Great Planes Spirit 100 Sailplane Kit - GPMA0550 - Manual (Page 53)

make soaring challenging "Sink" is usually not as strong as the
thermals in the same area, but it can be very strong Down drafts
of many hundreds of feet per minute are common on a good
soaring day These down drafts can make a sailplane look like it
is falling out of the air Because of this, it is important you do not
let the sailplane get too far downwind
When encountering sink, immediately turn and fly 90 de-
grees to the direction of the wind (towards you if possible) Apply
a little "down elevator" and pick up speed to get out of the sink
as fast as possible Every second you stay in the sink is precious
altitude lost
quickly or gently you may miss it if you are not paying close
attention If you find a productive thermal don't leave it because
your helper tells you someone else has found a different one
Know your sailplane! - Learn what your sailplane will and won't
do and fly within this envelope This will allow you to ride
thermals downwind while knowing when you have to head back
to make your landing safely
Learn from the wind! - Keep track of which way the wind is
blowing. If the wind suddenly shifts, there is thermal action fairly
close to you The air is probably being either sucked up into a
thermal or falling out of sink In either case it is often a good idea
to fly in the direction the wind is blowing if your sailplane is in the
general area This will lake you towards a thermal if there is one
or away from the sink, both of which are desirable
POINTERS FOR CONTEST FLYING
Pay Attention! - Pay close attention to the sailplanes flying
before you, watch them and try to establish where and when the
thermals are being formed Thermals are often formed in cycles
and can be fairly regular so if you keep track of the time intervals
you will have a pretty good idea of when and where a thermal may
be generated
Watch the birds! - Thermals suck up small insects many birds
love to eat A bunch of swallows flying around in one area may
indicate a thermal Soaring birds (hawks, vultures, eagles etc)
are the best thermal indicators They not only show you where the
thermal is but they also show you where the center is These
"Masters of the sky" will often fly right along with sailplanes
SLOPE SOARING
FLYING
Slope soaring is a type of flying that is very popular in hilly
regions and along the coasts This type of soaring is possible
when the wind is blowing directly up a hill or cliff As the wind
hits the slope it is forced up producing l i f t which can be ulilized
by real sailplanes, hang gliders, birds and even model sailplanes
Practice those landings! - Most thermal contests are won or lost
during the landing Establ ish a particular landing pattern and try
to stick to it for all landings Learn to shift your pattern to account
for the wind and particular flying field characteristics Spoilers
can be very useful during contest landings They allow you to
bring the sailplane in for a landing higher or faster than normal to
guard against any last minute sink or gusts and dump the extra
altitude and speed at the last second They can also be used to help
control your skid Opening the spoilers will stop the plane from
sliding a little quicker You can also "steer" the plane while it is
sliding along the ground Don't expect to be able to "horse it
around" but you can gain valuable inches by using the rudder to
guide it towards the spot as it slides to a stop Be very careful not
to "ground loop" the plane since you will lose your landing points
if the plane flips over
Concentrate Keep your eye on your sailplane during your
contest flights Have a helper or your counter watch the other
sailplanes in the air Sometimes your sailplane will wiggle so
To be able to slope soar, you need a slope with a smooth piece
of land (or water) out in front of it and a breeze blowing pretty
close to straight up the slope The higher and steeper the hill or
cliff the better Also the larger and smoother the land out in front
the better The air flowing along hits the hill, is forced up and can
generate a very large area of lift Behind the hill is a large area of
turbulent air that can be very dangerous to try to fly in The faster
the wind is blowing the stronger the lift and turbulence will be
To fly off a slope, stand near the edge and throw the sailplane
(nose down) into the wind As the sailplane flys out into the
"band" of lift it will begin to gain altitude Turn and fly parallel
to the slope and make all of your turns into the wind (especially
when you are close to the slope) You will be surprised at the
altitude you can gain just from slope lift Thermals will often be
"popped loose" by these slopes If you catch a thermal and fol low
it downwind, be very careful to stay high enough to make it back
to the slope without flying through the turbulent air behind the
slope If you don't have enough altitude you may want to land a
good distance behind the slope if possible to avoid this turbulent
air
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