.
Now that the sailplane is at altitude, it is time to go thermal hunting. Start by trimming the RISER for a nice flat glide and
head upwind flying a zig-zag pattern. Never cover the same ground twice while searching for thermals. Be looking for
areas where you can see heat waves radiating up, or hawks circling, or swirling "dust devils" being picked up off the
ground. Remember, smooth flying is the secret to long flights. Watch the sailplane closely as it is flying. If it suddenly
seems to "rise up on a step", stops sinking and starts gaining altitude, you know you are in a thermal. Or if you see one
wing or the other bump up, immediately turn towards the high wing to try to get into the thermal that caused the bump.
Once you are in a thermal, feed in a small amount of rudder trim to set the sailplane up for a large glide circle of
approximately 100 to 200 feet diameter. As the sailplane continues to gain altitude, you can open up the glide circle
slightly. Once in the thermal, do not let the sailplane get so far downwind that you can't get it back to the field if the lift dies
out.
Slope Soaring
Slope soaring is a unique sport in itself and probably the fastest growing aspect of R/C soaring. Wherever you can find a
decent size hill with a 1015 m.p.h. wind blowing into it, you can slope soar. When the wind is blowing into the face of the
hill, it is deflected upward by the slope of the hill. This upward rising air is the lift we use to soar on. Wind velocity and the
amount of slope in the hill will determine the amount of lift generated by a particular site. The amount of lift can also be
affected by obstructions such as trees, buildings, etc. So try to pick a hill with a long smooth approach to it that is free of
obstructions.
Although there are many special aerobatic slope soaring designs around, the RISER can give a pretty good account of
itself at slope soaring for duration. The only addition you need to make to your RISER for slope soaring is to add some
ballast to help it penetrate the wind. Depending upon the actual velocity of the wind on the day you are flying, try adding 6
- 12 ounces of weight inside the fuselage directly over the C.G.
Launch the sailplane out over the crest of the hill by throwing it with the wings level and with the nose of the sailplane
pointed slightly down. Fly the sailplane parallel to the slope, and when you need to turn around, always make your turns
into the wind, away from the slope. Use smooth control movements and fly the sailplane back and forth across the slope
staying in the lift. Never turn downwind, into the slope until you decide it is time to land. When landing, make sure that you
have a fair amount of altitude, then fly the sailplane behind the slope, and make a gentle descent to a landing on top of the
hill. If you are too high on your landing approach, make S-turns to lose altitude or go around.
It will take a little practice to master the art of slope soaring, but it is well worth the effort and a lot of fun.