Thermal Maps

The following texts will give a brief introduction to thermals in the context of paragliding. Understanding the prerequisites for thermals to build up and finally being triggered will enable a pilot to make efficient use of thermal maps, skyways and hotspots in the preparation of a flight as well as  during a flight.

You know what thermals are and how they work - jump directly to the thermal maps features of the vario app.

What Is A Thermal

Thermals can be briefly summarized as uprising air that is used especially by paragliding pilots to gain height and fly cross country  or simply extend the flight time at a local site. Flying from thermal to  thermal, professional pilots can reach cross country distances of  up to 400 kilometers.

While thermals are triggered by the texture, shape and topography of the underlying terrain, the basic principle is always the same. For air to rise the so called air package close to the ground needs to heat up (energy intake) until reaching a temperature advantage big enough to allow this air package to rise. In short: the hotter the air gets the less dense it becomes with respect to the surrounding air and eventually it will take off and rise.