On Tue, 28 Aug 2012 12:33:36 -0700, Ramy wrote:


This is exactly why those kind of discussions on RAS are so important.
You will hear opinions that you will normally wouldn't hear elsewhere or
face to face. I will definitely think twice next time before deciding to
thermal below 500 ft AGL.
Sad news but great discussion.

I think 500 ft is pretty much a minimum safety height. Here's a data
point for that. When an ASW-20 departs in a thermalling turn using zero
flap (position #3), if you react immediately its easy enough to be back
in level flight after a total of 90 degrees of rotation, but you will
have lost 300 ft and have around 80 kts on the clock.

FWIW I never set my LK8000/XCSoar safety height to less than 1000 ft.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
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