E. D. Eliot
Well Known Member
Anybody soar or thermal a 12? Can it be done reasonably? Safely?
if you want to experience soaring in your rv 12 go up to the highest altitude you want on the upwind side of your fav airport and shut down the engine. trim for best glide and start circling. watch the vsi for changes. if you have high puffy clouds try to get under them. best time is a couple days after cold front passage. look for circling birds. enjoy the silence of flight. if your sink rate is 600fpm and you can find a thermal stronger than that you will go up.
if you want to experience soaring in your rv 12 go up to the highest altitude you want on the upwind side of your fav airport and shut down the engine. trim for best glide and start circling.
It strikes me that during this entire conversation no one mentioned the word variometer.
Reminds me of that line from the Ironman movie:
"How did you solve the icing problem?"
"What icing problem?"
"You might want to look into it."
I know there are portable variometers, might want to look into one if you are serious about soaring.
I havent been in a power plane that doesnt have one. Power pilots call them rate of climb indicators?