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to the soaring site early so there is no rush in the preflight preparations. Once airborne, take time to get a feel for the day’s thermals. If the day looks good enough and height is adequate to set off on course, commit to the task! Landing away from the home field for the first time requires skill, planning, and knowledge but is a confidence builder whether the task was accomplished or not. 

## Soaring Faster and Farther 

Early cross-country flights, including small practice triangles within gliding range of the home field, are excellent preparation and training for longer cross-country flights. The FAI Gold Badge requires a 300-kilometer (187 statute miles) cross-country flight, which can be straight out distance or a declared triangle or out-and-return flight. An average cross-country speed of 20 or 30 miles per hour (mph) may have been adequate for a 32-mile flight, but that average speed is too low on most days for longer flights. Flying at higher average cross-country speeds also allows for farther soaring flights. 

Improvement of cross-country skills comes primarily from practice, but reviewing theory as experience is gained is also important. A theory or technique that initially made little sense to the beginner has real meaning and significance after several cross-country flights. Postflight self-critique is a useful tool to improve skills. 

In the context of cross-country soaring, flying faster means achieving a faster average groundspeed. The secret to faster cross-country flight lies in spending less time climbing and more time gliding. This is achieved by using only the better thermals and spending more time in lifting air and less time in sinking air. Optimum speeds between thermals are given by MacCready ring theory and/or speed-to-fly theory, and can be determined through proper use of the MacCready speed ring or equivalent electronic speed director. 

## Height Bands 

On most soaring days there is an altitude range, called a height band, in which the thermal strength is at a maximum. Height bands can be defined as the optimum altitude range in which to climb and glide on a given day. For instance, a thermal in the 3,000 feet AGL range may have 200 to 300 fpm thermals, increasing to 500 fpm at 5,000 feet AGL range then weaken before topping out at 6,000 feet AGL. In this case, the height band would be 2,000 feet deep between 3,000 feet and 5,000 feet AGL. Staying within the height band gives the best (fastest) climbs. Avoid stopping for weaker thermals while within the height band unless there is a good reason. 

On another day, thermals may be strong from 1,000 feet to 6,000 feet AGL before weakening, which would suggest a 

height band 5,000 feet deep. In this case, however, depending on thermal spacing, terrain, pilot experience level, and other factors, the height band would be 2,000 feet or 3,000 feet up to 6,000 feet AGL. Avoid continuing to the lower bounds of strong thermals (1,000 feet AGL) since failure to find a thermal there gives no extra time before committing to a landing. [Figure 11-12] 

<img src='content_image/547704.jpg'>

NOTE: Automated Flight Service Stations (AFSS) report cloud levels as AGL in METARS, and PIREPS are reported as MSL. Area forecasts gives clouds as MSL if above 1,000' AGL. Pilots must be careful to determine which value is being presented. This is very important when glider pilots travel to higher elevation airports and must subtract field elevation from MSL reports to ensure cloud clearances. 

Determining the top of the height band is a matter of personal preference and experience, but a rule of thumb puts the top at an altitude where thermals drop off to 75 percent of the best achieved climb. If maximum thermal strength in the height band is 400 fpm, leave when thermals decrease to 300 fpm for more than a turn or two. The thermal strength used to determine the height band should be an average achieved climb. Many electronic variometers have an average function that displays average climb over specific time intervals. 

