Gee, thanks, Ray. :-)

I think it's safe to assume in this discussion that we're talking about
flying alone. If there are other gliders in a thermal, we're required
for many reasons to turn in the same direction that they're turning,
and the presence of other gliders gives us a good idea where to look
for the center. I have my best performance when I can use my neighbors
as thermal indicators. :-)

But this is a serious question. How can I improve my performance
centering thermals? Are all thermals surrounded by this ring of sink
you mention? And what if I fly straight into the middle of a thermal,
so that there's no lifted wing? What's the best technique to use then?

And what about speeds. Lets say I'm flying a Standard class glider,
with a min sink in the mid 40s and a best L/D of 38 at around 57 kt.
What should I be thermalling at in a typical eastern thermal? And what
angle of bank? I typically try to use around 45 degrees, but it isn't
constant until I get the thermal fairly well centered.

TIA (Thanks in advance),
Ed

Ray Lovinggood wrote:
Suppose I'm flying along straight and level and I feel
the left wingtip rise. Where is the thermal? Is it
on the left and is it lifting the wing?

Or, is the right wing in sink and the wing is being
pushed down?

Does that mean there is a thermal further to the right
and the sink that pushed my wing down is the sink that
surrounds the thermal?

Which way should I turn?

For me, the answer is sometimes straight forward:
Turn the way my friends are turning because they got
there sooner than me!

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA