* * * * Alan

My guess (possibly wrong) is the biggest value of a remote thermal
detector, at least at first, will be sort of a short-range "thermal
centering aid". *Knowing there is strong core 300 meters away is
"highly actionable" data. * Cruising along while searching a 1 km wide
path will eliminate passing close by a strong thermal without knowing
about it. *Knowing there is a thermal 10 km away is interesting but
it's a good bet it will dissipate before you can get there and chasing
after it may not be the best strategy.

The next biggest value will be that even 1 km range thermal detectors
will eliminate the start gate roulette, gaggling and leeching in
contests. Why go through all that when you can reliably find the
thermals on your own?

That is, after the first guy to bring one destroys the competition at
the world championships! ..

In addition to camera signal processing to see light refraction, same
to see birds/gliders, lidar to see dust concentration, doppler lidar
to see dust movements, active or passive (listen to weather/FAA) radar
to see bugs, birds, and gliders, infrared to see moisture
concentration, infra red to see heat, would all work. Most of these
are used now in ground-based or large aircraft form for various other
purposes -- doppler lidar to study storms pollution plumes and wind
profilers, bird/bug radar to study former, FLIR in the military,
They need only a bit of miniaturization. Lots of winter projects for
the technically inclined!

More speculation on thermal detectors:

http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john..._detectors.mht
http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john...s/barnaby.html

John Cochrane