KRONFELD ON GLIDING AND SOARING.pdf - Lakes Gliding Club

LONG DISTANCE SOARING 209
Sundays. For precisely the opposite reasons we may count
upon the help of the dust raised by touring cars in sparsely
populated country at the week-end. On normal days we
find the strongest current of warm air in the afternoon,
when the sun's heat is strongest and the valleys are thoroughly
warmed. Therefore on such days it is advisable to time
your flight so as to pass over doubtful spots during the afternoon.
Birds of prey, which usually sail on a good upwind,
are the best counsellors for long distance flyers, but their
example must be followed with discretion, for their interests
are not purely sporting ones. They may be seeking food,
so that the struggle for existence keeps them a long time
in neighbourhoods where the upward breezes are not
particularly good.
How often have I heard men grumble at " those silly
birds." But the birds are anything but silly, and I think
that if we took as lively an interest in the hares in the
thickets as they do, we should probably fly in their fashion.
And always and for all flights the motto is : " Never
give up ! " Never own yourself beaten until there is
absolutely nothing left for you to try ! Until the machine
is at a standstill, the flight is not ended. Even if the skid
is only an inch above the ground and already swishing
through the grass, you are still flying ; there is always
a possibility that a slope may take an unexpected turn, or
a breath of air or an unexpected eddy may come to your aid.
Then up you go once more, to fly onward for miles and
miles. Never give up ! Clench your teeth and let every
nerve in your body be on the look out for all possibilities.
Show fight to the very end !
Such is long distance flying, and is it not the most
wonderful of all sports ? It involves not only flying,
but also thinking, choosing, deciding. We learn from it
self control, we learn to master the forces of nature and
our own weaknesses. Everyone who has flown a motorless
plane over a wide stretch of country, if even only once,
will recognize the truth of what I say, and this is why those
who have once begun can never give it up.