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## Flight Preparation and Planning 

Adequate soaring skills form the basis of the pilot’s preparation for cross-country soaring. Until the pilot has flown several flights in excess of 2 hours and can locate and utilize thermals consistently, the pilot should focus on improving those skills before attempting cross-country flights. 

Any cross-country flight may end in an off-field landing, so short-field landing skills are essential. These landings should be practiced on local flights by setting up a simulated off-field landing area. Care is needed to avoid interfering with the normal flow of traffic during simulated off-field landings. The first few simulated landings should be done with an instructor, and several should be done without the use of the altimeter. 

The landing area can be selected from the ground, but the best training is selecting one from the air. A self-launching glider or other powered aircraft for landing area selection training and simulated approaches to these areas is a good investment, if one is available. 

Once soaring skills have been honed, the pilot needs to be able to determine position along a route of flight. A Sectional Aeronautical Chart, or sectional, is a map soaring pilots use during cross-country flights. They are updated every 6 months and contain general information, such as topography, cities, major and minor roads and highways, lakes, and other features that may stand out from the air, such as a ranch in an otherwise featureless prairie. In addition, sectionals show the location of private and public airports, airways, restricted and warning areas, and boundaries and vertical limits of different classes of airspace. Information on airports includes field elevation, orientation and length of all paved runways, runway lighting, and radio frequencies in use. Each sectional features a comprehensive legend. A detailed description of the sectional chart is found in FAA-H-8083- 25, the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. Figure 11-1  shows a sample sectional chart. 

The best place to become familiar with sectional charts is on the ground. It is instructive to fly some “virtual” cross- country flights in various directions from the local soaring site. In addition to studying the terrain (hills, mountains, large lakes) that may affect the soaring along the route, study the various lines and symbols. What airports are available on course? Do any have a control tower? Can all the numbers and symbols for each airport be identified? If not, find them on the legend. Is there Class B, C, or D airspace en route? Are there any restricted areas? Are there airways along the flightpath? Once comfortable with the sectional from ground study, it can be used on some local flights to practice locating features within a few miles of the soaring site. 

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Any cross-country flight may end with a landing away from the home soaring site, so pilots and crews should be prepared for the occurrence prior to flight. Sometimes an aerotow retrieve can be made if the flight terminates at an airport; however, trailer retrieval is more typical. Both the trailer and tow vehicle need a preflight before departing on the flight. The trailer should be roadworthy and set up for the specific glider. Stowing and towing a glider in an inappropriate trailer can lead to damage. The driver should be familiar 

