Flight Preparation and Planning Adequate soaring skills form the basis of the pilot’s  preparation for cross-country soaring. Until the pilot has  flown several flights in excess of 2 hours and can locate  and utilize thermals consistently, the pilot should focus on  improving those skills before attempting cross-country flights. Any cross-country flight may end in an off-field landing, so  short-field landing skills are essential. These landings should  be practiced on local flights by setting up a simulated off-field  landing area. Care is needed to avoid interfering with the  normal flow of traffic during simulated off-field landings. The  first few simulated landings should be done with an instructor,  and several should be done without the use of the altimeter. The landing area can be selected from the ground, but the  best training is selecting one from the air. A self-launching  glider or other powered aircraft for landing area selection  training and simulated approaches to these areas is a good  investment, if one is available. Once soaring skills have been honed, the pilot needs to be  able to determine position along a route of flight. A Sectional  Aeronautical Chart, or sectional, is a map soaring pilots  use during cross-country flights. They are updated every 6  months and contain general information, such as topography,  cities, major and minor roads and highways, lakes, and other  features that may stand out from the air, such as a ranch in  an otherwise featureless prairie. In addition, sectionals show  the location of private and public airports, airways, restricted  and warning areas, and boundaries and vertical limits of  different classes of airspace. Information on airports includes  field elevation, orientation and length of all paved runways,  runway lighting, and radio frequencies in use. Each sectional  features a comprehensive legend. A detailed description of  the sectional chart is found in FAA-H-8083- 25, the Pilot’s  Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge.  Figure 11-1  shows  a sample sectional chart. The best place to become familiar with sectional charts is  on the ground. It is instructive to fly some “virtual” cross- country flights in various directions from the local soaring  site. In addition to studying the terrain (hills, mountains, large  lakes) that may affect the soaring along the route, study the  various lines and symbols. What airports are available on  course? Do any have a control tower? Can all the numbers  and symbols for each airport be identified? If not, find them  on the legend. Is there Class B, C, or D airspace en route?  Are there any restricted areas? Are there airways along the  flightpath? Once comfortable with the sectional from ground  study, it can be used on some local flights to practice locating  features within a few miles of the soaring site. Any cross-country flight may end with a landing away from  the home soaring site, so pilots and crews should be prepared  for the occurrence prior to flight. Sometimes an aerotow  retrieve can be made if the flight terminates at an airport;  however, trailer retrieval is more typical. Both the trailer and  tow vehicle need a preflight before departing on the flight.  The trailer should be roadworthy and set up for the specific  glider. Stowing and towing a glider in an inappropriate  trailer can lead to damage. The driver should be familiar  Figure 11-1.  Excerpt from a Sectional Aeronautical Chart. 11-2