THERMAL SOARING A PRACTICAL GUIDE TITLE# 200-0003-001

An overview of knowledge items and practical techniques used by saiplane pilots to soar using thermal convection currents. Intended mainly for an audience of beginner glider pilots interested in improving their ability to stay up. Includes video material and interactive review on: Thermal meteorology; Bank and Speed selection when circling; Centering techniques; Cloud- and Ground- reading; Gaggling; Drift and Glide considerations; Instrumentation; Speed-to-Fly theory; Lift streets, Convergences and other large-scale interactions

The video source material for this course comes mainly from archives provided by the Soaring Society of America, with some topics freshly filmed in Colorado by Cumulus Courseware. Also included on the CD are MS Excel spreadsheets (speed-to-fly, circling polars) and interactive MS Internet Explorer Browsers simulating thermalling situations (bank and speed effects, gaggling concerns).