How to fly 1000km in a glider

Video Description

What does it take to fly 1000km in a glider? In this video, I break down what it took to achieve this long-standing goal of mine. Discover what flying sailplanes is really like. This is the story of a full glider flight, from take-off to landing, shown in time-lapse. It includes voice-over commentary, 3D visualizations, instrument overlays, statistical overlays, 360 video, and post-flight analysis. Flight trace: https://www.weglide.org/flight/438062 3D visualization: https://www.sportstracklive.com/en/track/map/benhirashima/gliding/disc-golf-course-cal-fire-northern-region-truckee/1047659/?mode=3D Learn to fly gliders! https://www.ssa.org/learn-to-soar Glider FAQ - How do gliders climb without an engine? Gliders climb by circling in thermals, which are columns of warm, rising air. They can also climb in ridge and wave lift, which are created when wind blows across mountain ranges. - How do you know where thermals are? On days when there are cumulus (puffy) clouds, the thermals are under the clouds. The clouds are created by the thermals. On days without clouds, an instrument in the glider called a variometer (vario, for short) tells the pilot when the glider is in rising air. When you randomly enter a thermal, the vario will let you know that it's time to circle. - How do you relieve yourself in a glider? There are several options for men. One is to connect yourself to tube that goes into a bag, or through a hole in the bottom of the fuselage. The connection is made using a condom catheter. It has adhesive on the inside and an outlet at the end for connecting the tube. Another option is to use a plastic bag filled with a powder that turns into a gel on contact with liquid. This mitigates leaks or spills. A Gatorade bottle works too. Or you can just wear a diaper, which is an option for women too. - How do you get those external shots of the glider? I use a 360 camera on a pole, which I stick out the window. The camera software automatically edits out the pole. The cameras I use are the Insta360 X3 and X4. - How do gliders initially get airborne? A common way is to get towed up by a powered plane. You will often see that happening in the beginning of my videos. There is a rope connecting the glider to the tow plane, and the glider can release the rope once it gets high enough. Another way to launch a glider is by a winch on the ground, connected to a long cable that pulls the glider forward. The glider pulls up while it's moving forward to gain altitude. There are other ways, such as being towed by a car, or launched off a hill by a giant bungee cord. - How much does it cost to fly gliders? It can be more affordable than you think. You don't need to own your own glider. You can join a glider club where you pay reasonable monthly dues and you can fly their fleet of gliders. Monthly dues can be around $50-100 USD. You will typically have to pay for launches, which can range from $30-200 each. Sometimes the club can train you to get your glider license. If not, you'll have to pay for lessons, which can range from $5-15 thousand, depending on many factors. A decent starter glider can be found for around $20,000. Prices for new ones are in the low six figures. - How do I get started in gliders? Search for a glider club near you and pay them a visit. There are some good resources at the Soaring Society of America https://www.ssa.org/learn-to-soar - Why do you use a mix of metric and imperial units? For historical reasons, glider performance numbers like distance flown and average cross-country speed are expressed using the metric system. Glider performance records, achievement badges, and racing stats all use the metric system. Glider pilots all over the world use the metric system when talking about how far or fast they flew. It's a standard that makes it easy to compare performances worldwide. We don't use the metric system for everything though. Americans use feet and knots for altitude and airspeed, because that's what we're familiar with. Being a glider pilot requires using both the metric and imperial systems, and that's okay. It's not a political statement.