Quote:
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Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla
In the 1960s a good sailplane glide ratio was 22 feet horizontally for every foot downwards. Nowadays, it's what? -- 30:1 and better? Where do you look if you're not in glider country like central California with all the ridgeline wave?
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There are many many clues, both on the ground (darker ground heats air better), in the air (birds, bugs and trash can all be swept up in a thermal), and in the sky (clouds can be read for clues as to their relationship to a rising column of air). This is a three part article (
part 1,
part 2,
part 3) that offers a very good holistic introduction to identifying thermals and techniques for riding them upward. Enjoy.