How Slope Soaring works!
(basically anyway)

  • Prevailing wind strikes the slope and as it cannot pass through the slope, it is then forced up and over.

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  • It is in this section of upward moving air that LIFT is produced.

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  • The amount of lift produced is dependant on certain factors, such as windspeed, shape of the slope and air temperature. A wind of 30km/h is sufficient to create a updraught of 30km/h, which is why slope soarers are able to attain height quickly and then dive down, converting the height into speed.

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  • A slope where the wind strikes dead-on (perpendicular to the slope) is ideal, as a side-on wind will greatly reduce the amount of lift produced by the slope.

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  • A slope with a concave "Bowl" will compress the wind as it is funneled up the slope and create even better lift.

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  • A good prevailing wind will provide hours of lift for slope soaring.

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  • The lift-band can extend away from the slope for several hundred metres and way up above the top of the slope. This makes for a large flying area.

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  • As the wind recedes, the lift will start to drop-off and then it is time to head back to land on top of the slope.


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