SOME PROBLEMS OF THE DOLPHIN-MODE FLIGHT TECHNIOUE: CRITICAL REVIEW

Abstract

Considerable progress in the area of sailplane performance during the last decade has influenced cross-country flight tactics and has stimulted development of dolphin mode flight techniques. No wonder that theoretical foundations of this technique, first of all, evaluation of weather minima for successful dolphin-mode flight and principles of selection of the optimum flight speed vs. vertical velocity of air masses, has recently become a topic of numerous papers. I will not try to attempt to sum up present achievements in this field; however, I would like to critically examine the applicability of some results and point out conclusions important to active pilots (and pilot-theorists) interested in further progress in cross-country flight techniques.