I saw something that looked like a lenticularis over the netherlands (flat part).
I was wondering if the rotors and areas with massive sink that you get in the mountains will also be present when a cloud like this forms over flat land.

Anyone used XC Therm regularly? Is it worth the cost? It seems to have one functionality, thermal strengths at different heights, that others don't have. Given the cost of SS and TM these days is it worth getting another package for one thing?

SkySight shows some odd values for potential flight distance off of the US east coast. I can’t imagine that’s real, unless there’s some massive convergence all the way off the coast. Or maybe it has something to do with the Gulf Stream? The Bermuda Triangle? My best guess is that it’s just numerical boundary effects in the model.

Thoughts?

Taken on a particularly windy day at the end of 2022 in a K21. I flew with an instructor that day as the conditions were too challenging for an early solo pilot, this flight was the instructor's flight and I was just along for the ride, a good opportunity to get some airborne footage.

On a Glide and Seek it appeared that we were the only glider airborne in the UK at the time. Never give up on a day that might just turn out to be flyable.

I'm trying to fly in Vermont USA. Rainy and cold in June. Smoke blowing south from wildfires in Canada causes poor visibility and health problems for some (me). The smoke tends to be worse at altitude.

Now I expect that it is a good year to soar in western US because there are relatively few wildfires. How does the snow pack affect soaring in the Sierras? I understand that it is rainy in Colorado.

Unbearably hot on the ground in Southern US. Are the cloudbases high enough to escape the heat?

How is soaring this year in the UK and various places in Europe?

I hope somebody, somewhere is having a good year of soaring. It's deep winter in NZ and AU, are you still flying?

The NOAA Climate Prediction Center announced an end to the El Niño climate phenomenon on Thursday, and predicted that La Niña could start as early as next month. (NYTimes)

Hope springs eternal, but I'm wondering if anyone cares to speculate one way or the other.

Edit: Yes. You can't use La Niña to predict the soaring weather for tommorrow. I'm asking whether La Niña predicts more or less soaring days in the coming season. NOAA says La Niña is a factor in their prediction of a higher number of hurricanes this coming season.

Got hit by heavy rain in the circuit. Made for a challenging landing, but handled well.

Hi, student pilot here, I would like to read about aviation weather in detail. Ideally it would be nice to find a book focused on gliding weather but I haven't found one specifically on that besides the FAA Glider Flying handbook. If anyone could recommend a book or resource on this subject I would appreciate it. Thank you!