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Ridge Soaring


VulcanB2

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Hi,

When flying in the situation depicted in my screenshot, how do you get out of it?

The wind in the scenario is 080@18G22. I'm flying 070.

Even by flying on what I think should be the updraft side of the valley, I still seem to encounter sink.

Best regards,

Robin.

post-11917-125503261631_thumb.jpg

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I'm just guessing here, but if you're flying straight and level, the slope underneath you doesn't look addiquit enough to give you the lift you are looking for, especially if the ridge just to the front and right of you is affecting your glide, too. Any thought's Peter?

Scott

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Hi,

Yes, I realize 080 is *from*, and that I was flying almost straight into wind. To turn would result in an unacceptable loss of altitude and put me in direct conflict with the mountains.

I could use the engine, but that was not the point of the post. I was flying the version with the engine to get the screenshot because as of this moment, I'm useless at getting out of this scenario. :(

Best regards,

Robin.

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I'm useless at getting out of this scenario. :(

LOL ok Robin - apologies I didn't realise this was more of a test exercise. This situation seems a bit like the RL soaring joke that you followed another glider through the Alps, the terrain got rockier and narrower, you started getting a bit worried but thought "wow, this pilot must really know what he's doing because I would never have chosen to head down this gully" and the pilot in front raises his engine and flies out of it...

Of course the absolute first rule is don't get into the situation where you're heading into a dead end. I suppose another point would be keep your speed up a bit (say at least 70 knots) because if the situation gets tough and you're already flopping around at 50 knots you really are in deep sh*t.

B21

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Hi,

OK! :D

I did wonder if it was a bad situation to get into in the first place.

After the screenshot I flew towards the mountains on the left as it was very slightly into wind, but there was still insufficient lift.

I'm not totally sure if I have things configured correctly in the sim, either. I'm currently using the default settings of CumulusX!.

There are some other mountains I tried soaring along, and whilst I can maintain altitude overall, I seem unable to actually climb unless I'm already reasonably high. I'll get a screenshot of that, as well.

Once I'm going it is fine, but it is just this situation of being lower than I would like, and getting up and out of it.

Best regards,

Robin.

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Ridge lift is generally not that great for climbing in, but it works a treat for flying straight and covering large distances. E.g. the Appalacian ridges from Eagle Soaring airport (or more commonly Mifflin County KRVL) run for hundreds of miles. The way the physics works is that the lift might be only an average two knots, which would count as an extremely weak thermal, but that is enough for you to cruise along a ridge for many many miles at 80 knots and lose no height at all - so you generally feel "this lift is great!". *If* you tried to thermal in it (i.e. S-turn at first), you would have to subtract your min circling sink rate, say 1.2 knots at best, and you'd have sod-all left to climb in. It's not the *strength* if ridge lift that's its great asset, it is the long distance it applies for...

Having said that in FSX you can fly anywhere in the world at the click of a mouse and with a decent breeze blowing against the Andes you'll be able to gradually climb to 20,000 feet ...

B21

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That makes sense. I think I was perhaps expecting too much from it then.

Time to do some flight planning! :D

Is there any free replacement landclass for the Alps? The default looks a bit weird...

Best regards,

Robin.

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