pi In The Sky

     This coming Saturday, Russell Holtz will begin his series of seminars for the coming season.   The first topic:  THERMALING BASICS.   

      The point of circling in thermals is to stay in the best lift.  The key to that is a perfectly round circle - and the key to that is maintaining a CONSTANT ATTITUDE.  (Other than spoilers or flaps, ATTITUDE control the only control you have.)        In a turn, the outer wing is moving faster, generating more aerodynamic lift, and the steeper a turn, the more that wing will tend to rise unless you counter it with opposite stick pressure.   In very steep banks, extreme opposite stick may be necessary to maintaining a CONSTANT ATTITUDE and remaining in your thermal.