It would be interesting
to know if these are isolated incidents (after all gliders don't make a
habit of flying near thunder clouds) or if it is more common than we
might
all have imagined.=20
################################################## ####################

Try reading Philip Wills book in which he describes taking a wooden
glider into a CuNim and the consequences of that action - he landed the
glider, but it was a write off.

In the UK, it isn't always obvious that the large cloud you are under
has turned into a monster, although the first indication is usually the
difficulty one has in staying clear of it due to the off the clock lift
one encounters in that situation.

Rgds,

Derrick Steed