The variometer: hearing the lift

The instrument every glider pilot listens to: it shows how fast you climb or sink, beeps higher in lift and drones in sink. Why it lags a little, and why it always includes your own sink.

What you learn

• Read climb and sink on a vario, in m/s
• Hear lift and sink, and keep your eyes outside
• Allow for the lag: watch the trend, not every flicker
• Know that a plain vario includes your own sink

In playlists

• Aircraft and systems
• Gliding and soaring

Also on

• Video course: Soaring