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close attention. If you fi nd a productive thermal, don’t leave it
because your helper tells you that someone else has found
a different one.
Know Your Sailplane: Learn what your sailplane will and
won’t do and fl y 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 some thermal
activity close to you. The air is probably being either sucked
up into a thermal or falling out of some sink. In either case it
is often a good idea to fl y in the direction the wind is blowing
if your sailplane is in the general area. This will take you
towards a thermal if there is one or away from the sink, both
of which are desirable.
BALLASTING
In strong wind conditions, you may want to add ballast (weight)
to the sailplane to increase its wing loading which increases
its normal fl ying speed. Increasing the weight of your sailplane
does not change its “glide ratio” but it does make it fl y faster.
Because of the faster sink rate, you need to be very cautious
when ballasting for a thermal contest. In duration type contests
only use ballast on very windy days that also have a lot of
thermal activity.
Add the weight as near as possible to the C.G. of the plane.
Adding 6 – 8oz (170 – 225g) will make a noticeable difference
in the sailplane’s fl ying speed and more can be added later,
if needed. Make sure to recheck the C.G. of the plane after
adding the ballast – it should not change.
Have a ball! But always stay in control
and fl y in a safe manner.
GOOD LUCK AND GREAT FLYING!
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Summary of Contents for Sophisticated Lady GPMA1959
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