Cross Country 101 - Tips to FLY FURTHER

[@happywatermelon9024]

I made a silly mistake by switching to an Lightness2 as my first pod this year. I've spent most of the season trying to adjust to it, but in the end I got scared of flying due to lack of authority in flight. Now I'm back to my open harness with a seat board and it's getting better again. Because of the fear, I was only thinking on how to avoid turbulence..now I'm trying to remind myself how fly xc. This video helps! It's funny how I now understand more of what you are talking about here, despite seeing this video years ago. This stuff never gets outdated!

[@AriintheAir]

Yeah man, totally get that. It's like I'm still going back over weather and xc theory stuff years after reading it for the first time and it's making more and more sense, and I learn different things each time I read it. Thanks for watching and for reaching out.

[@E620SE]

Everything is about feeling the glider. you have to try what's working on each day. every day is different an so are the thermals. sometimes you go really tight on the core, sometimes you need smooth circles with break shifting to get the most out of it (and the technique also depends on the glider). It's all about training an experience and as I said feeling the glider :) Nice Video, you explained in really well ;)

[@bigsailboatproject]

I use the 4 second rule on lift even tho I'm no expert it has served me well :) I also look for little clouds forming and get my shadow against it's shadow. I haven't flown enough to say it always works but seems to

[@パウリシュテファン]

Great video and really good tips, thank you very much! If I might add another tip for efficient flying I actually got from one of my teachers and PWC pilot is: keep a straight line over ground when you heading for e.g. a turnpoint or next thermal, or crossing a valley etc. Make sure that you do not fly in curves unnecessarily, especially if you have a little wind from the side. Keep the correction angle adjusted, so that you fly the shortest possible distance between two points. (Sometimes you would like to just follow a ridge or so, then of course you do not fly a straight line, but that is a different situation).

[@AriintheAir]

That is an excellent tip, even though it seems so obvious! I still look at my tracklogs and am like "why didn't I just fly straight there?" lol

[@safranpollen]

in narrow thermals I just accelerate the outside of my wing the inside normal, that is sometimes very efficient.

[@dragongoestojapan5904]

Really great video Your content is great Supporting your work keep making this stuff

[@MattyDeutschmann]

Hey, I am beginner and googeling for month for some explination regarding speedbar use, thank you, amazing tipps ... I will try hard

[@AriintheAir]

Happy to help! Thanks for writing Matty!

[@elimmiho608]

Thank you so much! Valuable lesson here! That's partly stuff nobody tells you...

[@AriintheAir]

Glad to help!

[@kyleoglee]

Spot on Ari!

[@AriintheAir]

Thanks Kyle!

[@Flightcoach]

think i was your 4000th view for this one :) great summary!

[@AriintheAir]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@ysoner]

Awesome stuff man, thanks for sharing! Do you have a recommendation for a sink tone threshold? -1,-2? Also, is there an approx. number for the neutral sink rate of a glider (without the airmass sinking)?

[@AriintheAir]

I tend to turn off my sink tone and use my numerical indicator visually on my instrument when gliding. I do this because I don't need any hightened emotions about sinking air. (I already have too much of those! lol) If I am to use a sink tone, it starts at -2.5m/s and alarms at -4m/s. Gliders go down at about 1.5m/s.

[@MBotha75]

Ari, you make some great videos, thank you. I am currently busy with my A license in Austria. My instructor keeps telling me to look forward when I prefer to look at my glider. Beside the obvious of looking where you are going, can I look at my glider more or should I be looking forward? I am still learning, so I try small things and try to observe what the glider does. Would love to hear your opinion? Many thanks, Martin.

[@AriintheAir]

Martin! Sorry for the delay here. Try this; if the glider makes a noise, you can look at it. If it flys silently, don't look. If you're doing a manuever, you can look at it. If you're just flying, don't look. Hows that?

[@Gdawg815]

Thank you! Great information as always!

[@AriintheAir]

Thanks Garrett! Glad to help man.

[@viliamgazo8589]

Great tips man, I like the part when you say, let your glider sniff for thermals. I think, even better if you have a glider with good feedback.

[@AriintheAir]

Thanks man! Yeah, the higher aspect ratio gliders sniff a bit better, but if you just let the glider lead you, even an EN B will sniff towards lift!

[@JERFALCON]

I wanna hear your tips on “where to fly” how to avoid being “skewered” 😂🤙🏼🦅🏴‍☠️

[@AriintheAir]

Hahahaha!!!

[@ripmanridin7092]

Awesome info.......................thanks bud!

[@AriintheAir]

Yeah buddy! For you guys, my tip is.... MORE GAS

[@rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr]

I don't understand the tip about "letting your glider be sucked towards the thermal". Does that really work like that? I've always learned and experienced that a thermal will tend to turn you away from it, because it lifts up the wingtip that is closest to it, therefore creating a slight bank away from it.

[@AriintheAir]

The point here is to become very sensitive to what the glider is doing and what it is telling you about the airmass that you're in. Sure, sometimes it will turn you away, but other times you can sense that its pulling you into a lifting area. Its a dark art that is hard to explain and can only really be learned through experience. Cheers!

[@Scojoin360]

Take a look at the Rode Wireless GO. Would add some good punch to your audio and is super portable. (and no, I'm not being paid to say this lol)

[@AriintheAir]

That thing is sweet. I could really use one. I have a few lavs, one for my phone, one for the audio recorder, that I should use, I just get annoyed with them. The audio crinkles as the jack moves around. I just invested in a new camera, drone, lenses and filters, so I'm a few months from a new lav set up. I would love to link up and see yours!

[@Scojoin360]

@@AriintheAir The GO has a built in mic in the transmitter. No wires, no jacks!

[@madsloper]

Do you ever graph a Polar Curve for your wings?

[@AriintheAir]

No, although I have seen polar curves. How does one make one?

[@madsloper]

@@AriintheAir From what I understand is you fly at trim speed in various headwinds and plot your sink rates at the different speeds to get the curve. Once you complete it you have a graph of your best L/D for a given headwind, also can change with harness and weight setup.

[@rickysun5611]

I have a question is it a…… a commitment?

[@GuiseRauch]

Hi please tel me do you always have to fly trim speed donwind. So if my trim speed is 40km/h and I am flying 50km as I have a tale wind do I then aply bracks untle I am back on 40km/h or do I leave it on 50km/h or do I put on bar and then I do 60km/

[@AriintheAir]

Depends! If you're going downwind and you're in lift, slow down! If you're in sink speed up a bit!

[@AtlantidaParaglidingCompany]

eehhh)