A glider over the flatlands Welcome to Flight Club, an online gliding simulator. The gliders look a bit like hang gliders. However, imagine them to be paragliders or sailplanes if you prefer; the same rules apply. Circling under a cloud Cumulus clouds are fed by bubbles of warm rising air, called thermals. By using thermals, glider pilots are able to fly long distances. When you fly into a thermal you should circle to stay in the lift and climb upto cloud base. Your vario will start beeping when you are in a thermal. Gliders ridge soaring Hills produce lift as the wind flows over them. A glider may ridge soar by flying back and forth in the rising air in front of the hill. Glider pilots also like hills because they function as reliable thermal triggers. A cloud street Race against the other gliders; the finish line is 100km away to the north. A note on navigation: To find the finish line, simply follow the road that runs north. You have a compass at the bottom right of the applet. Press <3> for the plan view Drag the mouse to rotate the camera position. You may switch between points of view using the number keys... Try pressing <p> to pause the action and then switch between the different points of view. Dragging the mouse whilst the action is paused gives a cool 'bullet time' effect. Here is a great way to learn some of the principles of free flight! The goal is to fly your glider cross country along a predetermined course using the same natural principles you would utilize when really soaring.
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Introduction
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Thermals
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Ridge Lift
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Your mission
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Points of View
P
lay Flight Club
