How to Thermal: "Easy as 1-2-3" Method

[@bluechip8840]

Just to say, I watched this video just before my first solo single seater aerotow. I found and stayed in 3 or 4 major thermals, and kept the aircraft in the air for as long as I wanted. In the 4 flights since then, I have been able to find and stick in the thermals I've found. I've not yet returned home because I needed to, rather than wanted to. It's not terribly difficult to apply, it's systematic, and doesn't require an awful lot of intricate thinking to understand what's going on. I'm really grateful that I stumbled across this video, it's really helped my flying, and it feels like a little gift of knowledge. thank you Eric for making and sharing this.

[@BrunoVassel]

You are a fantastic teacher. Thanks so much for doing this. I need to simplify my thermalling!!! :) Thanks.

[@basicpilot4006]

Hi

[@LKokos]

Bruno? Did think I`d see you here. :)

[@BrunoVassel]

We should be always learning! Good stuff. :)

[@Lehmann108]

Hey, if Bruno is praising you, you know you're doing something right!

[@Farweasel]

Good innit. Thanks mate. Whole lot of UK glider pilots have been going nuts for Condor with the Covid-19 Lockdown halting flying. They've even figured a way to make it competitive.

[@adrosenoff]

The 3 quarter rule is something I see most newer pilots not get. Most pilots want to correct to the actual center point of the thermal and end up half in and half out again. I used to teach pilots to turn about 30 degrees ahead of where they thought the center of the thermal was, and that seemed to work pretty well as you described. I also thought the demonstration of how pitch changes with a constant airspeed (constant stick pressure), by rising as it enters the stronger part, and falling off slightly as you turn into the weakest part was great. Of course the sound goes up and down as well. Learning to pick up on those subtle cues is critical to learning to thermal well. I used to dislike when students wanted to fixate on the vario, as miss all of the cues on the outside (I used to have them throw a towel over the panel) to force them to tune in to those subtle aerodynamic clues are. Great instructional video!

[@eugeniustheodidactus8890]

*Yes..... great demonstration !* I hope you are still out there enjoying the thermals. I have had only two glider lessons, but after watching two of your videos, I am acutely aware of the *thermal objective* which heretofore completely befuddled me.

[@EricCarden]

I'm glad you liked it. Yes, I'm still soaring. I had a great adventure soaring all the way across the U.S. last year: soaramerica.wordpress.com. I'm glad to have helped debefuddle you! 🙂

[@Dark1kier]

i just learned to thermal. 1-2-3. watched all the way through to examine the lesson. Highly Recommend. Enjoyable.

[@Matt6644]

For those who have LK8000 and want this setup for displaying thermal mode you need config/lk8000setup/system setup/map display: trail drift ON config/lk8000setup/system setup/ Glide computer: thermal locator PAN TO CENTER and under Map orientation set that to North Circling.

[@EricCarden]

You're welcome. Thanks for the comments. I haven't created a "lesson 2", but thanks for the interest. I created this video/lesson, because I feel like it gets a pilot 80-90% of the way to thermaling proficiency and because in my 20 years of soaring, I've never seen these baics boiled down this simply. I could put together 10-20 more "advanced" lessons, but combined they'd only do a fraction of as much as this one lesson. If I ever make a "lesson 2", though, I'll post it here in my channel.

[@gushamilton5188]

I'm searching and searching to find the thermaling technique that makes the most sense and is the easiest to remember. I'm a relatively new flyer and this seems to be the tip I need. I'm excited to try it out. Thanks @eric carden

[@stephenhughey8460]

Eric, Now if you could just show me in a real sailplane. Uh oh, you did! Thank you Eric! Your Condor video instruction is excellent, only to be exceeded in real life. I am lucky to get to fly with you. I only hope someday to repay your patience and efforts by showing I was worth it. Steve

[@EricCarden]

You're too kind, Steve. I'm just a guy who loves soaring and wants EVERYONE to have as much fun soaring as I do! :-) It was my pleasure flying with you, and I hope we can fly together again.

[@shadeburst]

Before thermal assistants I always used the compass, trying to move my circle not so much towards the best lift as away from the worst sink. As you said, listening to the turbulence usually gives you a good idea.

[@EricCarden]

You're welcome. Thanks for the comment. Yes, I developed CCS. After a few years of project dormancy, I tried Condor and decided that Condor was so far advanced that I considered CCS "mothballed".

[@lautoka63]

Thanks, Eric: you've made it seem easy, which is the result no doubt of endless practice. I've just got a PNA with LK8000 and found this video while searching for tutorials before going off to Omarama next month (start of the southern hemisphere summer).

[@matiasguerraph]

en parapente es exactamente igual todo ! calcado ! gracias por mostrar el trabajo perfecto

[@chrishamilton4999]

Well, Eric, I will be looking out for lessons 2 onwards once I have grasped Lesson 1 over the next month or so.

[@zblacky2031]

Finally a Tipp that really help! Thank you man, a very smart thing I never taught about. Thanks really!

[@EricCarden]

Yes, as Sergio answered, you'll find all you need to know about LK8000 Tactical Flight Computer on the project's web site (see this video's description). LK8000 is free open-source software. On the web site, you can download the software, read the user manual, and join the forum, where you can ask a sea of LK8000 users (and developers) any questions you have.

[@iparafly1674]

Thank you for sharing. It'd be interesting to watch a similar simulation implementing this "Easy as 1-2-3" Method by using the sound of the vario only.

[@grendelkeep]

Great explanation! I learned and used this method by intuition in really weak thermals (unfortunately we have a lot of them near our airfield, barely enough to gain height). However, I used it ONLY in weak thermals, in stronger ones I tended to rave about under the illusion this might be better.. but it's easy to climb in strong thermals, so I guess it was for the worse (but compared to the weak ones still great). I'll use the "1-2-3 method" in any thermal next time.

[@MrEngelchen]

This is the method I use with whatever audio vario I have in whatever glider I get to fly.

[@PlatinumRow]

Cool. My problem is Finding the God dam Thermal !! :D

[@michaelmarino6808]

Outstanding Eric. Wow. I appreciate it a lot.

[@alpenjon]

Excellent explanation, thanks

[@CJModiano]

Subscribed: Hope you feel like posting some more tutorials in the future!

[@chrishamilton4999]

Thank you for this. I had heard about the 270 deg. method, but found it a bit difficult to make it work.. Your description seems much easier to grasp. I have found that when you do your first or second thermal, when you hit the highest lift, increase bank/ tighten the turn a whole lot, and then back off. This does seem to work, but is not bullletproof. I now own a Lak 12, so when you hit the spot, boy, do you go up! Thanks again for the information sharing. How do I find lesson 2?

[@zealousideal]

This is cool. I’m just now learning about and getting interested in gliders/sailplanes. I think this is so wild and amazing. Where was this all of my life. I’ve been a life long aviation/pilot enthusiast. Here I am Middle Aged just learning about this. Cool video, You should make more. I’m trying to learn and understand this science of flying. But how do you keep from going dizzy or air sick from constant circling?? Seems like the constant circling would make one sick or dizzy. I’m getting dizzy just watching it.

[@naturarum]

you just get used to it. first flight was disorienting for me, 45deg bank was really impressive. one year into it and i'm more surprised to see a level horizon haha.

[@randyshumaker6852]

Best one yet for the average guy..and gal

[@williamradigan3820]

Eric, Great video, thanks.

[@Jet-Pack]

Rule #4: Fo(u)r good visibility stay out of the clouds ;-) Very nice method, I'll try it out in the real glider. My method is a bit different, as soon as the lift starts to rise I reduce the bank angle and when it reached it maximum I bank in with ~40 - 50° One benefit is that you climb very fast when you're in the thermal. But the problem is you can easyly lose the thermal and its bad for any passenger on board xD

[@kreebog]

Great video! Very helpful - you're an excellent coach :)

[@TheJuan72]

thx for the video very informative and easy to understand.

[@ilikegliding]

Thanx for cool instructional video. I use this technique in real-life soaring and in Condor/fsx. PS. Are you the same Eric Carden that developed Cross-Country Soaring 2004?

[@easygtr]

Alright thank you guys i'll check the software

[@vgrof2315]

Thank you. Great!

[@iacopob]

thank you!

[@timmay301]

this sounds so easy!!

[@atmosphericraven]

Do they have real life apps that help hang gliders catch thermals?

[@glendeco]

LIKE!! Thank you for sharing!

[@easygtr]

Any hardware you guys recommend? It's not for iPhone as I see Any chance it will in the future?

[@jtleejr]

That's how I do it in a sailplane too

[@easygtr]

How do i get a gps like that?

[@declde]

Is there any device for a real glider that you can buy without installing software that allows you to track thermals like this?

[@zzz3010]

maybe a bit late but you can connect a kobo with xcsoar to condor

[@oneflyvw]

Do you use auto-rudder? I often wonder how many of the top ranking condor guys use it. When I ask the question they often get very quiet. (Guilty conscience maybe?)

[@EricCarden]

I didn't till last Spring when I started taking sailplane lessons and bought a set of rudder pedals. Most of my real-world flying has been in hang gliders - where there's no yaw control. Now I always use the rudder pedals (and no auto-rudder). I find that the mechanics of flying a craft (like working a rudder) come fairly easily compared to the between-the-ears stuff that sets the experts apart from the rest of us. :-)

[@rianmonnahan]

Nice tutorial. Just wondering how you got LK8000 to run in the same window as Condor.

[@EricCarden]

I did it during video production. It wasn't there as I flew in Condor. :-)

[@EricCarden]

And thanks for the kind words. I hope it helps people learn to thermal more easily.

[@jindrichnovak3830]

Me flying a glider with a mechanical vario, e.g. no sound, delay and no colored display!

[@VTSifuSteve]

I remember those varios. I flew gliders 50 years ago as a teen, using the club's SGS 1-26. I used the 270° correction method, but just watching the vario needle move tends to keeps your attention inside the cockpit too much. That's ineffective and dangerous. The other problem I had was teenage impatience. I never wanted to wait and circle 2+ times for 2 checks. I'd want to make the correction right away. Not smart. Now at 69 I'm trying my hand at hang gliding. We'll see if I can use this method.

[@revvingrebel8213]

just give me sounds of the vario and the feeling of my but in the chair. Don't forget to look outside :P

[@turmat01]

thats cool, when you have such a computer! We sure don't have one in ous ASK21s or our DG505! :(

[@EricCarden]

Yes, it is. :-) Our only training glider (an L-23 Blanik) doesn't have one, either, but I carry my own with me when I fly the L-23. The software is free, and the hardware is very inexpensive. You may even have suitable hardware (except for the mount, maybe) lying around the house already.

[@turmat01]

Wait, wut? Care to explain a bit more? If I can carry my own, and if this is indeed inexpensive, this is DEFINATELY something I want to do... That would basically turn our old ASK-21s into more modern sailplanes! When I check Bruno Vassel's videos with his huge GPS screen, I get really jealous lol. Even just a tiny screen would make my life so much easier! I'm still a student pilot, I only have 19 flights behind my belt (around 6 hours of flight I guess), but I'm progressing really, really fast, I'm already landing by my own even with pretty big crosswinds, my instructors are a bit stunned by my progresses and tol me I was really, really close to flying solo. The season is coming to an end, but next year, I should start flying solo. having one of those would be awesome!

[@EricCarden]

The software in the video is LK8000 Tactical Flight Computer (www.lk8000.it), a free open-source program that runs (or did when I created this video) on Windows CE devices. It may now run on Android devices... I'm not sure. I've since switched to the similar (also free and open-source) XCSoar program (www.xcsoar.org), which runs on Android devices. I run it on an old Samsung S3 smartphone we had lying around the house not being used. So my only expense was to buy a suction cup mount. Most devices that would run programs like these don't have great sunlight readability, but I fashioned a cardstock visor (which a club member recently replicated for me in plastic using his 3D printer), which helps a lot. If you have the Condor sailplane simulator, you can feed data from it to your LK8000 or XCSoar device so as to get/stay familiar with your flight computer between real-world flights.

[@turmat01]

That's awesome man! And your samsung device's GPS data works even without a SIM Card??

[@EricCarden]

Yes, the GPS receiver works even without a SIM card.