The Thermal Podcast

Hosted by Herrie ten Cate

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Latest episode

May 2026

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About the show

The Thermal is a monthly podcast devoted to the sport of gliding. You'll hear about the latest cutting-edge sailplanes and technology. We'll also be talking about gliding safety, instructing, gliding history, cool pilot interviews, towing, winching and a whole lot more. New podcasts will be released the 1st Saturday of every month.

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60 recent

May 4, 2026Episode 691 hr 10 min

The Thermal - Episode #69

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.

March 20, 202648 min

The Thermal - Episode #68

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.

February 8, 2026Episode 6749 min

The Thermal - Episode #67

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.

January 19, 202626 min

The Thermal - Episode #66

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.

January 8, 202654 min

The Thermal - Episode #65

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.

December 14, 2025Episode 6459 min

The Thermal - Episode #64

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.

May 31, 202521 min

The Thermal - Episode #63

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 23rd 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.

May 13, 2025Episode 6255 min

The Thermal - Episode #62

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.

April 7, 2025Episode 6154 min

The Thermal - Episode #61

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.

March 26, 2025Episode 6043 min

The Thermal - Episode #60

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.