Thermal right, land left

bandit111964 (John) wrote:
I myself can turn equally well right or left. But I
have noticed I prefer thermalling to the right, and
landing to the left. Having over 250 flights, I have
plenty of experience going both directions, but
have developed preference for turning one way or
another. (as an aside, I prefer left turns on my
motorcycle too....no reason, just like them better).
[snip]
Seems like people do what they practice, so it
would be hard to isolate the slow turns in a thermal
with the faster turns while landing unless something
fundamentally is different. [snip]

What is "fundamentally different" is that it is landing, not thermaling ...
even students/new pilots should fully understand the difference. Don't see how
one could confuse the two unless their mind is on something completely
unrelated to flying, and I'm not a CFIG, but I don't think going in one
direction or another consistently is a solution for not paying full attention
to what you're doing.

I know this will sound weird to you guys, especially with the stigma attached
to women pilots ... but going to put on the armor and contribute it anyway:

As a figure skating instructor turned glider pilot, I can say that it is an
accepted fact that few people do things equally in both directions. That's not
to say that the "bad" direction can't be done with great proficiently--it
certainly CAN--but everyone has one direction that feels more natural and
comfortable than the other. Before anyone puts on skates, we ask people to spin
on one foot (on the ground, not the ice)--whichever way they *instinctively*
turn (a bigger percentage of us instinctively turn to the left), that's
considered their "natural direction". In skating like in flying, we work to
make both sides equally competent, but jumps and spins are developed in the
person's natural direction.

When I began flying gliders, I was not surprised to note that when my
instructor said "Show me a turning stall, either direction," I almost always
went left first, likely just because that direction feels more natural to
me--not because I do them more competently that way.

Left alone, most people practice things in the "good" (natural/comfortable)
direction much more regularly than they will in the unnatural direction.
Ideally, people practice the unnatural direction enough that they can perform
maneuvers without hesitation in a solid, efficient and competent way. Sometimes
the so-called "bad" direction even winds up being more technically correct
because the person pays closer attention to that direction to get it right, and
sloppy, bad habits are more likely to form in the direction the person feels
comfortable enough to get a little lazy in! And I've heard motorcyclists
express that same tendency to prefer turns in one direction over another also.

I consider myself a "new pilot" ... licensed for a year. I remember conditions
were such that the majority of my initial landing instruction was done in one
direction. When conditions changed, it felt "backwards" to fly the pattern and
land the other way, and I remember the puzzled looks and chuckles from seasoned
pilots -- "Why? it's the SAME thing!!" At some point long before the checkride,
either direction became "normal" as it should, since conditions favoring one
direction over another can change during any flight. As for thermaling, I have
noticed that whichever direction I begin thermaling in any flight (initial
choice based on where I think the thermal is by the clues, not by which
direction I prefer to turn), that seems to be the direction I end up thermaling
for most of that flight ... but there doesn't seem to be any proclivity for
thermaling in either direction overall.

Just a little food for thought. Okay, you guys ... flame away -- "these damn
women pilots, comparing our soaring to figure skating! ... why isn't she baking
cookies?!"
:-)
--Shirley