Getting Started With Gliding

What better way to learn to fly, than a beautiful sunny day on top of Ivinghoe beacon. This stunning slope site is situated just a few miles east of Dunstable in the Bedfordshire countryside and is visited by glider flyers from all over the uk.

The Ivinghoe soaring association is the club that run the site here and they do this in close contact with the national trust who own the land.

If you intend to start out in gliding whether from scratch or as an experienced power flyer then nearly all the lads here can point you in the right direction and are always more than happy to help with advice, training and setting up your model for the first time.

I personally started flying here at the beacon (many moons ago) and loved every minute, but watch out IT'S ADDICTIVE... just ask the guy in the black jacket here on the right.

My Minimoa

As always you need to start with a suitable model. Preferably one that can cope with the rigors of a rocky or rough landing on the top of a hill.Slope soaring is a wonderful branch of our hobby but you can kiss goodbye to any ideas of a lovely mown grass strip to land on unless the sheep got there first . Also you will need a model which is capable of flying in a reasonable range of conditions, from light to moderate wind strenghts at first and should be able to make good use of thermal lift.

The Chris foss Middle Phase (Primary Wing) trainer is a good example and as you progress in the hobby you can buy the aileron wing as an extra .This model will see you well into your training and beyond. Youll keep coming back for more with this glider. go to www.chrisfoss.co.uk for more information.

Another manufacturer of excellent quality gliders is Pheonix model products. These come in various shapes and sizes to suit most needs but best of all are the EPP Foam models if you are a begginer as they are virtually indestructable. Give Stan Yeo a call on tel :01626 332287 .And he'll be pleased to help and advise you all the way or visit his website at www.pheonixmp.com for a look at his full range.

My Minimoa 10ft span floats by on a beautiful day	A huddled group like this can only mean combat..

Dont be fooled into thinking that if you already fly powered models you dont need to learn the art of slope soaring. Its a very different game altogether. Although the controls are exactly the same (except you have no throttle), you need to be constantly aware of wind direction, strength and gusts as on the slope these factors have a very much more pronounced affect on your model. One of the most important things to remember when learning is never turn towards the slope if you are flying close in or your model will be behind you before you can blink. Always fly in a figure of eight across the slope, turning away at each end.

First check that all controls are working in the correct sense and that you have switched onthe receiver. This may sound silly but especially if you are a power flyer already its easy to forget. The other common problem is thatpeople fit the switch in such a position that it gets switched off as you launch (you have been warned).

In reasonably light conditions go to the part of the slope facing directly into wind. Depending on the size and weight of your model firmly push it into wind from the top of the slope.

If the wind is fairly brisk and feels rough. You can bet that it probably will be the best way to launch (if you feel you must) is to go well down onto the slope itself. Passed the lip of the hill and gently launch with a slight nose down attitude and maybe a couple of clicks of down trim. This will help the model get passed the roughest air as quickly as possible (see picture above left).

Usually the best lift can be found by flying roughly paralell with the base of the slope and not close to the top as you may think.

Its basically very simple. As the wind blows along and then comes into contact with the side of the hill it is forced up the slopeside.

It is the upward motion of this air that provides the lift for your model and it is by keeping within this narrow band of rising air that you can gain enough hieght to then go further afield in search of other forms lift as described below.

Before we move on to other forms of lift. In the early days of learning it is very easy to get into the habit of sticking safely but firmly to the slope.Be brave and venture away from the hill with a bit of practice you will start to find out what this gliding lark is REALLY all about.

As you may or may not know thermals are either columns or bubbles of rising air .The sun omongst other things warms the ground.This in turn warms the surrounding air (It is wrong to say that the sun warms the air).As the air is warmed it expands and rises through the cooler air around it.This air can rise as either a column or can break free from the ground if disturbed by wind strength or waving crops in a field ,even a passing lorry can detach a thermal from the ground.

With hieght the thermal cools and loses its vertical speed and eventually dies away. In the case of stronger thermals they can be easliy seen by the formation of cumulous clouds above them. This phenomenon is caused by the moisture vapour drawn up by the rising warm air cooling to a point where it starts to become a liquid again.The height where this occours is called the dew point.

It is not uncommon for thermals to actually start on the slope itself where the sun shines directly on the slope as it catches the suns rays.

Article by Grot from Bumpy Green Model Aerodrome
21st March 2001