The Thermal Podcast

Welcome to Episode #69 of The Thermal. In this Episode of The Thermal, the Piper Pawnee has issues. Wing spar issues to be exact…we get an update from the Soaring Society of America's Ken Sorensen. Electric Gliders and engine failure. Do you lock the prop or let it spin? The manual says one thing but real-world data says another. We talk to a glider pilot boffin who used his own glider as a test bed. And a new book called Why We Fly is a wonderful journey into our relationship with flying. We speak to author Caroline Paul about her lifelong obsession with flight. That's all on Episode #69 of The Thermal.

On Episode #68 of The Thermal - from stifling heat to well below zero…a crazy diamond height climb in Australia. We talk to the pilot who paid careful attention to the forecast and bagged his long sought after Diamond And while we're south of the equator…an interview with SkySight Founder Matthew Scutter on 10 years of SkySight..a slew of new weather features and what kind of gliding challenges still appeal to this world class glider pilot. That's all on this Episode of The Thermal.

In Episode #67 of The Thermal, recording breaking flights in Australia. We speak to the pilots that just broke the continental distance record. And going on safari in South Africa…a gliding safari. We chat with one of the pilots that was part of this epic adventure. That's all on Episode #67 of The Thermal.

Welcome to Episode #66 of The Thermal – the JoeyGlide edition. In this Episode of The Thermal, we find out what makes the Australian JoeyGlide for Junior pilots such a success. It's a training event that has a reputation for turning out world class cross-country pilots. That's all on this Joey Glide episode of The Thermal.

Welcome to Episode #65 of The Thermal. On this show… a record Arcus flight from Minden, Nevada to Dodge City, Kansas. Just shy of 1800 kilometers this flight took over 12 hours, and a good portion was flown in the dark with night vision goggles. Pilot Gordon Boettger gives us the full story on this Episode of The Thermal.

After a six-month hiatus – the Thermal Podcast is back with episode #64 The soaring season in the Northern Hemisphere has pretty much wound down. But in early November Chester Fitchett had a record breaking 1750 km wave flight on the East side of the Rockies. Chester puts us in the cockpit as he rockets back and forth across the Canada – US border. And in the southern hemisphere the gliding season is in full swing. We chat with John Riedl…who's on a circumnavigation of Australia in his Stemme S12 motor glider. One of the many highlights…the annual Morning Glory wave cloud over the Gulf of Carpentaria. The view from John's cockpit never gets old. That's all on this Episode of The Thermal.

Welcome to Episode #63 of The Thermal. I'm your host Herrie ten Cate. In this Episode of The Thermal, fire in the air. Possibly the worst thing that can happen to any pilot. Well, that happened to me on May 23 rd of this year. The glider caught fire during the climb. My training and Lady Luck got me back to the runway with a burning glider This is the story of what happened.

In Episode #62 of The Thermal, the global tariff chaos and the impact on American glider pilots. We talk to the man behind gliding supply shop Cumulus Soaring to find out what is and isn't happening. Looping a glider is fun when done properly. It's something that most of us have done at some point or another. But breaking the Guinness Book record for the number of loops is a completely different matter. We speak to the two Australian pilots who now hold the world record. And what's it like when there's far more of your gliding career behind you than in front of you. It's something that all of us will face at some point. We talk to an octogenarian glider pilot who is processing and contemplating his ability to continue to do what he loves. That's all on Episode #62 of The Thermal.

In this Episode of The Thermal, we find out from the man behind Mountain High oxygen systems…why canula is most often better than a mask. And a group of UK pilots who've come up with their own Canopy Flasher. We find out why they didn't just buy off the shelf. It's the time of year when glider pilots are polishing gliders. Either to bring them out of hibernation or put them away for the winter. We find out the tips and tricks to keeping your polyurethane coated glider looking glamorous. Hint…the trick is ceramic. That's all on Episode #61 of The Thermal.

In this Episode of The Thermal, expedition flying at its best and a feature interview with pilot Chris Gill. Imagine crossing the Irish Sea, hoping to make the other coast and all you can see is ocean…that's exactly what Chris and his copilot did earlier this month, flying from Wales to Northern Ireland and back across the Irish Sea to Scotland.

In this Episode of The Thermal, long time gliding blogger Ritz de Luij has put away her keyboard . Ritz talks to us about her love of gliding, her passion for the sport and the triumphs and tragedies she experienced along the way. And we go to Australia and speak to an octogenarian glider pilot with over 6000 hours who just keeps on flying. That's all on Episode #59 of The Thermal.

In this Episode of The Thermal, an epic Christmas Day flight that covered most of the eastern Adriatic and 4 countries with a blistering average speed of 160 kmph and a distance of some 1100 kms. And hitting it hard with a 50 year old glider. Who says you need the latest hot ship to have fantastic gliding adventures. We talk to a pilot who's checking all the boxes. We also hear from NAV Canada and their concerns about glider traffic conflicting with commercial traffic. We try to unravel how to make uncontrolled airspace safer for everyone. That's all on Episode #58 of The Thermal.

On Episode #57 of The Thermal, going the distance in an Archaeopteryx . What's that you ask? Well, it's a low performance hybrid glider that an intrepid Australian glider pilot just flew for over 600 kilometers. And wave flying in the Canadian Rockies. We learn why the Cowley Wave Camp is the go to event for Canadian glider pilots looking for their Diamond Heights. That's all on Episode #57 of The Thermal.

In this Episode of The Thermal, a feature interview with Patrick McLaughlin – the man behind the Mountain High Oxygen system. He has won the 2024 OSTIV award for his contribution to gliding safety. And combining passions. We talk to Tobias Barth about his new book called Framing the Sky and how he combines his love of gliding and photography. That's all on Episode #56 of The Thermal.

In Episode #55 of The Thermal, Dutch racing pilot Jeroen Verkuijl on flying at the World Gliding Championships in Uvalde, Texas. And he tells us about the special day team Orange finished 1 st in all three classes. And a solution to the ever-increasing cost and number of flights for students to solo. We speak to an OSTIV award winner about what the Toronto Metropolitan University's gliding club has done to get students to solo sooner. That's all on Episode #55 of The Thermal.

In this Episode of The Thermal, we're devoting a full show to the story of WW2 British combat Glider Pilot Frank Hughes and his role in Operation Market Garden…also known as the Battle of Arnhem. It's a remarkable tale of a young man who flew a fully loaded HORSA combat glider into a war zone and survived the ensuing battle.

In Episode #53 of The Thermal, gliding superstar Sebastian Kawa on his incredible expedition to Pakistan and flying around k2. This adventure wasn't for the faint of heart. Overcoming adversity both in the air and on the ground was a constant battle. That's on Episode #53 of The Thermal.

On Episode #52 of The Thermal, a feature interview with Clemens Ceipek about his soaring adventures and goal setting over the State of Colorado. He also gives us an update on the threat of closure to Boulder Airport.

On this Episode of The Thermal…pushing the boundaries of gliding exploration. We hear from Gliding legend Sebastian Kawa who is in Pakistan and will soon be flying over the infamous K2… if everything goes to plan. And gliding from Europe to Morocco to explore the flying conditions over the Sahara. We hear from the lead pilot on what is was like to thermal with sand. That's all on Episode #51 of The Thermal.

In this Episode of The Thermal, we speak with American glider pilot Bill Hill who has written a fabulous auto-biography, where he talks about everything from airline flying, catching big wave in Argentina and working as an Air Traffic Controller. But first we start with a Dutch gliding safari…where a group of students and instructors had some serious fun. That's all on Episode #50 of The Thermal.