climb 1.5 up. Gliders do loose a lot of energy and height when you initiative a turn but once through the first 180 degrees with a constant bank angle the glider looses little height. So the trick is to keep the glider as much as possible at a constant bank angle! Do not level out, hard turn, level out, hard turn you wont be efficient! Rather keep the turn and merely make small adjustments to the direction you are drifting.

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 6

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________ So the trick is to do ellipses, adjusting every 2nd turn of so a little bit. Its not a bunch of perfect circles connected with straight lines.

When to leave a thermal at height (>2,000 AGL)

Dangerous cloud Too high (hypoxia) Too cold (hypothermia) Climbs less than 2 up You can see a cloud forming on your flight path You can see gliders climbing on your flight path Its a very good day with abundant and strong climbs

Controlled air space ceiling have been reached

When to drift with a weak or zero thermal (when you are low)
Blue hole on your flight path on a cloud filled day Area about to fly over is very green and you are low Area you are about to fly over you have landed in many times before Are you are about to fly over terrain that looks homogeneous; e.g. just grass savanna with no obvious triggers Tiger land below Good thermal drift speed (strong wind)

Vicious sink with a low ceiling; e.g when flying to Kasteel its sometimes better to fly in and out of the thermal and drift with it, than to face the 5 down sink next to a strong climb.

Effective glide technique

Hands up!!!! do yourself a favor and check the difference in ground speed between casually gliding with your hands on a bit of pressure, and fully hands up. On my wing its 4 km/h thats a lot! Lay back Push bar Keep your eyes peeled for lift indicators Do you admin now (shuttle bunny comms, pictures, instrument settings, water drinking) Enjoy the view!

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 7

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Glide ratios
Lets say your glider has a glide ratio of 8 Sink 1.2 m/s sink (normal glide) 1.2 m/s sink 1.2 m/s sink 2.5 m/s sink 2.5 m/s sink 2.5 m/s sink 1.2 m/s sink 2.5 m/s sink Wind none 19 km/h downwind 38 km/h downwind None 19 km/h downwind 38 km/h downwind 10 km/h into wind 10 km/h into wind Effective glide 8 12 16 4 6 * - this represents a typical XC flight 8 6 3!

What is needed to make Kasteel from the Dam?

Consider 20 km/h wind. With an effective glide of 6 and a XC goal of 25 km (Dam -> Kasteel) and a ceiling of 700 you will need the following; 700 ATO + take off height = 1000 ATO simplified for calculations That means every time you hit ceiling you can glide 6 km if you have a nice back wind. But you need to hit the thermal before you hit the ground, so you need to find a thermal within 5 km. 25 km goal / 5 km = 5 thermals minimum if you could fly straight to goal. But as you need to fly along the triggers its probably 6 or 7 thermals On a strong day with strong climbs (3 up averager) you will spend 50 % of your time thermalling. That means; Ground speed when thermalling; 15 km/h (thermals drift slower than wind) Ground speed when gliding; 20 km/h (wind speed) + 45 km/h (air speed of glider on bar) = 65 km/h So your average speed will be (15+65)/2 = 80/2 = 40 km/h. Consider cross wind inefficiencies (30 %) and you get around 30 km/h, so it will be a fast and furious flight.

What is needed to make Rustenburg from the Dam?

With an effective glide of 6 and a XC goal of 60 km (Dam -> RTB) and a ceiling of 1,700 you will need the following; 1,700 ATO + take off height = 2000 ATO simplified for calculations That means every time you hit ceiling you can glide 12 km if you have a nice back wind

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 8

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________ But you need to hit the thermal before you hit the ground, so you need to find a thermal within 10 km. 60 km goal / 10 km = 6 thermals minimum if you could fly straight to goal. But as you need to fly along the triggers and out of 700 ceiling so its probably more like 9 thermals

DHV and glide ratios

A DHV class difference usually represent a 1 point glide difference DHV Class 3 Hot 2 + 2/3 1/2 Typical glide 9, 9.5 8, 9 7, 8

Collectors + Triggers
You need two things to get up; a heat collector and a trigger. Heat can be generated in two ways; the sun basking the earth, or a cloud forming (the condensation process release latent heat) A trigger will be anything where there will be a temperature difference between the collector and the adjacent land. This could be; river, line of tress, difference in texture, difference in colour. Following is my priorities of trust to get a climb; 1. Gliders, birds climbing 2. Good cloud and I am above 1/3 of height to base above ground (meaning I personally trusts to get up from clouds even if quite low) 3. Sun shines on; a. Mountain ridges b. Quaries and ravines (the wind over the query prevents the hot air from escaping, really heating up the air) c. Dark big fields d. Hills e. Water (river or dam) f. Line of trees Combine triggers; lets say you are about 400 meters above the ground. It may be a bit risky to chase a cloud if the base is high. But underneath or on-route to the cloud there are ground triggers then this is still a good option. Or you see a farm house next to a line of gum trees and a little dam these are nice combinations go for it!

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 9

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________ Always go where you got up last time, you will start developing a connect-the-dots type of flight path to a specific goal.

Poor triggers
Be careful to glide over to very dark ploughed lands if it recently rained or its clearly pivot irrigation the ground could still be moist! Also pitch black burnt fields are useless it releases the bubbles too quickly and proper thermals never develop.

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 10

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Cloud types
Good safe clouds
Well formed cumin (medium or large) Flat base Dark base Wider than higher

Go for these

Poor clouds
Unstructured base Not well defines lines Small Cirrus type of clouds Haze domes

Only go for these if its on your flight path to your goal

Too good clouds (? )

(be aware and manage your risk) Higher than wider Tendrils hanging from bottom (beard like) Cloud has a step beneath the base like a second base

Tendrils and steps usually indicate relentless and strong lift When cloud base is low (<= 1500 m AGL) it usually does not OD even if it looks threatening

Get away from clouds

Get away, go land. Fly cross-down wind, pull big ears to get down. Anvil on top Rain from cloud Thunder from cloud Larger clouds start eating up smaller clouds

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 11

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Position of lift
Unless its a dead wind day the lift will not be above or below the trigger.

Downwind

Hit lift before cloud

Land

In a down wind glide you will only get the lift once you passed the ground trigger or before the cloud. If you glide towards a cloud and get a bit of lift before you reach the cloud then you must start thermalling! (usually its just before the edge of the cloud). On every turn you will climb faster and see yourself getting more towards the middle of the cloud.

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 12

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Into wind

Hit lift in middle

Land

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 13

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Wind effect on thermals

No wind
Thermals are undisciplined and unstructured. Thermals drift in any direction and can be rough and unpredictable. Be tenacious and turn tight.

Sink

Core Lift

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 14

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Mild wind (20 km/h)

Thermal has good structure and is far more predictable. Expect to find a bit of ridge type of lift on the up-wind side of the thermal and some convergence lift at the back. Its normal to experience sink before the thermal, then a bit of lift, then some sink and then you actually enter the thermal.

Sink Mild Wind Core Lift Lift Lift

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 15

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Strong wind (30 km/h)

The ridge type of lift now merges with the core, which is now very close to the side. Expect strong bullet type of climbs at the edge of the thermal. The convergence at the back of the thermal may also produce strong lift, which can be confused with the core. (You will typically hit strong lift and just as suddenly be dumped into huge sink). When you are flying downwind in a thermal and suddenly experience big lift its best to immediate whip your glider around as this is not the core but the convergence lift before the big sink. If you loose a thermal in strong wind its probably downwind from you. A good technique in a place like De Aar where the thermals usually tend to move very fast when you loose a thermal. First search for it into wind for about 5 seconds. If you dont hit it then turn straight down wind, you should hit it in about 10 seconds again.

Sink Strong Lift Strong Lift Strong Wind Core Lift

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 16

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Changing gears
You should adjust you thermalling and gliding technique based on the time of day and your height.

Height related
Level Very low Low Height Glide between thermals Thermalling focus 75 m above Land None land. Risk may be too high ground <= 500 m Aim for cloud if only it is Turn immediately if you can do above big, well formed and very your 1st successful 360. ground very close Keep on turning, only adjusting Aim for ground triggers in your circle a small amount sun every turn to look for better lift. Aim to find the core Avoid shade patiently in about 5 turns. 100 % Downwind or towards a clear trigger. Make your turns very small and aggressive <300 m AGL : Rather choose the best trigger Focus on wind speed and drift to know which way the thermal you can make and then fly may drift around and over it, rather Dont loose the thermal, crank than leaving it and trying it around if you fly out of it and to make the next trigger go find it again Be patient, very patient Glide at trim speed, Dont leave the thermal, even if unless; you see someone else climbing bar into wind of 10 faster than you km/h Work anything you can make a bar in > 3 down sink 360 in, at this stage even half up is very good Think get up, not where you are going to land, forget about landing

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 17

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________ Mid <= 1000 m above ground Aim for the next downwind cloud, even if 20 degrees off route Fly both the sky and the ground, look for ground triggers on route to a cloud or combine ground triggers Turn only after you have gone through the core Turn small in the core Look for best lift Look up to see if there are birds marking the core Look up to see if there are a cloud forming above you Leave the thermal for a better bar minimum between one if you can make it without thermals, unless risk bar into wind This is the time the plan your bar in > 3 down sink next move, dont just thermal, think strategy! If the core is too rough for comfort then fly the strong lift next to it Aim for the next Turn only after you have gone downwind cloud, even if through the core 20 degrees of route Turn small in the core Aim in the direction of Look for best lift goal Leave the thermal for a better Fly the sky, not the one if you can make it without ground risk This is the time the plan your bar minimum between next move, dont just thermal, thermals, unless think strategy! bar into wind If the core is too rough then fly bar in > 3 down sink the strong lift next to it Only work the best thermals (2 up Aim in the direction of minimum) goal

High

<= 2000 m above ground

Very high

>= 2000 m above ground bar all the time if you can

Strategize
This is very important. You should not wait to decide where to go next once you have topped out the thermal. Once you are established in a thermal and climbing nicely without to much focus required on the wing you should already decide where to go next is there a cloud towards my goal? Where are the other pilots? Who is climbing? Who is sinking? Landing spots for the next 10 km, good thermal areas the next 10 km, are there storms brooding, shadow? The key is that you must start thinking and flying 20 km into the future and look for storms 40 km away. ____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 18

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Time related
As the day progresses climbs usually get higher so if one shifts gears as per your height you should be fine, but there as two exceptions though

Take-off
The sites we usually fly from are popular for a reason they are on top or are close to big triggers. Just because you can get up high from the De Aar runway at 11 AM does not mean that you are going to get another good height climb at 11:30. The same with the Dam, its the highest point on the whole mountain range and the single biggest trigger in a 50 km radius. So its usually wise to remain conservative in the first hour of your flight if you launched early.

Landing
Its quite possible to climb over 2,500 meters with the last thermal of the day. When the day starts shutting down the thermals will get big and mellow, the air buoyant and the glides awesome. From about sunset minus 3 hours its best to stay high and have effective glides regardless of height. Your last thermal can give you 20-30 km glide.

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 19

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Loosing and finding thermals again

A key concept is that we more often than not loose thermals, as opposed to thermals just stopping. When you loose a thermal you must invest at least one full minute to find it again. One minute is nothing in a 4 hour flight. Thermals are lost for various reasons and some days are worse than others, here are the culprits;

No wind days
Thermals drift in whatever direction they feel like and snake up, sometimes north, sometimes east, sometimes seemingly into wind. Hunt for the thermal in all directions (large circle or box) and once you get 1-up crank it up. Stay with it and move closer to the edge with every turn.

Strong wind days

The thermals move far faster than what you are used too and when you loose it covers great distance before found again. The further it travels the least the chance of getting it again. Look for the thermal a bit into wind and then down wind. And once you get 1-up crank it up. Stay with it and move closer to the edge with every turn. Also your turning pattern must change from making circles to making ellipses have a little bit of a down wind leg before you complete your turn. And then you face into wind, make a quick turn.

Strong wind gradient

Places like De Aar sometimes has very high wind gradient. Also common in spring with strong NW days at the Dam. It means that if you thermal under a cloud the cloud may start running away from you. You are going down wind but so is the cloud and its fast! You may have to step on the bar just to keep up with the cloud, thermal a bit, chase the cloud on bar, catch it and thermal again

Inversion
You find that you just cannot get above a certain height, try as you may. And its bumpy at that specific height. Just crank it up. Stay with the small bubble, once it punches through the inversion it will get big, strong and super smooth.

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 20

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Shear layer
Feels like an inversion but you cannot punch through it.

Roaming cores
Sometimes a thermal will have multiple cores and one of them starts drifting towards the edge of the thermal or even out of the main thermal. Whenever I thermal and my climb starts slowing down but stays smooth I get worried because experience has taught me that I may suddenly just be surrounded by large areas of sink and no thermal in sight Once my lift slows down to 1 up I will change my thermal pattern in an attempt to find a better core.

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 21

_____Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009_________________________________________

Fear management
Big flights unfortunately dont come in little bubble wrapped shock proof containers. More likely to have some barbed wire here and there. One must learn to manage you fear in the flight or else you will get mentally drained so quickly that you will be exhausted after a mere hour. For the bigger flights you will have to vasbyt a bit and to hang in there, especially if you are in a strong climb. The higher I am the braver and more aggressive I get but when I feel that the flight starts to resemble a Kamakazi mission I will pull ears and go land or take my chances finding a different thermal. Very important I will not be (too) mad at myself even if other people fly 100 km the day. I use mantras when the going gets tough and it rough as hell. I keep on asking myself: Am I an experienced pilot? (yes) Have I had any major collapses as yet in this flight (usually No) Did I fall out the sky ? (no) So what am I stressing about? Everything is still under control.

Learning
At the end of every flight whilst you wait for recovery you MUST ask yourself What mistakes did I make? What should I do differently?. I personally keep a diary of my flights on my PDA. Its not a log book. It addresses how I felt, what I think I did wrong and should rectify next time. It also covers small incremental equipment adjustments I should make before my next flight. Ask other good pilots: Why did you make that move? Read Performance flying by Dennis Pagen. Dont borrow it, buy it. Get a mentor. But the most important thing is to get hours. Lots of hours. Hours brings experience, experience brings confidence, confidence brings good XC flying.

____ Copyright Lukas Robo Barnard ________________________________ p. 22