Remote thermal detection

Really, why is that? Not that this applies to you, but I have noticed that when new technology comes along so do the naysayers, GPS, Flarm, stealth Flarm, "entertainment system computers..." "This is the end of our sport"....

Having been an offshore sailor and glider pilot for many years, I can tell you that whatever you invent, it will still take a sharp mind and earned skills to guide an airplane or sailboat using just the energy in the atmosphere.

Personally, I want a Hud projected onto the canopy.


On Friday, September 30, 2016 at 6:33:01 AM UTC-7, wrote:
On Friday, September 30, 2016 at 6:21:27 AM UTC-5, Tony wrote:
Awesome I can't wait!!

Here comes the end of this world as we know it.

On Friday, September 30, 2016 at 12:17:59 PM UTC-7, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Personally, I want a Hud projected onto the canopy.

The view outside is too beautiful to mess it up with overlays :-) I want 3D audio and a big bright screen that covers the whole panel.

If a short range LIDAR can detect a thermal ahead, then initiating a pull up before entering the lift might prove advantageous. A bit longer range and it will be possible to make small course corrections while flying slowly in areas of lift.

5Z

A HUD would be cool, but don't you think it would be a bit of a problem, or annoyance, keeping track of the towplane on tow, finding oncoming traffic, especially on the ridge, and obstructing part of your view in general? i mean it's a cool idea, but is it practical?

On Friday, September 30, 2016 at 3:17:59 PM UTC-4, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Really, why is that? Not that this applies to you, but I have noticed that when new technology comes along so do the naysayers, GPS, Flarm, stealth Flarm, "entertainment system computers..." "This is the end of our sport".....

Having been an offshore sailor and glider pilot for many years, I can tell you that whatever you invent, it will still take a sharp mind and earned skills to guide an airplane or sailboat using just the energy in the atmosphere.

Personally, I want a Hud projected onto the canopy.


On Friday, September 30, 2016 at 6:33:01 AM UTC-7, wrote:
On Friday, September 30, 2016 at 6:21:27 AM UTC-5, Tony wrote:
Awesome I can't wait!!

Here comes the end of this world as we know i

On Monday, October 3, 2016 at 8:12:38 AM UTC-5, ND wrote:
A HUD would be cool, but don't you think it would be a bit of a problem, or annoyance, keeping track of the towplane on tow, finding oncoming traffic, especially on the ridge, and obstructing part of your view in general? i mean it's a cool idea, but is it practical?

It's really not a HUD that you want, it's a HMD (Helmet Mounted Display) - now being used in most fighters (look up JHMCS). A HUD only covers a small piece of sky in front of you - it's really just a fancy gunsight. A HMD is more like a super Google Glass - puts the appropriate data in front of your eyes wherever you are looking. So for example, in a hypothetical glider-optimized BHMD (Bucket Hat Mounted Display), you would see airspeed, altitude, vario, heading, a pointer to the next turnpoint, reachable airfields, FLARM and ADS-B aircraft, etc; essentially you never have to look down into the cockpit.

With the head tracking tech used for VR, it's not really too far fetched - but we may need bigger canopies to fit over our helmets!

Kirk
66

I personally think if we could actually see what the air is doing, we would quit flying. Makes a Class 5 river run look benign.

On Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 7:01:38 PM UTC-4, Craig Funston wrote:
We're getting closer. A fist size LIDAR for $250...

Craig - There are lots of small low-cost Lidar units, but they are
for relatively short-range detection of a solid. I've played with
a hockey-puck size unit in an indoor-mapping application.
But, these are nNot long-range particle motion as already demonstrated
for remote thermal detection ;-)

See ya, Dave

On Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 7:01:38 PM UTC-4, Craig Funston wrote:
We're getting closer. A fist size LIDAR for $250 thanks to the push for self driving cars.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/6...s_2&set=602506

Cheers,
7Q

Back in the 80's hang gliding pilots had the "Thermal Snooper" Didn't take off (pun intended).

Dennis DC

On Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 7:01:38 PM UTC-4, Craig Funston wrote:
We're getting closer. A fist size LIDAR for $250 thanks to the push for self driving cars.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/6...s_2&set=602506

Cheers,
7Q

Boggs says " it is too hard to soar"!!!
Come on every ( well nearly)glider pilot can stay up all day,
on normal thermal soaring day, that is a day with enough convective
depth and not ever development.

I digress; In the 70s , I experimented with electric field detection
using nose and tail probes. Other researchers were doing this (eg Markson). I was able to observe a horizontal field across
a weak thermally created airmass boundary, by crossing and recrossing the otherwise invisible division. For XC soaring this is useless,because the problem of subtracting the large vertical atmospheric field from the weak horizontal field was close to impossible with 1970s technology.
These days there is enormous computing power and memory for calculations and 2D displays. Sensors for the vertical and horizontal fields, plus bank angle, could allow data accumulation allowing the wing tip sensors to show a display of horizontal fields( thermals are
usually positively charged). This could be a useful indication
for interthermal path selection.


John Firth an old no longer bold PIK 20E pilot.

I've seen enough soaring birds make a beeline for a thermal 1/4 mile away from them that I have to believe there is something visible, at least in some cases. Perhaps a creative optical solution might work if we find the right wavelength and polarization?

I also spent many happy years playing with the electric fields around clouds and sadly think they will be too chaotic around turbulent thermals to be any use.

Mike

A FLIR unit might offer a visual indication from much larger distance?

On Sunday, October 2, 2016 at 7:46:12 AM UTC-7, Mike the Strike wrote:
I've seen enough soaring birds make a beeline for a thermal 1/4 mile away from them that I have to believe there is something visible, at least in some cases. Perhaps a creative optical solution might work if we find the right wavelength and polarization?

I also spent many happy years playing with the electric fields around clouds and sadly think they will be too chaotic around turbulent thermals to be any use.

Mike