In this Episode of The Thermal – the devastating impact of the cheating scandal at the 2019 Women’s World Gliding Championships. We speak to a pilot that was a member of the disqualified Australian Team.

The next Women’s World’s are happening this summer in the UK. Elena Yakymchuk is a Ukrainian pilot who will be going to the contest….despite the terrible war that’s ripping her nation apart. We hear her story. 

And a primer on this summer’s Women’s World Gliding Championships…we talk to contest director Liz Sparrow.

That’s all on Episode #33 of The Thermal.

In this Episode of The Thermal, we hear from a young Ukrainian glider pilot and what’s happening to him and his fellow club members as the war rages around them. An un-imaginable situation for most of us.

In California…glider pilots are exploring new areas of wave and having spectacular flights. Ramy Yanetz tells us what’s like to fly over San Francisco.

And a young man with ambition. Noah Kleeberg wants to be the youngest person ever to circumnavigate the globe…and he’s hoping to do it in a motor glider.

That’s all on this episode of The Thermal.

In this Episode of The Thermal, we remember gliding legend Ingo Renner, who has died at the age of 81. We chat with fellow pilot and friend Bernard Eckey.

Tow pilot emergency. We hear from the Pawnee pilot who had the wherewithal to figure out what to do when the control stick separated in flight.

And a new take on an age old problem…training and retaining glider pilots. We find out about the CuNim gliding club’s Objective Oriented Training program.

That’s all on Episode  #31 of The Thermal.

Episode #30 of The Thermal…the Kiwi edition.

In this Episode of The Thermal, Terry and Abbey Delore tell us the story of their remarkable Tip to Tip journey from one end of New Zealand to the other. 

And the life and times of John Roake. We’ll hear from a long-time friend about John’s lasting impact on both the New Zealand and International gliding scene. 

And Kahu Soaring is a new commercial outfit in Omarara…the pilot behind this venture gives us the inside story. 

 

That’s all on Episode   #31 of The Thermal…the all Kiwi edition.

In this Episode of The Thermal a 1600 KM wave flight over the Canadian Rockies at a blistering average speed of 140 knots. We talk to Arcus pilot Chester Fitchett.

We also hear from the Air Traffic Controller and glider pilot who helped facilitate this flight through controlled airspace.

And the story behind a lovingly restored Robin glider from the 1930s. We talk to glider pilot and restorer Doug Fronius.

And last but not least…a moving poem about the big inevitable Final Glide… that all of us glider pilots will all eventually face.

That and a whole lot more on this episode of The Thermal.

 

In Episode #28 of The Thermal…Katrin Senne and what it was like to fly in the recent Gliding Grand Prix final in France….where she placed 4th!

 

And a feature interview with Gisela Weinreich. She’s an accomplished competition glider pilot, role model for women in aviation and now…the recipient of the prestigious FAI Lilienthal Award. 

 

That’s all on Episode  #28 of The Thermal…the all women, all German glider pilot edition.

In this Episode of The Thermal, we hear from a Dutch pilot who placed second at the recent world championships in France. It was a very tough fought contest with challenging flying conditions. 

We also hear from a novice pilot who narrowly escaped a final glide that went wrong…leaving field selection to the last possible moment.

And the British Air Training Corps is 80 years old. Many, many British glider pilots got their start with this organization. We look back at its history. 

That’s all on Episode   #27 of The Thermal.

In Episode #26 of The Thermal - tow plane bird strike and a remarkable story of survival. We hear from a young pilot who narrowly escaped with his life.

The International Vintage Sailplane Meet at Harris Hill, New York has wrapped up. We talk to one of the pilots who went and what it’s like to fly a very special vintage ship. 

And Baptiste Innocent has done it again. This time, he set new National and European records by flying to the Island of Corsica from mainland France and then home via Italy. Baptiste gives us a first-hand account.

In Episode #25 of The Thermal, we hear from racing pilot Katrin Senne who just flew in the Italian qualifying round of the World Gliding Grand Prix.

On the other side of the English Channel, we catch up with G Dale…gliding author/coach and competition pilot. He has just finished writing Edition #4 of The Soaring Engine. 

And SoarAmerica – one pilot’s quest to fly from the West Coast to the East Coast in stages. We catch-up with this intrepid pilot in Mississippi.

That’s all on Episode #25 of The Thermal.

In this Episode of The Thermal, we hear from a Norwegian pilot who recently ditched his glider in a lake. He walks us through the decision making process and how training made all the difference.

 

On Gliding Club Confidential, we go to Australia and the Balaclava Gliding Club…home base for Bernard Eckey – gliding guru and author.

 

And finally…gliding and COVID brain. We’ve all been affected by COVID-19. But what does it mean for us when we get into the cockpit? We hear from the Soaring Association of Canada’s National Safety Officer.

 

That’s all on Episode   #24 of The Thermal.