Flying in Turbulence

[HangTen]

Hello,

Starting at ground zero with no PPG knowledge.

But I've seen several times now where it is stated that PPG flight should ONLY take place early in the morning and an hour or so before sunset.

If that's correct, that drastically changes my outlook.  So does this mean these wings are very susceptible to collapse if they encounter up or down drafts?

So daytime flights where there's a chance for thermals aka up/down drafts is off limits?

Then how does anyone do summer time cross country flights?

[AndyB]

I fly any time of the day in the UK.

It can be a little bumpy, but really not that bad. I think a lot of people like silky smooth flight. That is really nice, but not all there is.

[DavidG4]

Ho Ho Ho....this is gonna run and run.

 

The thing is this, you're flying under bit of nylon held together with strings and kept in shape by forced air...

 

What the wing will fly in and what you will want to fly in are quite different - the fear factor is strong when there's nothing betwixt thee and the ground but strings and they are being bounced around.  Have a look at Paranoob's youtube videos and see how often he says "oh, that was rough" and stuff like that.  The wings will collapse in turbulence yes, but they need a fair bit of it.  These wings are designed to self recover too, in a split second usually and within so many degrees of rotation - probably faster than you or I could sort it out.  But that doesn't mean that you will like the experience. Then there are thermals and there are thermals. Google Ewa Wisnerska.  She knows about thermals.

 

Most pilots don't fly in the heat of the day because it is  uncomfortable and can be dangerous, yes...but even in the summer the mornings are cool and the evenings (after the late PM thermals have cracked off home) can be blissful.  I've not flown motors, only gliders, which are far worse not least because you're always closer to the ground, but even then summer flying can be had aplenty.  What you won't see if people flying on hot days around the middle of the day...that's food o'clock.

 

Simon and others will answer better I suspect.

[Hann__]

It doesn`t seem to bother the paraglider dudes - they have to fly in thermic conditions to stay aloft (assuming not ridge soaring), and their wings are much more floaty and lightly loaded than a PPG`ers.

Three hours before sunset is perfectly OK, the first hour might be a bit jiggly.

I was up last night and getting nerly 700`/min lift at 5000`.

Free lift is good!

Unwanted lift not so good (if there`s airspace above you...)

Bumpy air is like driving a car on a potholed road, most folk would prefer to drive on perfectly smooth tarmac..

 

Edited May 22, 2019 by Hann__

[DavidG4]

9 hours ago, Hann__ said:

their wings are much more floaty and lightly loaded than a PPG`ers.

 

and for that reason it certainly does bother them.  There's thermic, and then there's THERMIC!

 

We like thermals, we dont like collapses and turbulence of all sources can lead to collapses. 

Before you just see and copy you have to be very clear on what you're seeing...

[HangTen]

If you're in powered flight at several hundred feet or less, and you encounter the edges of a thermal, you could end up slammed?

But that must be very rare since I don't see many reports of that on YouTube.   Just some guy flying at about 50 ft and hitting some power lines.

That young guy Tucker Gott on YouTube seems to fly the tree tops and skims the ground a lot.  Is he immune to thermals?

Edited May 23, 2019 by HangTen

[Steve]

YouTube hides most of the stuff you feel while flying, you often just can't tell from helmet footage.

As for flying during the day, I've seen hardened pilots land looking very pale after regretting choosing to fly. Always asses the conditions on the day, learn to read the signs and, if in doubt, don't fly. Ignore any macho bollocks you may read. 

[DavidG4]

On 5/23/2019 at 2:32 PM, HangTen said:

If you're in powered flight at several hundred feet or less, and you encounter the edges of a thermal, you could end up slammed?

i doubt it. You might have a collapse from which the only way out is to Chuck the reserve. 

 

If you 'slam' you won't walk away. That's more accurately called a crash. Rare indeed. 

[admin (Simon W)]

On 22/05/2019 at 14:18, HangTen said:

Hello,

Starting at ground zero with no PPG knowledge.

Welcome

But I've seen several times now where it is stated that PPG flight should ONLY take place early in the morning and an hour or so before sunset.

This is inaccurate for the UK, places like France and Spain in the heat of the summer yes it's most likely a good rule of thumb. During the heat of the UK summer as a 'rule of thumb' it's the early afternoon when our thermals become the strongest. So late lunches are good to plan for

If that's correct, that drastically changes my outlook.  So does this mean these wings are very susceptible to collapse if they encounter up or down drafts?

The wing will almost certainly be happier to stay in the air than you will... By that I mean, you will WANT to land before the wing PUTS you down unless your brain is numb. and assuming solid wing like the universal 1.1 and so on. 

So daytime flights where there's a chance for thermals aka up/down drafts is off limits?

Don't look so much at the wind speed, look more at the variation. A constant 20mph at the coast is lovely!! 20mph inland is a different story and will often vary from 8-20 mph in a 5 second time frame... There are many variables like 'overcast or (stratus) clouds' will prevent the sun from doing its part of the thermal cycle and cause there to be nice smooth flying weather no matter what the time of day or location on the planet. 

Then how does anyone do summer time cross country flights?

I don't think I need to answer this last one after you have read the replies above

SW

[geoffw]

Well said Simon it tuck me a few years to learn all that by trial and error in the early days,so there you go what a great head start you have .go flying!!!!ps you soon learn your tolerance level.that part tuck me 3 seconds .

[AndyB]

The only thing I would add is that in the midday heat of southern Spain, flying on the beach is amazing. There are no thermals over the sea or beach.