Roger, I'm not sure about the definition, (and it is five years since I flew a nationals so not sure I qualify) but I believe that a good Relative Netto averager in cruise is crucial. Preferably with a numerical display to one decimal place, 20 second average (an S-nav was my preference but others will be fine too).
I have a view, for what it is worth, that we instruct thermal technique (some instruct it better than others) but there is little or no instruction on cruise technique. I mean the optimisation of cruise to maximise cross country speed not the basics. This is one element in a bigger picture. The relative Netto averager was on my home screen, switching to TE for thermalling. I had it switch based on GPS heading change. All possible in a 25yo S-nav with 12-13yo firmware upgrades connected to a GPS-nav. The averager was part of my scan, and I would recall trends and fine tune subtle direction changes to pursue rising trends. I had to be really current to do this well, but it isn't as clumsy as I write it - it was automatic, a situational awareness thing. I developed this technique after flying with Georgio Galetto in a Duo one day (more piecing fragments of advice together, but he insisted on using Relative Netto average too). I have heard others use terms like "energy line" but that sounds too BS for me. Of course, this information is academic if you aren't skilled at the rest - and it must not compromise lookout. And if there is a big fat cu ahead, concentrate on where you think the best lift is under it. And if there is another glider cruising nearby, use them as a reference (best indication of another part of the airmass, that is why team flying works). However it worked well for me when racing alone on a few blue days..... Cheers Bruce Sent from my iPad On 18/03/2013, at 7:34 PM, Roger Druce <rogdr...@optusnet.com.au> wrote: > Dear Tom and others, > Sort of related .... > Do you operators at/near the top in Nationals favour using while cruising a > vario set to relative mode, ie showing all the time what happens if the > glider were slowed below 60 knots, in effect airmass less glider rate of sink > at 60 kts? > Cheers > Roger Druce > > > On 18/03/2013 6:12 PM, tom claffey wrote: >> >> For myself, I am not interested in any variometer cruise modes so am content >> with my B400 and B40 in our second glider. Interestingly both Bruce Taylor >> and myself seem to muddle along OK with sink tone disabled! >> ;) Tom >> >> From: Mike Borgelt <mborg...@borgeltinstruments.com>; >> To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. >> <aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net>; >> Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Intermediate/short term goals >> Sent: Sun, Mar 17, 2013 10:25:08 PM >> >> >> >> Mark, >> >> The idea is to fly in air that's going up. You should not be hearing the >> sink sound much. If you are it is time to go somewhere else and be in cruise >> mode while doing this when you won't hear the sink sound. >> >> Mike >> >> >> At 12:37 AM 18/03/2013, you wrote: >> >>> On 17/03/2013, at 11:08 AM, Mike Borgelt <mborg...@borgeltinstruments.com> >>> wrote: >>> > Yes, staying out of sink is very important. Most of us do it poorly. It >>> > is extremely important when trying to center weak and broken thermals >>> > which is why I like a vario with a sink sound as it provides full >>> > information on the bad air as well as the good air while doing this. >>> >>> And on that note, I'd like to congratulate you for the B50, which, as >>> installed in AUGC's H205 >>> Club Libelle, had the most inspiringly depressing sink sound I've ever had >>> the misfortune to >>> hear. >>> >>> Excellent work, well done :-) >>> >>> - mark >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Aus-soaring mailing list >>> Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net >>> To check or change subscription details, visit: >>> http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring >> Borgelt Instruments - design & manufacture of quality soaring >> instrumentation since 1978 >> www.borgeltinstruments.com >> tel: 07 4635 5784 overseas: int+61-7-4635 5784 >> mob: 042835 5784 : int+61-42835 5784 >> P O Box 4607, Toowoomba East, QLD 4350, Australia >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Aus-soaring mailing list >> Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net >> To check or change subscription details, visit: >> http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list > Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net > To check or change subscription details, visit: > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
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