Finally, Thermal city!

[Test005]

Yes! Today I found some serious lift and learned a set of new experiences.
I have only flown sailplanes since late autumn last year and haven't had the weather or fortune to find any serious active air.
Living in cold north and lacking sailplane experience I've been scratching for lift and babied every signal from the wings and really triiiiied to get the plane to go up instead of steadily floating down.

So today I got some killer air and I found myself very amused of the sensation of launching into thermal air and have the high-start heavily recoil when it dissconnects and the plane just keeps rising.

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/5797/386vd6.jpg



I also almost trippled my old altitude record with a flight to 531 meters (1742 feet!)
...Could have kept going up, but I was scared of loosing my plane due to visibility and bailed, with full flap I came screaming down :)

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/6286/531lx1.jpg


Stuff used:
/ Organic 2.5sp / Spectrum DX7 / Hosemonster 2m comp / Zlog /

[davidjensen]

It looks like you are well on your way to the addiction. There is no cure, only medication in the form of flight time.

[AMBeck]

Congratulations! You're hooked now!

[scaflock]

I have to agree. Test is going to be needing a lot of "Thermal Therapy" from this point on. Welcome to the club! Now repeat after me. Hi... My name is ......... And I'm a thermal junkie.

Jeff

[lincoln]

Cool. As you get more experience, you'll find yourself catching lift on shorter days. I've caught good lift in January, which I guess would be like maybe March in your area.

[Test005]

I'm sure the more experienced fliers around here catch good'ish air year round, but for me, this was the first field day when I got that wow, scary feeling with almost too much lift.
Needless to say, I have the gear in my car, going again after work :)
...And I have an Ava on order too, more sailplanes...I need,,,more :P

[rogerflies]

"...with full flap I came screaming down "

I thought flaps were suppposed to keep the speed under control.

My Lovesong comes down nice and easy with crow, 90-degree flaps, and ailerons/rudder hard over. It takes a while, but it's much easier to see when it's turning dirty.

Roger

[dwells]

Congrats there Test, I know the feeling when you get your first killer lift. Now you'll be jonesing for it, forever and ever and ever...

[Test005]

I've been flying almost every day this week... Have had great weather and good thermal air.
Regularly been up to 350m+ and have had some long flights, I like it alot :)

[GeeW]

Test005
Right then, well done on sussing this thermal thingy, now try to get more than one or two in a flight....say, try for 1 hour. This eases the addiction. A two hour flight will really help. The effects can subdue the symptoms for nearly a workng week, with maybe a few HLG launches one evening after work.
Gordon

[Test005]

I don't have patience for flying 2h non-stop.
When I find good lift I kiind of use it as my elevator and go off looking for lift elsewhere, looping, diving and fun-fling before heading back to where "I know" it's lift for another ride up.
Also scratching for low level thermals is fun, good contact with the plane and a few mistakes means re-launch :)