Thermalling is an advanced flying skill that most pilots will encounter late in their Hang 2 skill level, and really concentrate on as they enter their Hang 3 rating.  I think from personal experience and from observation, that there are many styles of thermalling.  Mine have changed over the years and especially since I began flying an Exxtacy rigid wing.  Any of the advice and techniques I list below may be heavily influenced by what I'm flying, so take that into account when you try and translate it for your equipment.

As always, I bring up a topic like this to provide my own narrow minded view but primarily to bring about discussion from many listees, who are far more able to put into writing, what I intuitively understand, but can't always verbalize.

I have been fortunate to have been around to read many great articles written across a very long time span of Hang Gliding issues and some I have re-read more than once.  I have also, and advise you to do so as well, read many sailplane books on thermalling to help build my knowledge base.  I still do so because just like you, I am also still learning.  From a hanggliding consensus, some things that seem to be general rules are:

1.  The lower you are in altitude, the higher the bank angle you will need to thermal at, to stay in the thermals, because they are likely to be small. Better to over bank at first than to under bank.

2.  As you gain altitude, thermals often widen and strengthen, and you are able to lower your bank angle and often obtain a better climb rate.

3.  Often I see pilots bank to quickly upon encountering lift and then fall off the thermal as they do their down wind rotation.  A very good rule of thumb is counting to 3 before you turn.  If  you are low, then quickly may be your best option as you don't have time and altitude to spare.  If higher, than you can afford to wait a little longer to explore the width of the thermal before you turn.  I prefer waiting as I'd rather turn back for a thermal that's behind me, than fall off the edge and lose altitude before I can rotate back to the lift.

4.  Locating and staying within the thermal is often a tricky part of thermalling and we use different tricks to do this.  One of the most important for new pilots to start out using, I think, is to visually locate a point on the ground below where you are thermalling so you can obtain a reference point.  Recognizing that your thermal will drift with the prevailing wind.  Strong thermals don't seem to drift as fast as the wind so don't over estimate the drift rate.  If you lose your thermal, be sure and do a search down wind and then upwind on your expected drift line.

5.  Instrument location is also an excellent way to thermal and especially useful at higher altitudes.  It is the method I use, so don't fly close to me when you see me thermalling!  In this method, you actually watch your instrument climb rate and as it peaks in strength during your rotation, you pick a point on the horizon off your outside wing and as you come back around, you move your thermal circle in that direction.  Also keep in mind that your instrument deck has a delay in it so a good pilot will recognize that maximum lift actually occurred at a point slightly behind this visual point and adjust his circle accordingly.

6.  The most efficient thermalling circle is one that is very concentric.  I am speaking from a glider efficiency point of view.  It is also easier to stay centered if you can circle concentrically.  Advanced pilots will often change their bank angles constantly as they milk the pulses in a thermal. I'd advise waiting a while on that technique as it can cause you to lose the core.

7.  The most common mistake I see in recreational thermalling, is that pilots fly through lift without testing it and giving up on lift to soon. If you fly through some lift that is more than 2 seconds wide, and you have a safe glide to a landing field, unless you have a visual reference of something better, than I'd advise you to turn and explore what you just flew through.  If you are in lift that is sustaining you, or allowing you to climb, unless you have a visual reference of something better, than I'd advise staying right where you are and continue to work and explore what you have.  This is key to becoming a sky god!

8.  If the core is tight and strong, then I'd advise flying it in kind. Meaning attack it with high bank and higher flying speed.  If the core is broad and mellow lift, then fly it the same way, lower bank, lower speed, and mellower.

9.  THE MOST IMPORTANT 100 FEET OF CLIMB IS YOUR FIRST 100 FEET!  I can't emphasize this enough.  If you can climb 100 feet in a thermal, then it is likely that you can climb out on that thermal.  The first 100 feet is generally your hardest and longest, so really sink your teeth into it.  Get mad if you need to .  Be aggressive.  Act as if you don't stay in this thermal then you will have to go land (this might be true!).

10.  If you have landable fields down wind in the direction that you are thermalling and drifting, then quit worrying about the landing field!  This is also a very important lesson to learn and remember.

11.  Depending on your site, don't be afraid to drift up, over, and to the back side of your hill as long as your are high and can stay safe from rotors.  Ask your local mentors what they think is a safe altitude for the wind conditions and your equipment.

12.  Learn to be patient in your thermalling.  It is very easy to climb and then bail out down wind for distance and then find yourself on the ground watching your more patient friends flying over and into the distance as you break down.  Don't out fly the lift.  Unfortunately, I speak from experience on this matter!

13.  Try and fly with, and like, those mentors who always seem to thermal well and stay up the longest in the thermal conditions.  They must be doing something right.

14.  Don't be afraid to be at high altitudes.  The rules of aerodynamics are the same.  The higher you are, generally the safer you are.  It just doesn't look that way.

15.  Be aware that learning how to thermal will be something you will be working on for the next 50 years of your hang gliding career.  It is never mastered, only improved upon!

There are many more, but these should give you newer pilots some food for thought and hopefully others will add to, and correct, some of my mis-explanations.

Safe thermalling.

Wayne Hobbs