Lift (soaring)
Lift is a meteorological phenomenon used as an energy source by soaring aircraft and soaring birds. The most common human application of lift is in sport and recreation. The three air sports that use soaring flight are: gliding, hang gliding and paragliding.
Energy can be gained by using rising air from four sources:
- Thermals (where air rises due to heat),
- Ridge lift, where air is forced upwards by a slope,
- Wave lift, where a mountain produces a standing wave,
- Convergence, where two air masses meet
In dynamic soaring it is also possible to gain energy, though this uses differences in wind speeds rather than rising air.
Read more about Lift (soaring): Thermals, Ridge Lift, Wave Lift, Convergence Zones, Dynamic Soaring, Illusions of Lift
Other articles related to "lift":
... A pilot can create an indication of lifton certain uncompensated instruments by entering a climb by pulling back on the stick (hence “stick thermal”) ... This is not true lift in that the energy to climb is being converted from decreasing airspeed, rather than being extracted from rising air ... Inexperienced pilots can mistake this for actual lift ...
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