Flytec Element Speed

Några höjdpunkter

Aside from its standard vario functionality, the Element Speed also offers information on the last thermal flown by the pilot, glide ratio, as well as the distance and bearing to the launch site. The vario comes with few keys for ease of handling, but with the tried and tested “domed” keyboard for better usability even with gloves.

Utvecklarens tankar om instrumentet

Speed and glide

The first time I flew with a GPS was in the year 2000. Originally I’d bought it for navigation, but ultimately, the most important information delivered by the device were ground speed and glide. Suddenly I understood how I moved through the air! This helped me tremendously in my development to a cross country pilot. Even today, while free-flying, speed over ground and glide are the two values I read from my vario most often. Altitude I can judge visually, as far as necessary, climbs are indicated acoustically. But to know about speed and glide, I glance at the display every so often.

Wind information

While talking with pilots in schools, at launches or landings, every now and then I hear about somebody who found themselves “suddenly” in a situation where they were no longer able to advance into the wind with their glider. This is why to me, today, accurate wind calculation has become an important safety feature, especially for pilots with little experience.

Vario profiles

Only few pilots are aware that their vario is set up wrong most of the time for the conditions they are currently flying in. Sensitive, with fast reaction times, is really important in fall or winter, with weak thermals – then I want to be informed about even the smallest climb. In strong spring or summer conditions, this can become too much pretty quickly, distract or make me nervous. In these conditions I only want to be told about the really strong climbs, to decide whether I turn in a thermal, or pass by a bubble. To make choosing the right settings as easy as possible, we introduced the vario profiles: Presets for weak, average and strong thermals, which can be adjusted individually by the pilot if required.

Conclusion

The Element Speed combines all this in a compact easy-to-use device, and is therefore in my opinion the perfect vario for beginners and occasional pilots: It delivers exactly the information they need to enjoy long and safe flights. No more, no less. Happy flying!