Where is the next thermal?

Two items:

1. Junkyards

2. Radio transmission antennas.

I can understand the junkyards. It's a good "discontinuity" in the
surrounding area and has the wrecked cars packed tightly together,
more so than the typical parking lot.

As for the antennas, we speculate it's not the antenna itself, but the
ground they're on. They are probably most likely on the highest spot
around, even though it all looks quite flat to us. And, we're talking
about the 2,000' tall, cable stayed antennas and not the little cell
phone towers. But I guess any water tower and radio antennas are
placed on the highest ground in the local area.

Remember, Your Mileage May Vary...

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA

On Sep 21, 7:09*pm, rlovinggood wrote:
Two items:

1. *Junkyards

2. *Radio transmission antennas.

I can understand the junkyards. *It's a good "discontinuity" in the
surrounding area and has the wrecked cars packed tightly together,
more so than the typical parking lot.

As for the antennas, we speculate it's not the antenna itself, but the
ground they're on. *They are probably most likely on the highest spot
around, even though it all looks quite flat to us. *And, we're talking
about the 2,000' tall, cable stayed antennas and not the little cell
phone towers. *But I guess any water tower and radio antennas are
placed on the highest ground in the local area.

Remember, Your Mileage May Vary...

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA

Yes, mine varies. I've found those shorter cell phone towers to be
reliable lift points when I'm lower. They act as a wick to dislodge
the warm air from the ground, I think. Reichmann points out that
the warm air at the surface has a surface tension that needs to be
broken. He relates the point by describing a case of finding a
thermal down low that was wicking from a roadside monument.

At medium levels you can sometimes relate a lift source with
its resulting cloud. At a contest a year and a half ago I was
getting lowish (2000ft or so) and was flying over some shaded
ground looking for a thermal. Ahead, I saw a large field in the
sunlight that was being plowed. To my left and even with the
field was a new and growing cu (downwind). I drew a mental line
between the two and pulled up into the strongest thermal of the
day (an honest 8kt climb to cloudbase).

-- Matt

On Sep 23, 1:35*pm, mattm wrote:
On Sep 21, 7:09*pm, rlovinggood wrote:





Two items:

1. *Junkyards

2. *Radio transmission antennas.

I can understand the junkyards. *It's a good "discontinuity" in the
surrounding area and has the wrecked cars packed tightly together,
more so than the typical parking lot.

As for the antennas, we speculate it's not the antenna itself, but the
ground they're on. *They are probably most likely on the highest spot
around, even though it all looks quite flat to us. *And, we're talking
about the 2,000' tall, cable stayed antennas and not the little cell
phone towers. *But I guess any water tower and radio antennas are
placed on the highest ground in the local area.

Remember, Your Mileage May Vary...

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA

Yes, mine varies. *I've found those shorter cell phone towers to be
reliable lift points when I'm lower. *They act as a wick to dislodge
the warm air from the ground, I think. *Reichmann points out that
the warm air at the surface has a surface tension that needs to be
broken. *He relates the point by describing a case of finding a
thermal down low that was wicking from a roadside monument.

At medium levels you can sometimes relate a lift source with
its resulting cloud. *At a contest a year and a half ago I was
getting lowish (2000ft or so) and was flying over some shaded
ground looking for a thermal. *Ahead, I saw a large field in the
sunlight that was being plowed. *To my left and even with the
field was a new and growing cu (downwind). *I drew a mental line
between the two and pulled up into the strongest thermal of the
day (an honest 8kt climb to cloudbase).

-- Matt

High tension power lines act as triggers, and the dirt roads/gap in
the trees where the towers are located are generators. IMO.

Brad