XCSoar 6.3- Horizon Disabled.

1. I always try to discourage people from trying to fly in cloud in
gliders, particularly if self teaching. I regard it as too risky,
particularly with modern, slippery ships. I have posted to that effect
on this forum before, and elsewhere.

2. I do fly in cloud myself when I can. It is legal in the UK, I did
have some tuition, and I like to keep in practice. I know several
others who do so too. I have a turn and slip (gyro). I also have an
electronic attitude indicator, but I find it has too much lag to be
sufficient on its own. For all I know there may be better ones with no
such lag.

3. I have been told by two pilots of their experience climbing in
cloud without a gyro instrument, and I do not doubt they were telling
the truth. They told me the technique they used (the same in each
case). I am not going to pass it on here. They were talking of older,
wooden, draggy gliders, and at least one had really speed-limiting
brakes (which in USA are called spoilers) as a safety fall-back. The
other may have been flying a glider with what we call spoilers (hinged
devices, little brake effect, they just spoil lift on the wing top
surface) – I don’t know what you call them in the USA to distinguish
them from the paddle-type brakes.


4. As for me – if I had tried cloud flying with no gyro, I wouldn’t
tell here anyway.

Regards – Chris