Soaring and Cross Country Flying Andy Davis

Soaring and Cross Country Flying
Presentation to Black Mountains Gliding Club
Andy Davis
21st March 2015
Introduction
Assumptions – basic knowledge of thermalling,
Macready, navigation, airspace and gadgets
PART 1 - Thermal Soaring - expanding on John
Clark’s and Mike Tomlinson’s 2013 presentation
PART 2 - General Cross Country Flying…..
• Preparation
• Top Tips and Common Errors
• Interactive Q&A
Part 1 - Thermal Soaring
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Lookout
Handling
Location
Centring
Selection
Decision Making
LOOKOUT
• FLARM is not a substitute for good lookout
• LOOK BEFORE TURNING by turning 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
HANDLING
• 30 deg bank minimum
• Consistent 40 – 45 deg bank desirable
• ATTITUDE, TRIM, AIRSPEED, ATTITUDE
• SENSES – FEEL, HEAR, OBSERVE – LOOK OUT
• SPEED APPROPRIATE
• CIRCLE BOTH WAYS
LOCATION
• Cloud, Sun, Wind, Surface, Slope, Shadow,
Convergence, Birds, Smoke, Wave, Ridge etc
• Mental Model
• Cloud Recognition
• Trigger Points
• Walk in the woods
• Observation
• Fly sensitively
Cloud Recognition
Learning Point – Observe Both Tops
and Base. Tops = History? Base = Now
Classic Cumulus Lifecycle
Cumulus – Base Detail
Look Hard for Step or
Moving Tendrils
Don’t confuse spread-out “ruff” with step
Are Thermals Vertical ?
Or Leaning with
the wind?
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)
Long Lived Cumulus – Self Perpetuating Lifecycle.
Regenerated by its own circulation.
Search under centre of cloud and developing edge
Short Lived Cumulus – sky rapidly changing
Good lift close to cloud-base with nothing below
Search between best clouds and obvious trigger point
Cloud Shadow Trigger
Lift is biased towards sunny side.
When low, search along line of
advancing shadow + scalloped edge
Approaching Lift
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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
Centring
What will the pilot see on his vario ?
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
Centring using the Principle of Maximum Acceleration
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
IS TOTAL ENERGY PERFECT ?
Thermal Mass = Thousands of Tons
Thermal Boundary Windshear –
Classic TE Vario Readings
The pilot MUST fly a constant attitude and centre
by feel on the vertical accelerations…………..
• 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
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……
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.
End of Part 1
QUESTIONS ?
Part 2 – Cross Country General
• Top Tips
• Common Errors
• Q&A session
Preparation
• Equipment: Glider, Trailer and
Personal
• Retrieve arrangements
• Rules and Task Objectives
• Airspace
• Practice – How to train effectively
• Andy Davis Soaring Course
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 <6s
• 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
Personal Equipment
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Drinking Water
Hat
Sunglasses, Specs
Current Map
PDA + data base
Pens, ruler, protractor
Food Bags
Comfort – lumbar / cushions
Peeing System
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.
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.
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
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….
• Use your glide angle and height
as a tool to cross a bad area to
better conditions
• Strategy: Target climb + alternate
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
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
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
Practice Effectively
every flight should have a specific training objective
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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
If You Can’t Fly X/C
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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
QUESTIONS