Thermal right, land left

"John" wrote in message
om...
The point I was making was is there benefits for low-time pilots to
thermal right and land left?


Sorry, John, the answer is no. Pilots, "low-time" or not, shouldn't even
THINK about preferred turn directions whether in thermals or landing
patterns.

Absent a rigging error, (meaning the glider flies straight hands-off - not
forgetting the wing pins) a pilots feeling that he has a "preferred turn
direction" is a red flag warning of a general flying skill deficit that
needs professional attention.

Turns are the simplest and most essential maneuver in a glider pilots
repertoire. If a pilot can't do those very, very well, in both directions,
there is a big problem that very likely extends to other areas.

Even if a pilot is otherwise safe, given the complexity of flying, there is
no way to safely accommodate a turn preference. Turns, both left and right,
should be totally instinctive and easy.

BTW, I've come to really dislike the pejorative term "low-time pilots". I
know many extremely skilled pilots with less than 200 hours and LOTS of
"long-time" pilots whose flying skills have deteriorated to alarming levels.
The later group seems to use the term a great deal. No matter how many
years you have been flying, you are only as good as your last flight.

Bill Daniels