DYNAMIC SOARING AND SAILPLANE ENERGETICS

Abstract

Did you know that a high performance sailplane can stay up on a day with no lift, but only pockets of strong sink? Most sailplane pilots regard sinking air as an enemy and of no value, but there is just as much energy in downward moving air as in upward moving air it's just more difficult to utilize. A companion paper called 'Calculations on Soaring Sink' goes into the details of getting energy from down gusts. Here we'll look at the basic energy picture.