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...

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...

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...

  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...

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...

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...

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...

  In Episode #23 of The Thermal, a new European free distance record has been set in a Pyrenees wave flight.  We talk to Baptiste Innocent, one half of this record breaking crew.    On Gliding Club Confidential, we go to Australia and the Temora Gliding Club…   Covid-19 has had a particularly hard impact on our commercial pilot friends. We check in with glider pilots who are also commercial pilots to find out how they’re fairing.    That’s all on Episode #23 of The Thermal.

In Episode #22 of The Thermal, an analysis of the 2020 gliding accidents and incidents in the US. What do they have in common and are there any emerging trends? We talk to FAA safety guy and glider pilot Stephen K Brown.   Gliding Club SOS. This month on Gliding Club Confidential we go to the AKKA GLIDING CLUB in Suriname. A small Caribbean  club that’s fighting for its very survival.   And…the beauty of soaring at the tip of a paintbrush. We chat with aviation artist Robbie Roberts about...

Welcome to Episode #21 of The Thermal. In this Episode of The Thermal, we celebrate the life of the legendary Hans-Werner Grosse. A glider pilot who set the bar for long distance flying. We speak to long-time friends who remember this remarkable man. On gliding club confidential, we go to Colorado for an in-depth look at the Boulder Soaring Association, where the Rocky Mountains provide a stunning backdrop to flying in this part of the USA. Further to the North-East…in New Hampshire,...

Welcome to Episode #20 of The Thermal.  In this Episode of The Thermal, we truly go global. From Australia to Colorado and from Denmark to Germany and the UK.  You’ll hear about a heart-warming K-6 restoration, how to set your gliding goals, a contest for Old Glass, a fabulous new site called Nordic Gliding and WeGlide…the new kid on the block that’s serious competition for the OLC. That and a whole lot more on Episode   #20 of The Thermal.

In this Episode of The Thermal, a 1300 km convergence line flight in Australia. Pete Temple tells us what it was like and how cold it can be at 10-thousand feet.   Liz Sparrow is one of the people behind WGUK – Women Glide United Kingdom. She tell us about the challenge of getting more women into gliding and the upcoming Women’s Worlds Gliding Championships.   Julia Clitheroe – took to gliding like a duck to water or is that a hawk to a thermal? This 16-year old tells us what it’s like to...

On Episode #18 of The Thermal  – a near death gliding video from New Zealand that’s gone viral. What if anything can we learn from this incident? Gliding guru G Dale…gives us his two-cents worth.    And an interview with Bernard Eckey…the gliding legend behind Advanced Soaring Made Easy. We talk to him about edition 4.1   On Gliding Club Confidential, we go to the CuNim gliding club, nestled in the foot hills of the Canadian Rockies. Spectacular scenery and spectacular flights.   And we...

In Episode #17 of The Thermal, SkySight founder Matthew Scutter on flying an all-electric contest with his FES powered Diana 2. And on Gliding Club Confidential, we go to Western Canada and the Invermere Soaring Centre. That’s all on Episode #17 of The Thermal.

In this Episode of The Thermal, we break away from our normal format for a a feature interview with professional glider pilot, coach and instructor G. Dale. Volume 3 of his series entitled The Soaring Engine is now out. This volume focuses on human performance and gliding. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced x-country pilot…you will learn something from this interview.

In this Episode of The Thermal, a glider crash and rescue in the mountains of British Columbia. The CFI of the Invermere Gliding Centre gives us a first-hand account of this remarkable story. On Gliding Club Confidential, we go to Israel and the Megiddo Gliding Center, where flying cross-country means avoiding hostile land-outs. True Gliding is a comedic look at the world of Gliding. It’s just been translated from Swedish to English. We speak to the author. And letting go of the apron...

Episode #14 of The Thermal is now available at your favourite podcast provider.   In this episode , we get an update on how one Canadian gliding club is dealing with the COVID pandemic and flying operations. (1 minute and 50 seconds into the show)   In California, Jim Payne has been breaking records in Nixus – a one of a kind 28-meter, two-seat super-ship with a fly-by wire control system. We talk to Jim and the glider’s designer Paulo Iscold. (12 minute and 43 seconds into the show)   ...

In this Episode of The Thermal, we hear from the two pilots who just set a new US multi-seat record by flying from Minnesota to Tennessee in an Arcus M. This flight wasn’t a spur of the moment decision. It was literally years in the making. In the UK, the British Gliding Association has noticed a disturbing trend in towplane upsets. We talk to the Chair of the British Gliding Association’s Safety Committee to find out why and what’s being done to stop it from happening. Parachutes…believe...

On this episode of The Thermal, we will check in with glider pilots from Australia, Germany, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.  We will find out what’s happening during COVID and when gliding will potentially start up again.    And…are you in lock-down and want to learn something new? Why not become an Official Observer and help your fellow pilots claim badge and record flights? We find out what’s involved from a Senior Official Observer.   That’s all on...

 Episode #11 of The Thermal is now available.   In this Episode of The Thermal, we hear from Contest Manager Richard Owen on how his team of volunteers    managed to keep this year’s Senior’s Contest in Florida going amid the pandemic. We also have an interview about competitive on-line gliding. Because let’s face it, we can’t do the real thing. We talk to Daniel Sazhin about chasing thermals on the computer screen. Mark Maughmer is a long time glider pilot and engineer. And is largely...

Hello and welcome to this special edition of The Thermal Podcast. The COVID-19 crisis is unprecedented in scale and its global reach. The infection rates are climbing and the world’s medical professionals are being tested like never before. Social Distancing is becoming the new norm and everyday life is being affected in unprecedented ways. And that includes gliding clubs across the globe. Dr Dale Guenter is a family physician and President of SOSA, the Southern Ontario Soaring Association...

  In this Episode  -  an incredible 1730 KM record breaking flight in New Zealand. Pilot Terry Delore puts us in the cockpit for the flight of a lifetime. Denmark is a small nation with a small but intense group of glider pilots. Morten Bennick tells us how he exploits every possible island-hopping cross-country opportunity. On Gliding Club Confidential, we go to Scotland. Pilot with a Paintbrush paints a loving portrait of her club…the Deeside Gliding Club. Are you prepared if your...

Welcome to Episode #9 of The Thermal…the antipodean edition. I’m your host Herrie ten Cate. In this Episode of The Thermal, we go to Australia and hear about the impact of the devastating bush fires from the head of the Gliding Federation of Australia. And we also find out what it’s like to fly in the Women’s World Gliding Championships in extreme heat and smoke.  That contest was recently held in Lake Keepit, Australia. We hear all about it from 18-meter pilot Katrine Senne. And from New...