Darren, its great to see you back in the air ...... we have all missed your singing! Everybody got you to 1K subscribers, now we need to get you to 2K subscribers.
Funny how yesterday i came across one of your videos and thought man do i ever miss Darren Brown's videos, and then bam a new video how cool is that. Look forward to all your videos there just great fun to watch
The hang-glider weighs 35kg. When you see me initially pick it up and manuevre there is quite a bit wind from behind pushing on the sail. So it appears a struggle and heavy until I get it turned around into wind and it goes light.
A very good question! I use my infra-red glasses which show the temperature difference... just kidding! Thermals are invisible to the art in cross county is working out where to find them. There are books written on this stuff, it's a big subject. I know when I'm in one because my vario beeps at me and beeps faster, the faster I am going up. That helps me to centre in the strongest part of the thermal without looking at the vario. Finding them in the first place - clouds are a great marker when you are up high or hills / rising land, other gliders circling (the best way!), birds circling... my last thermal this weekend I found from seeing two tractors making hay - I flew over them and found the heat they released cutting the hay had created a great thermal. That one works well very often in the summer on flatlands. There are lots and lots of different signs and things to look for where a thermal is LIKELY. But there is never a guarantee. Unless you see other gliders going up in it!