Boy this video has really held up well. You do an absolutely fantastic job explaining the theory behind thermalling. I just got into DLG’s and your video is by far the most clear and informative video on youtube. I wish you made more glider content! Strong work man!
Hi Timmy, loved the video and learned a lot. Really enjoyed; the clarity of your explanations, the bird example, the tips and the recaps, speeding up in sink, the wind is free and environmentally sound. I have a few hundred miles under my belt in full size gliders, same story as you eloquently explain. If you have the opportunity try full size. Keep up the great work.
Well, I am 78 and flown gliders for 40 years. Most excellent, helpful video. I learned a lot, especially flying perpendicular to line of sight. One additionsl tip, in the old days when we were almost out of sight straight up, hold eleveator all the way up and the rudder all the way over. You spiral down and don't overstress the wing with high speed aerobatics. Maybe the new composit materials can take the stress better. Anyhow, an excellent job, thanks for your time and very clear instruction. Nicely done.
Hi Timmy, super great video! This is my second video about thermals. The first one was a guy from DK. He showed the wind hose. That was the only thing that was missing in your video. But the theory with the practice including launching your plane is great. I have learned a lot to understand what our field guys make and hopely tried it by myself soon :D I can imagine that this sport is very rewarding. Like when I was surfing finding a great wave or perfect downhill flow on the mtb. Best regards from Bavaria!
Hello Timmy, I have been watching a number of videos on thermaling. I am 68 and must admit that I almost passed yours up because you are young. I am glad that I watched this. You are very organized with your presentation and reviewing things at the end was helpful. I learned a few practical things that I had not picked up in the other videos. I am anxious to go out and try them out.
jim black It is the same for me. You have done a good fob. I have a Gracia so I will try your way of finding thermals. When this winter will end ......
I like your comment about "wing goes up in wind, tail goes up in lift". All I would add is that if you encounter a sudden gust of wind (and the wing goes up), it is likely that the wind is going to a thermal, so odds are you are flying AWAY from the lift. Therefore turn downwind and see what happens. I also believe that the air "swirls" in a thermal - it doesn't rise perfectly vertical. A hurricane is an extreme thermal - note the swirling action. It doesn't detract from your video. You're an excellent pilot and have great visualisation of what's happening.
It was this video that got me interested - two weeks later I caught my first thermals with an F3K plane. That and catching the plane off the air is indeed really rewarding. Thank you so much! For those interested: Get PicaSim, a free RC soaring simulator, and an USB RC controller (if you have a real RC controller there are USB dongles to connect it to your computer). I learnt how to handle the glider and apply the knowledge from this video there, but in reality it is way nicer - standing in the sun, "feeling" real wind etc. When you go for real, consider getting a Spektrum AR6610t receiver, as it supplies a variometer and an altitude sensor that are a good aid to start with. I had to take the plastic casing off and shrinktube it so it fits into the fuselage of my Soaring Models "Kite".
I was floored when you threw that thing in the air. Im still blown away your plane got up that high with an arm swing launch. You are awesome. Nice work. Hopefully I can do this :)
Hey Timmy; Nice work here. Very easy explained. I learned a lot. I have been into RC powered airplanes for about 10 years. There were no glider pilots in our club until recently, so I got me an electric "Bird of Time" RF to chase some thermals. Like you say gliding is the must pure, elegant, simple form of Model Aircraft flying.
Thanks for making such a clear and informative video. I am just getting into planes and the thought of flying with thermals would be a goal for me, once my piloting skills are developed. Thanks for your clear explanation of thermals and how to look/fly into them.
I realize I am a little late to the party on this video, but I am just getting into Gliders. Been flying for 20 years but have always wanted to do Gliders at some point. I came to RUclips looking for instruction, and this video is by far the best instruction I have found. Great job, great instructions, great demos, and I didn't know (discus (spelling) gliders) were a thing. I found my self look away for 2 seconds and you were already 100 feet in the air with no motor, and I was like, "wait, whhaaat.... Go back" lol. If you are still doing RUclips, keep it up. Great job and thank you!
Thank you I felt like I was there and learned a lot. Been flying RC since 85 and I have flown just about everything. I recently ordered a DLG that's inbound. This helped a lot. And you are right this is an amazing part of the hobby that I'm only now exploring.
Really excellent video! You're an outstanding instructor and all of the information is presented in a easy to understand manner. Thank you and keep up the great work!
This hobby got me into hang gliding in the 80’s. Loved to thermal! Kinda aged out of that sport. Might get back to my roots of rc sailplanes. Almost as much fun.
fantastic video for a youngin! I think that in some larger sailplanes you might find that turning with ailerons mixed to rudder sometimes works better, even with my f5k plane (motorized DLG), I sometimes start a turn with aileron and rudder mix, and sometimes just rudder, but great job, very clear concise instructions.
Good to see this kind of video from you Timmy! Great advice too! I have been flying gliders about 6 weeks now and its more fun than I ever imagined!! Catching a 2 minute flight first time is as adrenaline-pumping as a great pack on my quad!!
I enjoyed this one a lot. I'm more of a miniquad pilot, but the way you organize your content is always interesting and educational. Thank you for this. Man, now i might need to get a glider..
Thanks very useful info I am new to Dlg gliders but I used to slope soar 93rd gliders and hang gliders.You are right there is nothing more rewarding than maintaining altitude and prolonging your flight.I just built my first Dlg kit, a libelle and haven't caught a thermal yet so I'm gonna use your techniques and see if I can catch one soon.thanks again for the tips.
Good video! I have a suggestion from my years hang gliding over the flatlands of Illinois where we got up by using "static line towing" - 3000' of line pulled by a car or truck. When you fly downwind to search for a thermal, you are riding with the wind and basically staying in nearly the same parcel of air. If you head into the wind, you will go through several such "parcels". Then if you find one upwind, you can then ride it back for a longer period of time, thus getting higher, before pulling out. There are other considerations for heavier craft - the Elf can work the "bug farts".
I have a Bird of Time. Your advice just made it a bit more understandable. For the past 3 days before i found your video, I thought of flying around the lift instead of just passing through. What amazes me the most is how a glider can stay in the air when it's tilted sideways at almost 90 degrees and still rise! You would think it would fall out the sky. BoT hooks a thermal like Mike tyson, I almost went home with no glider. Great video
Nice video explaining the basics of flying a DLG. Once you have experienced gaining lift its addictive. Been doing it a few years and enjoyed watching the video and learning some more tips.
While traveling l 10 in AL in the late 90s l spotted a "visible" thermal. It was over a dry freshly plowed field and remained there for a long time. I pulled onto the shoulder and parked to watch it. There was a lot of man made debris such as shopping bags, wrappers and paper being held aloft along with a thin wall of dust. It was about 150' at the base. Some of the debris was slowly lifted up and disappeared into a hazy sky. IlRC the spin was clockwise. There must have been much more lift over the field for it to remain in one spot for so long. Trees surrounded the field on 3 sides.
Have to say - brilliant. Learned more than all the other videos watched. Have wanted to try this for so long because it is beautiful and looks so fun. That is a nice DLG you have too - what is that? Thank you!!
@@TimmyRC what glider and transmitter would you suggest to start out with? eyeballing the dx6 and volantex ranger 2000 or bixler. Keep up the good work.
@@danmrfld4802 Those seem like good choices assuming you already know how to fly fixed wing. Just keep in mind that the Bixler-style pusher gliders will not have anywhere near the thermal soaring capability of high end F3K or F3J/F5J models due to their high wing loading and relatively small wingspan. So if thermal soaring is your goal then I would recommend looking at bigger gliders. If you have never flown fixed wing aircraft then I would recommend starting on a simulator and then getting a small foam trainer. There are a lot of offerings from Horizon Hobby with their SAFE stabilization, which is helpful for beginners.
Great video! I love flying gliders but I’m kind of a newbie. I’ve had to make a couple emergency descents because I got to high before. Great video! Thank you.
Thanks Tim. A really clear and easy to understand video! also for foreigners like me! Furthermore you know how to communicate your passion to your followers! don't stop posting!
I used to fly full scale aircraft, including gliders. I’m a little too old now. This, however, looks like lots of fun! Thanks for the video. I really want to give this a shot. 👍🏻
Thanks for the tutorial Tim. As a newcomer to the sport it was very informative & gave me a more succinct understanding of incidents I had noticed when flying. I am sure the vid will help me to be more disciplined in my approach the flying. Cheers Nev Plant.
Great video! I used to fly RC sailplanes a few years ago and your video is getting me interested again. When it is windy, go sailing. When it isn't, go flying!
I'm glad I stumbled onto this video. I too have to admit that I was going to skip it due to age but the first minute was so impressive that I stayed and you did man, I'm glad. You are very smart and very articulate. Your parents have to be proud! Thanks for taking the time to present this in such a clear spelled out manner.
Fantastic video, very well explained! I'm looking to get one myself, and was wondering if you could recommend a budget-friendly glider. Any help would be greatly appreciated :D
despite it's a quite old video, I find it very instructive and clear with practice example. Only one question, what do you mean with "lifting the tail" ? How can I see if the tail is lifting from that distance ? Maybe you can explain ?
From far away it will look like the airplane is pitching down due to the lift pushing the tail upwards. However, the airplane will typically not appear to be descending because it has just entered lift.
What would be a way of using electronics, laser pulses, & detection of the return pulse to detect thermals?m Thermals usually have higher water vapor content. Lasers Are used in airport awos's to detect Cloud heights. However, water vapor (in thermals) may better reflect differect wavelengths.😢
Excellent work young fella. For your age this was very well done, with clear explanations of how thermals work and how to tell when you are in one. I haven’t flown a glider in 35 years when I was 15 years old. Back then I learned how to fly thermals and got so high I couldn’t tell what direction I was going. I have recently been thinking of getting back into it and really enjoyed your video. Could you please tell me exactly what that plane is that you are flying?
I have three gliders, a 1m, 2m and 3m. As you can imagine the easiest to thermal is the 3m paragon, second is 2m bob martin pussycat and the 1m gnome is the hardest. The 2 and 3 meter have electric motors and the gnome is a hand launch. I have the most fun with the gnome because it's difficult to thermal but once you find one it's very satisfying trying to stay in a thermal. The only problem is that there aren't that many thermals low to the ground so you have to get lucky and find one near ground that is strong enough to ride up. The paragon will thermal in very weak thermals no problem. I used to have a 2m radian but it broke up in the air. The foam gliders have weak tail sections that need to be reinforced with a striping tape or carbon fiber inserts. Otherwise, if you try to get down from a strong thermal, you might flex the tail in such a way that the controls become ineffective. The old balsa planes of yesteryears are strong enough to take the punishment. The new carbon fiber gliders are the same way. Speaking of thermals, they move downwind. So fly upwind to ride the thermal downwind, you don't want to catch a thermal downwind and have trouble making it back home upwind. When you do find a thermal, don't be afraid to pull back on the elevator to make tighter turns and to help the plane go upwards. The best thermals are around noon when the sun is directly above, heating up the dark areas. Thermals form between two surfaces one is light colored and the other is darker. As long as you have two different surfaces like that you can thermal. The colder air over the light surface will be dropping down to the darker surface which will cause the air to heat up and rise up. The hot air is also less dense thus the cold air surrounding it will be moving in to take it's spot. That will generate the thermal continuously. When the hot air rises couple thousand feet, it will then cool off and come falling down to again be sucked up by the dark spot and turning it into hot air. If you ever get too high for comfort, fly straight out of the thermal. Don't dive too steeply (overstressing airframe) and don't turn too tightly as you'll only end up going up. The thermals above 1000ft can be very strong and difficult to get out of. Sometimes it seems like no matter where you go, you're going up. In this case, don't fly up the thermal too high, exit the thermal at lower altitude, say 400 feet. Another solution is to install spoilers on the wings and deploy them in really strong thermals. They might save your plane. Sometimes the thermal will be so strong that no matter what you do with the plane, like spinning it upside down for example, you'll still be going up. Thermals have been known to suck up fish, frogs, paragliders up to tens of thousand of feet up and some people have frozen to death riding them up and couldn't get out of them.
A very clear informative demonstration and explanation thanks. I used to fly with a mate who seemed to have an extra thermal 'sense' and always found lift. Maybe he'd watched your video..!...👍
@@TimmyRC When I lived in the south of England, the more consistent warm weather had thermals popping up regularly throughout sessions. Up here in Scotland, they are still about but less frequent. I usually look for circling birds but your advice of any wind appearing on a normally calm day denoting the direction the air is being drawn to a sucking thermal is gold dust..! We had a british glider team member in my old club and he seemed to find lift all year. It'd be good to experience thermals in somewhere like Arizona..!....😲
I would personally buy the Armsoar Deviant if you are already proficient at flying fixed wing. It is essentially a top of the line DLG, but smaller and therefore cheaper, easier to learn how to launch, and probably more durable. If that seems too expensive and/or you aren't very comfortable flying fixed wing, there is the Dreamflight Libelle.
Hey, great tutorial! It really helped that you give your stream-of-consciousness while flying. I'm purely a slope soarer (combat gliders) and would love to thermal. Just don't know when to expect low winds. One question: How can the sun going behind a cloud affect the thermal you are in? It's transparent, so it seems like nothing should happen to it.
Thanks! If you are already in a preexisting thermal or "bubble" the lift will be unaffected as long as you are able to stay within that rising column/pocket of air. However, if you fail to stay within preexisting lift, it will be harder to find new lift closer to the ground because the sun is not heating the ground as quickly.
Thank you very much for the nice advice. I recently got my first F5K glider from Armsoar, so I guess other than the launch method, the theory is the same right?
I am in Michigan and never have that much luck I play with the tops of trees and get lift there and that's it ...Is it any better on very hot day or just warm days
Great explanations, excellent skills (launch, wow and flight, oh my), both video and comments are very professional. Thanks for making people want to fly (again).
Well, it’s obviously very easy to get long flights with a DLG 😀 Great video. RC thermal soaring is wonderful. An electric motor up front helps us less competent glider flyers in colder climates.
Thanks! Thermals still exist in winter but are much weaker. Also, where I live it tends to be quite windy in winter which makes it even harder for thermals to grow.
Timmy RC, great video, very well done. I am just starting with foamie gliders, your tips are noted and appreciated. I just subscribed, maybe you could go over over good beginner gliders , what to look for without breaking the bank ? Your discus hand launch glider technique is remarkable. What kind of glider are you flying in this video ?
Thanks! If you already know how to fly I recommend the Armsoar GO Mini as your first DLG. It has the same premium construction as other high end DLGs, but is more affordable since it is slightly smaller (1m wingspan versus the standard 1.5m wingspan). The glider in this video is the Kennedy Composites Snipe SN Lite.
Great video im getting back into the hobby as well and just bought the dlg libelle as my first true pure glider. It is a foamy from dream flight. I am learning how to program flysky fs-i6x. I am curious what your alerion/ flapperon down setting is while in the thermals.
@@scottstankevich8866 I use my "float" mode in thermals, which is set up for minimum sink. On my glider that is approximately 5mm of downward flaperon deflection.
@@TimmyRC Timmy, would you call your "float" camber? I have my ailerons programmed as flaperons and using Variometer A on my Fly Sky iS-6X. They ailerons function normally but each Aileron has a separate servo, that way flaperons can be programmed through Mixes. I got this idea from a You Tube video.
@@kevingoza Since you are an experienced pilot, I would recommend that you go straight for a premium full-carbon glider. They perform so much better than cheap fiberglass models and you will probably have a less frustrating experience. The Armsoar Go Mini is a great choice since it has premium construction, but is only 1m instead of 1.5m so it is easier to handle and less expensive. It also shouldn't break as easily in the event of an accidental landing.
Thank you! I’ll need to search those out. I’m not sure if my local shop has that brand. You make it look so easy, but I’m sure it’s more complicated and the air time is what will make the difference. I like the idea of working with nature to fly.
Awesome video! When you say to use the rudder more to turn in a thermal are you using the rudder stick exclusively or do you have a mix that uses more rudder output than aileron? Keep up the great work!
Thanks! I do not use a programmed mix; I use almost exclusively rudder stick. However, when transitioning from straight flight to circling I use aileron in the same direction as the rudder to help initiate the turn. Then once I begin circling, I will use a small amount of opposite aileron to keep the wings more level. I did not include this in the video since it is a rather advanced technique and using exclusively rudder will work just fine.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Boy this video has really held up well. You do an absolutely fantastic job explaining the theory behind thermalling. I just got into DLG’s and your video is by far the most clear and informative video on youtube. I wish you made more glider content! Strong work man!
Thanks! DLGs are awesome, enjoy!
I’ve always wondered how to do this, by far the best tutorial!
@@sledawgpilot Thanks!
For someone who has just got into gliders, thank you for a very good, easy to follow video. It is much more informative than many videos on RUclips.
Thanks!
Hi Timmy, loved the video and learned a lot. Really enjoyed; the clarity of your explanations, the bird example, the tips and the recaps, speeding up in sink, the wind is free and environmentally sound. I have a few hundred miles under my belt in full size gliders, same story as you eloquently explain. If you have the opportunity try full size. Keep up the great work.
Well, I am 78 and flown gliders for 40 years. Most excellent, helpful video. I learned a lot, especially flying perpendicular to line of sight. One additionsl tip, in the old days when we were almost out of sight straight up, hold eleveator all the way up and the rudder all the way over. You spiral down and don't overstress the wing with high speed aerobatics. Maybe the new composit materials can take the stress better. Anyhow, an excellent job, thanks for your time and very clear instruction. Nicely done.
Thanks! I'll try out spiraling to descend; It seems like it will be harder to lose orientation that way.
I just hold the stick at the bottom right corner, when you get low enough just let it go and it stabilizes. Thanks for replying. Best of luck to you.
@Phil M bet that looks brilliant
Hi Timmy, super great video!
This is my second video about thermals. The first one was a guy from DK. He showed the wind hose. That was the only thing that was missing in your video. But the theory with the practice including launching your plane is great. I have learned a lot to understand what our field guys make and hopely tried it by myself soon :D I can imagine that this sport is very rewarding. Like when I was surfing finding a great wave or perfect downhill flow on the mtb.
Best regards from Bavaria!
Hello Timmy, I have been watching a number of videos on thermaling. I am 68 and must admit that I almost passed yours up because you are young. I am glad that I watched this. You are very organized with your presentation and reviewing things at the end was helpful. I learned a few practical things that I had not picked up in the other videos. I am anxious to go out and try them out.
Thanks!
jim black
It is the same for me. You have done a good fob. I have a Gracia so I will try your way of finding thermals. When this winter will end ......
Very informative! You sold me on a non-powered glider. Never wanted one until I saw you fly
I like your comment about "wing goes up in wind, tail goes up in lift". All I would add is that if you encounter a sudden gust of wind (and the wing goes up), it is likely that the wind is going to a thermal, so odds are you are flying AWAY from the lift. Therefore turn downwind and see what happens. I also believe that the air "swirls" in a thermal - it doesn't rise perfectly vertical. A hurricane is an extreme thermal - note the swirling action. It doesn't detract from your video. You're an excellent pilot and have great visualisation of what's happening.
Thanks!
Really instructive, clear advice. Brilliant. As a beginner to thermal soaring this is so useful - thank you.
Thanks!
It was this video that got me interested - two weeks later I caught my first thermals with an F3K plane. That and catching the plane off the air is indeed really rewarding. Thank you so much! For those interested: Get PicaSim, a free RC soaring simulator, and an USB RC controller (if you have a real RC controller there are USB dongles to connect it to your computer). I learnt how to handle the glider and apply the knowledge from this video there, but in reality it is way nicer - standing in the sun, "feeling" real wind etc. When you go for real, consider getting a Spektrum AR6610t receiver, as it supplies a variometer and an altitude sensor that are a good aid to start with. I had to take the plastic casing off and shrinktube it so it fits into the fuselage of my Soaring Models "Kite".
I was floored when you threw that thing in the air. Im still blown away your plane got up that high with an arm swing launch. You are awesome. Nice work. Hopefully I can do this :)
Thanks! DLGs are a lot of fun.
Hey Timmy; Nice work here. Very easy explained. I learned a lot. I have been into RC powered airplanes for about 10 years. There were no glider pilots in our club until recently, so I got me an electric "Bird of Time" RF to chase some thermals. Like you say gliding is the must pure, elegant, simple form of Model Aircraft flying.
Thanks!
Thanks for making such a clear and informative video. I am just getting into planes and the thought of flying with thermals would be a goal for me, once my piloting skills are developed. Thanks for your clear explanation of thermals and how to look/fly into them.
Thanks! Thermalling is a great challenge and is great fun!
Craziest hand launch ever
never knew you could launch like that that! that was insane
@@on_the_saddle DLG planes are made for this, try the category, it's awesome
I realize I am a little late to the party on this video, but I am just getting into Gliders. Been flying for 20 years but have always wanted to do Gliders at some point. I came to RUclips looking for instruction, and this video is by far the best instruction I have found. Great job, great instructions, great demos, and I didn't know (discus (spelling) gliders) were a thing. I found my self look away for 2 seconds and you were already 100 feet in the air with no motor, and I was like, "wait, whhaaat.... Go back" lol. If you are still doing RUclips, keep it up. Great job and thank you!
Thanks!
5:36 Wow, it's so cool that it's the first time I've seen someone fly by plane that way. This is so good
Thanks!
its called DLG Discus launch glider - start with a foamie dream flight alula and progress to carbon
Great video Timmy. I have been flying RC and full scale gliders for years. Your tutorial was excellent.
Keep it up, pun intended...
Thanks!
This was a solid how to. Nicely done, you truly are a master of your craft.
Thanks!
+1
You should get an award for this video, you explained things so well I now feel like an expert on the topic!! Cheers from Australia.
Thanks!
Thank you I felt like I was there and learned a lot. Been flying RC since 85 and I have flown just about everything. I recently ordered a DLG that's inbound. This helped a lot. And you are right this is an amazing part of the hobby that I'm only now exploring.
Thanks!
Really excellent video! You're an outstanding instructor and all of the information is presented in a easy to understand manner.
Thank you and keep up the great work!
Thanks!
This hobby got me into hang gliding in the 80’s. Loved to thermal! Kinda aged out of that sport. Might get back to my roots of rc sailplanes. Almost as much fun.
Great video. Love the fact that you love the fact !!!
Thanks!
fantastic video for a youngin! I think that in some larger sailplanes you might find that turning with ailerons mixed to rudder sometimes works better, even with my f5k plane (motorized DLG), I sometimes start a turn with aileron and rudder mix, and sometimes just rudder, but great job, very clear concise instructions.
Good to see this kind of video from you Timmy! Great advice too! I have been flying gliders about 6 weeks now and its more fun than I ever imagined!! Catching a 2 minute flight first time is as adrenaline-pumping as a great pack on my quad!!
Thanks! Glad you also enjoy catching lift!
ZeeBeeFPV
I enjoyed this one a lot. I'm more of a miniquad pilot, but the way you organize your content is always interesting and educational. Thank you for this. Man, now i might need to get a glider..
Thanks! I would definitely try gliding if you can; it is the purest form of flight in my opinion.
Thanks, I learned more watching your video that I have ever learned about Thermal RC glider.
Thanks!
Excellent video, very clear and usable advice. Much better than most il other videos I have seen on the subject!
Thanks!
Great video. One of the best I've seen.
Thanks!
As I’m just getting into gliders, this was awesome, learned a lot!! Thank you!
Thanks!
Thanks very useful info I am new to Dlg gliders but I used to slope soar 93rd gliders and hang gliders.You are right there is nothing more rewarding than maintaining altitude and prolonging your flight.I just built my first Dlg kit, a libelle and haven't caught a thermal yet so I'm gonna use your techniques and see if I can catch one soon.thanks again for the tips.
Sorry for the typo, I meant to say RC gliders.
Thanks!
Good video! I have a suggestion from my years hang gliding over the flatlands of Illinois where we got up by using "static line towing" - 3000' of line pulled by a car or truck. When you fly downwind to search for a thermal, you are riding with the wind and basically staying in nearly the same parcel of air. If you head into the wind, you will go through several such "parcels". Then if you find one upwind, you can then ride it back for a longer period of time, thus getting higher, before pulling out. There are other considerations for heavier craft - the Elf can work the "bug farts".
Thanks!
I have a Bird of Time. Your advice just made it a bit more understandable. For the past 3 days before i found your video, I thought of flying around the lift instead of just passing through. What amazes me the most is how a glider can stay in the air when it's tilted sideways at almost 90 degrees and still rise! You would think it would fall out the sky. BoT hooks a thermal like Mike tyson, I almost went home with no glider. Great video
Thanks! I have also flown a Bird of Time and I had a lot of trouble trying to get it back on the ground.
best introduction to thermal flying one could imagine. thanks!
Thanks!
Nice video explaining the basics of flying a DLG. Once you have experienced gaining lift its addictive. Been doing it a few years and enjoyed watching the video and learning some more tips.
Thanks!
While traveling l 10 in AL in the late 90s l spotted a "visible" thermal. It was over a dry freshly plowed field and remained there for a long time. I pulled onto the shoulder and parked to watch it. There was a lot of man made debris such as shopping bags, wrappers and paper being held aloft along with a thin wall of dust. It was about 150' at the base. Some of the debris was slowly lifted up and disappeared into a hazy sky. IlRC the spin was clockwise. There must have been much more lift over the field for it to remain in one spot for so long. Trees surrounded the field on 3 sides.
Love it. You get me to have too try a glider for the first time. This looks cool, and the info is very good .thanks mr 😊
I'm so good at finding lift that the buzzards crows, Hawk, Storks, and Blue Harings all follow me. LOL
Excellent video. One if not the best on the basics.
Thanks!
Have to say - brilliant. Learned more than all the other videos watched. Have wanted to try this for so long because it is beautiful and looks so fun. That is a nice DLG you have too - what is that? Thank you!!
Thanks! The DLG is a Snipe SN Lite
Great vid - thanks. I flew models as a kid (55 years ago) and this brought back wonderful memories. Excellent work on a a great topic.
Thanks!
I can't wait to get a glider. Man, I'd be riding thermals over the blacktop at my park, especially after it rains :)
Awesome video Timmy. It's amazing how simple some of your advice is - there's always something to learn. Thanks, Steve.
Thanks!
I never knew how gliders work until I watched this. You looked like a samurai ninja tossing that rig! I'm sold bro!
Thanks!
@@TimmyRC what glider and transmitter would you suggest to start out with? eyeballing the dx6 and volantex ranger 2000 or bixler. Keep up the good work.
@@danmrfld4802 Those seem like good choices assuming you already know how to fly fixed wing. Just keep in mind that the Bixler-style pusher gliders will not have anywhere near the thermal soaring capability of high end F3K or F3J/F5J models due to their high wing loading and relatively small wingspan. So if thermal soaring is your goal then I would recommend looking at bigger gliders.
If you have never flown fixed wing aircraft then I would recommend starting on a simulator and then getting a small foam trainer. There are a lot of offerings from Horizon Hobby with their SAFE stabilization, which is helpful for beginners.
@@TimmyRC thanks for the response, I'll look into those.
Great video! I love flying gliders but I’m kind of a newbie. I’ve had to make a couple emergency descents because I got to high before. Great video! Thank you.
Thanks!
That looks like some really nutrient rich flying! Thanks!
This was one of the the most relaxing tutorials I've ever seen. The birds know where the lift is...
Thanks Tim. A really clear and easy to understand video! also for foreigners like me! Furthermore you know how to communicate your passion to your followers! don't stop posting!
Thanks!
I used to fly full scale aircraft, including gliders. I’m a little too old now. This, however, looks like lots of fun! Thanks for the video. I really want to give this a shot. 👍🏻
Thanks!
One of the Best Thermal Vid out there. I learned alots. Thanks, Roel
Thanks!
Clear concise and easy to understand advice. Nice. Thanks. I learned a lot from this.
Thanks!
Thanks for the tutorial Tim. As a newcomer to the sport it was very informative & gave me a more succinct understanding of incidents I had noticed when flying. I am sure the vid will help me to be more disciplined in my approach the flying. Cheers Nev Plant.
Thanks!
Great video! I used to fly RC sailplanes a few years ago and your video is getting me interested again. When it is windy, go sailing. When it isn't, go flying!
Thanks!
Very impressive and very informative! That hand launch is beyond cool!
Thanks!
I'm glad I stumbled onto this video. I too have to admit that I was going to skip it due to age but the first minute was so impressive that I stayed and you did man, I'm glad. You are very smart and very articulate. Your parents have to be proud! Thanks for taking the time to present this in such a clear spelled out manner.
Thanks!
Fantastic video, very well explained! I'm looking to get one myself, and was wondering if you could recommend a budget-friendly glider. Any help would be greatly appreciated :D
Great overview, very useful, thanks! Your self-esteem should be high, good job.
Thanks!
Thank you so much for this great informative video. All your tips are so helpful in helping my glider staying up longer!
Thanks!
Good job of making it seem so simple.
despite it's a quite old video, I find it very instructive and clear with practice example. Only one question, what do you mean with "lifting the tail" ? How can I see if the tail is lifting from that distance ? Maybe you can explain ?
From far away it will look like the airplane is pitching down due to the lift pushing the tail upwards. However, the airplane will typically not appear to be descending because it has just entered lift.
What would be a way of using electronics, laser pulses, & detection of the return pulse to detect thermals?m Thermals usually have higher water vapor content.
Lasers Are used in airport awos's to detect Cloud heights. However, water vapor (in thermals) may better reflect differect wavelengths.😢
Excellent work young fella. For your age this was very well done, with clear explanations of how thermals work and how to tell when you are in one. I haven’t flown a glider in 35 years when I was 15 years old. Back then I learned how to fly thermals and got so high I couldn’t tell what direction I was going. I have recently been thinking of getting back into it and really enjoyed your video. Could you please tell me exactly what that plane is that you are flying?
Thanks! It is the Vladimir's Model Snipe SN Lite. I believe the latest model from that company is the Snipe 2.
Glad to see young people in the hobby! Nice video...
Thanks!
What glider would you recommend for an absolute beginner. I am currently looking at a Moa 1500mm.
@TimmyRC Looking for recommendations as well. What have you found is good for novice flyers stepping away from an Aeroscout 2 1.2m? Thank you
Very good lesson, keep doing videos like this.
Thanks!
Really good job explaining and demonstrating. Very impressive.
Thanks!
I have three gliders, a 1m, 2m and 3m. As you can imagine the easiest to thermal is the 3m paragon, second is 2m bob martin pussycat and the 1m gnome is the hardest. The 2 and 3 meter have electric motors and the gnome is a hand launch. I have the most fun with the gnome because it's difficult to thermal but once you find one it's very satisfying trying to stay in a thermal. The only problem is that there aren't that many thermals low to the ground so you have to get lucky and find one near ground that is strong enough to ride up. The paragon will thermal in very weak thermals no problem. I used to have a 2m radian but it broke up in the air. The foam gliders have weak tail sections that need to be reinforced with a striping tape or carbon fiber inserts. Otherwise, if you try to get down from a strong thermal, you might flex the tail in such a way that the controls become ineffective. The old balsa planes of yesteryears are strong enough to take the punishment. The new carbon fiber gliders are the same way.
Speaking of thermals, they move downwind. So fly upwind to ride the thermal downwind, you don't want to catch a thermal downwind and have trouble making it back home upwind. When you do find a thermal, don't be afraid to pull back on the elevator to make tighter turns and to help the plane go upwards. The best thermals are around noon when the sun is directly above, heating up the dark areas. Thermals form between two surfaces one is light colored and the other is darker. As long as you have two different surfaces like that you can thermal. The colder air over the light surface will be dropping down to the darker surface which will cause the air to heat up and rise up. The hot air is also less dense thus the cold air surrounding it will be moving in to take it's spot. That will generate the thermal continuously. When the hot air rises couple thousand feet, it will then cool off and come falling down to again be sucked up by the dark spot and turning it into hot air.
If you ever get too high for comfort, fly straight out of the thermal. Don't dive too steeply (overstressing airframe) and don't turn too tightly as you'll only end up going up. The thermals above 1000ft can be very strong and difficult to get out of. Sometimes it seems like no matter where you go, you're going up. In this case, don't fly up the thermal too high, exit the thermal at lower altitude, say 400 feet. Another solution is to install spoilers on the wings and deploy them in really strong thermals. They might save your plane. Sometimes the thermal will be so strong that no matter what you do with the plane, like spinning it upside down for example, you'll still be going up. Thermals have been known to suck up fish, frogs, paragliders up to tens of thousand of feet up and some people have frozen to death riding them up and couldn't get out of them.
I assume that there are varios fo rc planes. But that would mean a transmitter on the model making it heavier. Are there alternative?
This video really helped. Nicely done. My snipe is ready for its first flight, hoping for lift like you had.
Thanks!
Beautiful discus throw. 👍
Excellent video. I fly with a Taranis transmitter with an audio variometer. Much easier to center thermals.
A very clear informative demonstration and explanation thanks. I used to fly with a mate who seemed to have an extra thermal 'sense' and always found lift. Maybe he'd watched your video..!...👍
Thanks!
@@TimmyRC When I lived in the south of England, the more consistent warm weather had thermals popping up regularly throughout sessions. Up here in Scotland, they are still about but less frequent. I usually look for circling birds but your advice of any wind appearing on a normally calm day denoting the direction the air is being drawn to a sucking thermal is gold dust..! We had a british glider team member in my old club and he seemed to find lift all year. It'd be good to experience thermals in somewhere like Arizona..!....😲
I want a DLG, looks so relaxing. Can you suggest a budget/beginner/recreational model?
16:15 It's coming right for us!
I would personally buy the Armsoar Deviant if you are already proficient at flying fixed wing. It is essentially a top of the line DLG, but smaller and therefore cheaper, easier to learn how to launch, and probably more durable. If that seems too expensive and/or you aren't very comfortable flying fixed wing, there is the Dreamflight Libelle.
@@TimmyRC Thanks!
Brilliant and educational Video.
Great Job...
Thanks!
I’m looking to get into this and was wondering what plane you are flying?
Awesome video! Thanks for sharing it. What kind of DLG was that?
Thanks! It is a Kennedy Composites Snipe SN Lite.
Great vid.. I just learned more in a few minutes than I've learned in a long time.. - Thanks!
Thanks!
I got the Carbon Wings Medal in FSX for completing the glider tutorial, so I'm something of an expert myself
Great video young man. thorough and hits all salient points.
Thanks!
Great video. Thank you very much. Indeed. The hand launch is worth another video!!!!!!
Thanks!
Hey, great tutorial! It really helped that you give your stream-of-consciousness while flying. I'm purely a slope soarer (combat gliders) and would love to thermal. Just don't know when to expect low winds.
One question: How can the sun going behind a cloud affect the thermal you are in? It's transparent, so it seems like nothing should happen to it.
Thanks! If you are already in a preexisting thermal or "bubble" the lift will be unaffected as long as you are able to stay within that rising column/pocket of air. However, if you fail to stay within preexisting lift, it will be harder to find new lift closer to the ground because the sun is not heating the ground as quickly.
Thanks well explained and demonstrated. I always launch on a slope so I can use the slopes lift to help me find thermals. Slopings fun too.
Thanks! I've always wanted to try slope soaring but I haven't found any substantial hills near where I live.
That was informative and inspiring. Also very relaxing just following your glider on tape ! Me like and subscribe.
Thanks!
Thank you very much for the nice advice. I recently got my first F5K glider from Armsoar, so I guess other than the launch method, the theory is the same right?
Yes, you can use this method for any glider.
Out standing shipmate. Press on. USS Kitty Hawk CV-63 Jan 1980 to July 1983.
I am in Michigan and never have that much luck I play with the tops of trees and get lift there and that's it ...Is it any better on very hot day or just warm days
Generally the hotter it is the stronger the thermals are.
Very good explanations. I learned a lot. Thank you.
Great explanations, excellent skills (launch, wow and flight, oh my), both video and comments are very professional. Thanks for making people want to fly (again).
Thanks!
Very nicely explained. I love gliders.
Thanks!
I’ve checked the glider you’ve used on the video. Very expensive if I have to import it to Brazil but sure a nice glider. Thanks again for sharing.
Nice presentation, great flying
Thanks!
Well, it’s obviously very easy to get long flights with a DLG 😀
Great video. RC thermal soaring is wonderful. An electric motor up front helps us less competent glider flyers in colder climates.
Thanks!
Just loved your Kool video here on thermals.
Are they around in winter as well or mostly summer.
Cheers Glenn from Australia
Thanks! Thermals still exist in winter but are much weaker. Also, where I live it tends to be quite windy in winter which makes it even harder for thermals to grow.
But my glider has a giant motor on it and a huge prop and like a 5 foot wing span can i still thermal?
Very nice flight in thermal!
Thanks!
Timmy RC, great video, very well done. I am just starting with foamie gliders, your tips are noted and appreciated. I just subscribed, maybe you could go over over good beginner gliders , what to look for without breaking the bank ? Your discus hand launch glider technique is remarkable. What kind of glider are you flying in this video ?
Thanks! If you already know how to fly I recommend the Armsoar GO Mini as your first DLG. It has the same premium construction as other high end DLGs, but is more affordable since it is slightly smaller (1m wingspan versus the standard 1.5m wingspan). The glider in this video is the Kennedy Composites Snipe SN Lite.
Great video im getting back into the hobby as well and just bought the dlg libelle as my first true pure glider. It is a foamy from dream flight. I am learning how to program flysky fs-i6x. I am curious what your alerion/ flapperon down setting is while in the thermals.
@@scottstankevich8866 I use my "float" mode in thermals, which is set up for minimum sink. On my glider that is approximately 5mm of downward flaperon deflection.
@@TimmyRC Timmy, would you call your "float" camber? I have my ailerons programmed as flaperons and using Variometer A on my Fly Sky iS-6X. They ailerons function normally but each Aileron has a separate servo, that way flaperons can be programmed through Mixes. I got this idea from a You Tube video.
@@steelydanfan100 Yes, my float mode increases the camber of the wing by deflecting both of the flaperons downward.
Too good.Nice workshop.
Thanks!
Very good job in describing and demonstrating thermal! New subscriber!
Thanks!
Any recommendations for a first DLG? I’m an experienced RC pilot and have been fascinated with powerless flight for some time.
@@kevingoza Since you are an experienced pilot, I would recommend that you go straight for a premium full-carbon glider. They perform so much better than cheap fiberglass models and you will probably have a less frustrating experience. The Armsoar Go Mini is a great choice since it has premium construction, but is only 1m instead of 1.5m so it is easier to handle and less expensive. It also shouldn't break as easily in the event of an accidental landing.
Thank you! I’ll need to search those out. I’m not sure if my local shop has that brand. You make it look so easy, but I’m sure it’s more complicated and the air time is what will make the difference. I like the idea of working with nature to fly.
Just getting started, very helpful. Thanks
Thanks!
Which camera are you using for outdoor flight video. Excellent tutorial.
Thanks! I was using the GoPro Hero 6.
Awesome video! When you say to use the rudder more to turn in a thermal are you using the rudder stick exclusively or do you have a mix that uses more rudder output than aileron? Keep up the great work!
Thanks! I do not use a programmed mix; I use almost exclusively rudder stick.
However, when transitioning from straight flight to circling I use aileron in the same direction as the rudder to help initiate the turn. Then once I begin circling, I will use a small amount of opposite aileron to keep the wings more level. I did not include this in the video since it is a rather advanced technique and using exclusively rudder will work just fine.