Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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TopTask - meteorologicalflight plans for gliding

Dr. O. LiechtiOlivierLiechtiAuK@compuserve.com

Regional Forecasts: Wind, PFD

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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Thermals: Lift, Altitude, Clouds

X-country conditions

Source: pc-met@DWD

Stratiform Clouds

Cumulus Clouds

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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Rates of Climb

X-country conditions

Source: pc-met@DWD

Avg. Lift Clouds

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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Temperature and Humidity

Surface Values

T

Td

Source: pc-met@DWD

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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Climb Rates & Wind

Source: pc-met@DWD

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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Flight Polar

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

0 10 20 30 40 50

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

Fahrt [km/h]

VZ [m/s]

[km/h]

[m/s]

124 (1:53, 100 km/h)114 (1:47, 96 km/h)100 (1:39, 90 km/h) 84 (1:30, 80 km/h) 77 (1:27, 55 km/h) 51 (1:12, 48 km/h) 39 (1: 5, 30 km/h)

Hängegleiter

Gleitschirm

(Beste Gleitzahl, Fahrt)Index

Archaeopteryx

Segelflugzeuge

Handicap(BGR@speed)

Gliders

Hangglider

Paraglider

speed

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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X-country Speed

Mittleres Steigen [m/s] in der Thermik

X-country speed [km/h] Handicap (BGR)

124 (1:53)

114 (1:47)

100 (1:39)

84 (1:30)

50 (1:12)

38 (1: 5)

77 (1:27) Archaeopteryx

15 m old

15 m

18 m

25 m

Hang-glider

Para-glider

0 1 2 30

20

40

60

80

100

120

Climb Rate [m/s] in Thermals

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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Flight Task

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

A&KSource: SeeYou

TopTask: Flightplan 7.9.04

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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TopTask: Flightplan 29.5.04

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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Recorded Flight 29.5.04

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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Flight Simulation 29.5.04

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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Set Tasks in May 2004187 km 351 km 263 km

RC

355 km 509 km 461 km

NC

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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328 km 289 km 531 km

NC

TopTask Speed Forecasts

TopTask Speed [km/h]

Scored Speed [km/h]

0 20 40 60 80 100 1200

20

40

60

80

100

120

detours…

aligned lift…

Open Class18m ClassStandard Class

-40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 400

4

8

12

0

4

8

12

Error [%]

detours … aligned lift…

Counts

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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54 scored flights @ RC/NC Birrfeld 2004(9 days with 3 tasks, 1. and 2. place)

Conclusion• At gliding competitions the forecast

TopTask speed is a good estimate of thewinner‘s speed

• GPS-based flight records of gliding flightsallow for a detailed verification of theregionalized forecasts of thermals.

• Meteorological planning for glider flightsin thermals is available to pilots and tasksetters in useful quality.

Analysen & Konzepte • Dr. O. Liechti • CH-8404 Winterthur

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