On Thursday, May 22, 2014 4:23:32 PM UTC-6, Bill D wrote:
On Thursday, May 22, 2014 2:45:59 PM UTC-6, wrote:

Bill







I have had the experience while banked 45 deg in mountain thermal of having the glider stop flying and start falling in a split second. IE, the dirt came up of the floor and was pinned to the canopy.



So have I - many times - but the glider never got close to a stall. A typical Rocky Mountain flight will leave the tell-tales on the G-Meter at +2 and -1.







Very sharp shear is possble at the borders of strong thermals. I don't think a steep bank would necessarily be as perfect a safeguard against a turbulent airflow as I would hope. Airflow across one wing could be erased in an instant under the wrong circumstances.



No one said a steep bank was a "perfect safeguard" against "turbulent airflow". It does increase the stall margin - even in "sharp shear".

s