"Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:kiK3d.227481$Fg5.84932@attbi_s53...
Most of us just "ride the wave." It took me a couple of trips and
some
hangar flying with an old timer to get the idea. If you're VFR, why worry
about going uphill for a while as long as its free.

Well, if I had been at 9500 or lower, I'd have done just that, probably.
But at 10.5 or 11.5, we're already close to an altitude where oxygen would
be good to have (I know this flat-lander was awfully tired after spending an
entire workday above 11,000 feet), and I didn't want to go any higher.

I thought about riding the downdrafts down, but I didn't know where they
would stop! And that cumulo-granite sure looked hard...

;-)

Generally the up and down drafts will be well under 1000 ft of change.
So running between 10,000 and 12,000 would have been pretty easy.
500ft change even more common.

In our gliders most of us have fancy (or even not so fancy,Airspeeds
marked on the rate of climb indicator (vario)) computers to tell us
the best speed to fly through the lift and sink. In the Glider we slow
way down or even circle in the up and go like stink through the down
to get out if it.

More practical (and easier) in power aircraft is to just trim out for
level flight and let the currents raise and lower you. Adjust the
trim slightly if you would rather be higher or lower. If you want to
push a little in the sink and pull a little in the lift you will
improve you fuel economy and speed.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL