PARAGLIDER GETS CAUGHT IN A THERMAL CURRENT
WITH VID
BY SALONI MATHUR
Watch this insane video of a paraglider spinning furiously mid-air after getting caught in a thermal current.
Michael Dreher had a heart-stopping experience when he went paragliding in Saint-André-les-Alpes.
Paragliders use a technique called theralling to spin in rising columns of warm air called thermals.
Thermal currents, or thermals, are rising columns of warm air that paraglider pilots use to gain altitude and extend flight time.
This involves a pilot using weight shifts and brake inputs to stay in the strongest part of the thermal, which can be a series of adjustments to maintain a tight circle and climb efficiently.
Michael Dreher from Sonnenbühl, Germany, said: “I was competing in the German Open in Saint Andre les Alpes.
“I got really low over a big forest, flying around to find a proper landing place.
“I found one of the strongest thermals dragging me up with 6m/s from 50m over ground back to cloudbase.
“That one thermal allowed me to catch up with my competitors to continue the race.”
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