CBM Racing

Woohoo! Flying radian yesterday and made it to just over 53 minutes, but couldn't quite make it that few more minutes. Went back today thinking it was to late in the day to catch the longer lasting/still forming thermals, was I ever wrong, heh heh.Standard 30 second motor run, cruised for about 1 minute and the right wing popped straight up, almost flipping it over! Hard rudder and a tough of elevator and was on my way up like a rocket! Specked out in record time, and just cruised back and forth, losing sight of it now and then. 40some minute mark, when I usually hit the following sink hole, it started the pancake manuver. Usually, I can't out of the sink fast enough, but today put the nose down harder than usual and cruised back towards myself. By the time I got over the launch area I was already down to around 100ft and thought, "Bravo, another good effort!" when suddenly the tail popped and it started climbing again, yay. Three circles and I was specked out again, and just kept cruising. Made it to 1hr and a few seconds before my neck started to cramp and decided to land. Hit the timer on touchdown at 1hr, 8minutes, and 38 seconds, woohoo!!! Who else is in the hour+ club here using thermals and not slope?

anuthabubba

My Feedback: (102)

Does an hour+ from a hand launch into an approaching thermal (as evidenced by the swirling grass/weeds) count?

It's a good feeling to fly that long by working lift isn't it? Congratulations.

Terry in LP

CBM Racing

That would be the ultimate, hand launching and staying up that long!

Tom Nied

I have done three over an hour flights in a row now. I can't believe it, but I have gotten out during some nice weather conditions lately. Also I'm thinking I'm getting better at seeing the thermal. Yesterday it was mostly overcast but light winds. I didn't anticipate getting to an hour but got into two really nice thermals over the hour and pulled it off.

It's pretty cool isn't it. Congratulations CBM.

qldviking

My longest flight was a bit over 5 hrs, with an electrified Global easy Answer, That was a pearler of a day, one 20 sec climb out and was looking foir sink more than lift, regularly specking out. several members also had a 'fly' while I needed restroom lol. My old 174" R/E glider regularly flew flights of 1hr plus and often 2. I also used to launch that old glider of the cliffs on a calmer day, and find lift and get way up hi, does tht count as slope or soaring??? I have found the best days for thermals are the partly cloudy up to 7/10's cloud cover. I usually took both a glider and nitro/gas planes to the field, but good thermal days saw my fuelers never assembled at the field. I often just lay down on the grass flying my gliders, the guys at the clubs used to say I was a "lazy bugger" lol but it sure saves the neck after a long flight. Nothing like breaking that 1 hour mark, congrats
cheers

Currawong

Slermalling or therloping.

My next task is to joinn you in the 1 hr club. My favourite hill is a huge maar crater with thermals galore out towards the middle.

snuts

Congradulations! And thanks for the insperation, must renew that great feeling soon myself.
-Snuts-

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

A 1 hour thermal flight is quite a feat where I live. It is rare indeed. Out of a club of 60 we might hear of one or two a year. I have one over an hour and a few over 45 minutes.

An hour on the slope is like a warm up flight.

BMatthews

I've done over an hour on two occasions. Another time I came down a little short of an hour by choice but could easily have done over. The first two times it was a real hoot. Especially since my first time was over 90 minutes. But once I'd done it a couple of times I found it's easier to listen to my sore neck and land early.

On the day when I came down by choice I did so because it just wasn't a challenge. I know that sounds pretentious but conditions were so good that it was a no brainer to stay up. Two fields over there was a thermal bubble generating machine of some sort (freshly plowed field? I never did find out) and it was producing a continuous cycle of bubbles that would rise and form a nice little cloud. I'd grab one, follow it downwind in the light drift of the day and keep watching over my shoulder for the next bubble to signify its birth with a little cloud. When I saw it I'd leave the bubble I was in and scoot upwind to get into the next one. I did this about 7 or 8 times over the course of about a 50 minute flight and the "machine" showed no signs of stopping. It actually got to feel TOO easy so I landed. I kept my eyes on the "machine" for the next hour or so while I was at the field and it kept popping the new bubbles with "ice cream clouds" out like clockwork the whole time.

On the other hand there's been FAR more days when there was no lift whatsoever....

qldviking

interesting question regarding frshly plowed fields, my glider guider buddies and I have found the same effects too. After much discussion about it we have sort of come to the conclusion that there are 2 causes for the lift generated, the first being that the freshly exposed ground works like a solar panel, it catches and generates more hot air which rises, and also as the sun dries it out the soil, which raises the humidity, and being heated too also ads body to the already raising air. How right or wrong we are is anyones guess, research shows there is something there, but hmmmm, I'm still open to opinions.

AmishWarlord

My Feedback: (5)

Congratulations! If your going to keep riding the thermals like that you need to invest in a comfortable lounge chair.

BMatthews

YES! WELL DONE CBM! ! ! !

In the rush to tell our own stories we seem to be forgetting that this is CBM's moment of fame.