My earlier post was referring to the theoretical considerations. The
essential point is that the thermals drift with the wind, applying simple
McReady theory gives maximum achieved average speed through the air, any
variation gives a lower average airspeed and therefore also a lower average
ground speed.

In the real World, for the last 40 years, my teaching and practice, in
UK/NW Europe conditions, has been: default setting 1 knot, if you're
getting low or it doesn't look good ahead set 0 knots, if it's a really
good day and you're high and going well set 2 knots, if it's a fantastic
day, the best you've ever flown on and you look like setting a record, set
3 knots. If you are tempted to set 4 knots, land, take 2 asperin and lie
down, you're feverish. For strong thermal areas like the American South
West, South Africa and Australia, add one knot to all the above, except
perhaps the 0 knot case.

You go faster flying between 6 knot thermals with 2 knots set than you do
flying between 4 knot thermals with 4 knots set. The lower setting you
use, the greater your range and the greater your chance of finding the
really good thermals.

This doesn't apply on final glide, when you do need to allow for head or
tail wind and you should use the instantaneous rate of climb when you leave
the thermal, not the average.

At 04:11 12 January 2014, Steve Leonard wrote:
On Saturday, January 11, 2014 2:35:45 AM UTC-5, Chris Rollings wrote:=20
If you are gliding from one thermal to another, optimum speed is the
same=
=20
whether you are going into wind, downwind or no wind, it just depends
on=
=20
the rate of climb achieved in the next thermal. If you are gliding to
a=
=20
point on the ground, final glide or round a turn-point, then optimum
spee=
d=20
will be higher into wind than downwind.=20

Then, on Saturday, January 11, 2014 4:18:33 PM UTC-6, Kevin Christner
wrote=
:
This is true from an optimal speed perspective. Kawa and Brigliodori's
po=
int
(I think) has to do with increasing search range. Flying faster upwind
an=
d
slower downwind increases your search range. Also, if you've ever
looked
=
at a
graph for flying slightly faster or slower than optimum MC bumping up
or
=
down
one know has very little effect on total speed. Finding a better
thermal
=
(or
a thermal at all) would make you faster or keep you from going Aux
Vauche=
....
Thoughts? 2C

Take your polar, see what your speed is for MC3. Let's say it is 75
knots.=
Calculate your L/D from the polar. Now, fly into a headwind, say 5
knots=
, and determine your L/D over the ground. Now, check your L/D flying at
80=
knots into that same 5 knot headwind. Did your L/D go up or down? Try
ad=
ding another 5 knots to the cruise speed and see what happens with your
L/D=
.. Try subtracting 5 knots and calculate your L/D Now, bump the
headwind
t=
o 10 knots, then 15, and 20. Figure out how strong the headwind has to
be
=
for your L/D to actually go UP by flying at 80 or 85 knots indicated
versus=
75 knots indicated. Think you will find that flying faster into the
wind
=
will only increases your search range when the MC is low and the wind
speed=
is high.

As for increasing your search range when flying down wind, why slow down
si=
nce you have the tailwind increasing your search range?

But, those are increasing glide distance over the ground, which is not
the
=
same as maximizing cross country speed.

And, as BB said, MC for final glide is climb rate for your last thermal.
N=
ot more if the final glide will be into the wind. Altitude required
incre=
ases for a headwind, but speed to be flown does not change because of
wind.

Steve Leonard