Slope flying tips
Slope flying with your rc glider is one of the most relaxing and straightforward ways of enjoying radio control flight. It's very easy to master and, for me, is a personal favorite type of rc flying!
If you live close to a hill then you might have already tried your hand at slope flying, but if you've yet to give it a go then this page will show you some of the basic tips to get the most out of your flight, and your glider.
Finding a suitable slope
This is of course very important! Not all slopes or hills are suitable for slope flying, but many are, provided that flying an rc glider (or operating any rc model) is permitted in that area - always check first!
An ideal slope will have a drop of at least 100 feet and will have a gradient of at least 30 degrees. A tree-free slope is ideal, but if there are trees on the bottom half of the slope then that's OK - so long as there aren't any near the top!
Another important factor is whether or not the top of the slope, where you'll be flying from, is reasonably flat and clear of obstructions - this will be your landing area. To give you an idea of a good slope, take a look at the photo below:
The final point to remember when choosing a suitable site for slope flying is of course the wind. To get the best flights, the wind needs to be blowing directly up the slope at a fairly constant force. So, a slope or hill that rises up from open land in front of it is a good one to fly from, because the wind blowing over the land will be uninterrupted.
Launching your glider
We'll talk about a standard hand launch here, because this is how the majority of rc gliders are launched for slope flying (some fliers use a small catapult system).
You need to be standing about ten feet or so (not too close!) from the start of the slope, and facing directly into wind.
With all pre-flight checks complete, hold the glider at, or just above, head-height with one hand directly below the wing. Hold the transmitter in your other hand with the thumb on whichever stick is to that side ie if you're launching left-handed, you'll have your right thumb on the rudder stick, and a right-handed launch will put your left thumb on the elevator stick.
Take a few steps forward, or stand still if you prefer, and give the glider a very firm push into the air, out over the slope. Make sure that the glider is launched horizontally, or even pointing slightly downwards. If you launch with a 'nose up' attitude then there's a chance that the glider will stall and crash if your push wasn't strong enough.
As soon as the glider has left your hand, put that thumb on the other transmitter stick. Once launched, the glider will catch the rising wind and your slope flying has begun!
Using the wind
Slope flying is made possible because of the action of the wind. Any moving air that encounters rising land is naturally forced upwards over that land, and this upward movement of the air is called ridge lift. It's this rising air that you're using to keep the glider airborne - if the wind stops, or dies down, then the glider will only stay up for so long.
The optimum area for catching this ridge lift is just in front of and above the upper reaches of the slope. If the wind is constant and you keep your glider within this area, you can stay slope flying all day long!
So to get the best out of it, you need to fly your glider parallel to the slope and not too far in front of you ie fly by making a pass left to right (or right to left), turn the glider through 180 degrees and repeat the pass going the other way. The important thing to remember here is to always make your end turns into wind ie away from the slope.
As you fly from side to side, you'll notice that your glider will gain altitude with each pass if you don't control it yourself. This is the rising air pushing the glider upwards.
If you're confident to do some basic aerobatics, just let the wind carry the glider higher as you fly it from side to side. When you've reached a good height, now's the time to have some fun!
The video below shows these basic slope flying tips, as performed on the RealFlight G4.5 simulator...
...while this next video is of me enjoying an evening flight on my local slope with my 'combat' glider...
The landing
This is the trickiest part of slope flying, but if you've chosen a good slope with a clear and flat top then you shouldn't have too many problems.
Get the glider at a height that's just above your head and bring it round in a wide circle over the top of the slope and out to your side. It'll speed up a bit as it turns downwind coming off the slope, but that speed will decrease again as you turn it back into wind for final approach.
Don't let your glider get too far behind you, but when it is at a point where you feel that you can bring it down to land somewhere close to you, then begin the landing approach. Gently turn it back into wind and use the elevator to get it onto the ground.
If the wind is strong, you might have trouble getting the glider down using a normal approach angle. In fact, you might even find yourself having to go around several times if you overshoot and the glider catches the wind again too close to the edge of the slope!
Other tips for slope flying
- Judging the wind strength is very important - too strong and you'll have trouble controlling your glider, too weak and the glider won't gain enough altitude for a successful flight. If this happens, you might end up with a long walk down to the base of the slope to retrieve your model!
- Don't fly over your head and behind you, unless landing. It's easy to become disoriented and if this happens the results can be nasty.
- Don't fly downwind (with the wind) for too long if you can help it. An rc glider will quickly lose lift flying downwind, and it's not always easy to regain lost altitude without a motor!
- If you're going for long-duration slope flying sessions, don't forget about the radio control gear batteries! If they die, so does your glider.
- If you're completely new to slope flying, try and fly from a gentler slope rather than a steep one.
Slope flying is indeed great fun, and given the simplicity of rc gliders is very rewarding. You don't need lots of accessories with a glider either, and given the right conditions you can make a flight last for a very long time because there are no recharging or refueling issues.
It's my personal favorite way of enjoying some good rc flying, and I highly recommend it!
Related pages
RC gliders - an overview of gliders and powered gliders.
Launching rc gliders - the main methods of glider launch.
Dynamic Soaring - adrenalin packed slope action.
Thermal soaring - basic principles of flying on thermals.
My Eraser combat glider - my trustee Eraser EPP combat glider (now deceased!).
My Valentino - my other rc glider.
G4 rc flight simulator - offers slopes and gliders for virtual soaring.
Multiplex Fox RC conversion - converting a kid's chuck glider to rc.
