Next to water

[edragon]

I found an open space that I can fly my DLG. The space is like a peninsula (water on 3 sides). The width of the peninsula is about 400 feet. Is this a good spot for finding thermal?

[tommyt]

I think that depends on your location and the time of year. I live in south Florida where the air and ground temperature is usually warmer than the water temperature. If water around a small peninsula is cooler than the ground then the ground should heat up the air above it much faster and create thermals. I believe highest benefit would be had in little or no wind.

Tom

[Daryl Perkins]

Not enough info. Depends how large the body of water surrounding you, does the wind typically come off the water or from the land? etc...

D

[David Forbes]

You'll need to be careful about landing out, unless you've got a DLG on floats :D
Dave

[DT56]

Check the wind direction while standing on the shore at all 3 sides. If you have a breeze in your face, while looking offshore at all 3 points, you have "Sea Breeze", which means you have vertically rising air over the land mass. Whether the lift is strong enough to sustain flight is another matter.

Should you decide to fly at night, you'll find the situation has reversed, with the breeze blowing offshore toward the warmer water.

Since you're talking about such a small area of land, any effect may be minor and could be easily overcome by wind.

http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es1903/es1903page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization

http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/elements/seabrz.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_breeze#Sea-breezes_in_Florida

[edragon]

You'll need to be careful about landing out, unless you've got a DLG on floats :D
Dave

The wing is foam; it should float.

The body of water is a huge bay, lots of water. The potential flying site is part of a public park inside a wealthy resident subdivision. Come to think of it, snobby residents tried to chase us off once for playing tennis in the park by threatening to call the police. They might come at us again.

I think the wind typically blow from the sea.

[rogerflies]

I used to live on a largish lake in SC.

In the early summer, I had good lift in the afternoon over the land because it was much warmer than the water.

In the early part of the winter, the lift over water was much better early in the morning, because it was warmer than the land.

In general, a deep body of water takes longer to change temperature than the surface of the land around it. That's subject to all sorts of local conditions and variables, but at least it gives you a start for thinking about it logically.

The important factor is the difference in temperature between the two areas, not the absolute temperature of either one.

Roger

[rdeis]

The wing is foam; it should float.

Fly fishing shops have a great sealant for protecting the rest of the radio gear that cures in sunlight. I use it on my floatplanes.

[Tappet]

No.

[lincoln]

Unless they chase you off, I think you should try it. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but I've caught a number of thermals flying off ice in the daytime, in an area surrounded by deciduous trees, etc. which must have been warmer than the ice. But I sometimes caught thermals with my DLG, low over the ice. And sometimes I even saw dust devils, though in this case they were snow devils..

[edragon]

So, there I was, flying my little HLG in the middle of this new park. It's like less than a year old, I reckon. The park custodian (or whatever they're call) saw walking my glider across the field, and he did a tire screeching U-turn to head toward me. Just as I was about to do a-helluva diskus launch, he started yelling incoherantly at me from his truck. I thought he was complimenting my cool lil'o glider. Instead, he wants me to quit flying it. He said a little girl got head in the head by a RC helicopter (which I think is BS); so RC flying is banned there. I try to convince him that my glider is harmless compare to those dangerous powered flying machines. We compromised. Because there wasn't anyone else around, he let me fly for now; but if people starts showing up, then I would have to quit. I flew until my arm got tired (after about 15 minutes) and left.

[glidermang]

egradon:

Too bad about the reception.

About any potential flying site: try it and see. You never know until you try it and see.

Yours, Greg

[lincoln]

Well, you could make a good case that a baseball has more kinetic energy and less control. Not sure that would help. Maybe when it comes down to lawyers...
So, there I was, flying my little HLG in the middle of this new park. It's like less than a year old, I reckon. The park custodian (or whatever they're call) saw walking my glider across the field, and he did a tire screeching U-turn to head toward me. Just as I was about to do a-helluva diskus launch, he started yelling incoherantly at me from his truck. I thought he was complimenting my cool lil'o glider. Instead, he wants me to quit flying it. He said a little girl got head in the head by a RC helicopter (which I think is BS); so RC flying is banned there. I try to convince him that my glider is harmless compare to those dangerous powered flying machines. We compromised. Because there wasn't anyone else around, he let me fly for now; but if people starts showing up, then I would have to quit. I flew until my arm got tired (after about 15 minutes) and left.