The Basics of Thermal Flying
Paragliding entices adventurous individuals because it involves flying with an aircraft that has no engine. A paraglider is a foot-launched, free-flying aircraft made of a fabric wing whose shape is formed by its suspension lines and by the air entering vents situated in the front of the wing. A number of important flying skills are necessary to pilot a paraglider; but only few are more important than the ability to climb in a thermal lift.
About a thermal
Some features on the ground are warmed by the heat of the sun more than others. How air rises, so these more heated surfaces such as rock faces and large buildings set off thermals which rise through the air. Thermals start out as shallow areas of heated air that are unable to move due to the drag that is associated with all upward motions. This results in considerable heating of large surfaces of air. While thermals are buoyant in the cooler air that surrounds them, certain triggers allow the ascent of this heated air.
Finding a thermal
Flying animals are highly sensitive to atmospheric pressure. They can perceive when they are in a rising or sinking air. Humans, on the other hand, can only sense the acceleration when they first hit a thermal but can no longer detect whether the air is constantly rising or sinking. This is why variometers are necessary in paragliding.
A variometer with audio feedback is vital. Time spent in looking at a variometer when paragliding can very dangerous. A variometer is an instrument that detects minute changes in air pressure, around 1 cm rise or sink per minute. The main function of a variometer is to help a pilot stay in the core of a thermal and to indicate whether they are in sinking or rising air.
Coring
The centre or core of a thermal is where the rise of air is strongest, this is where a pilot wants to be. After finding a thermal, a pilot starts to fly in a circle. The technique in coring a thermal is simple, to ensure that you are always at the centre of the thermal, make tighter turns when the climb is decreasing and widen your banking angle when the lift increases. Often there is a strong descent around thermals and strong turbulence as well. Turbulences result to wing collapses. But once inside a thermal shear forces reduce and the climb tends to become even.
Good thermal flying is not an easy skill to obtain but with practice a pilot can often centre a thermal up to cloud base.
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