Overall Thermal Score Explained

Ever see that quality score in Advanced Thermal Analysis and wonder if it actually means anything? Good news: it does. It's not just vibes. Let's break down exactly how that number gets calculated so you can understand what separates "Fair" from "Excellent" - and what you can do about it.

The Big Picture

The Overall Thermal Score (0-100) is a weighted combination of five factors:

Each factor gets normalized to a 0-1 scale, multiplied by its weight, then the whole thing gets scaled to 0-100. Simple in theory, revealing in practice.

The Sustained Skill factor is key: it prevents high scores from brief pass-throughs. Flying through strong lift for 15 seconds doesn't prove thermalling skill - actually circling and working the thermal does.

The Formula

Here's the actual calculation from the codebase:

Quality Score = (climbScore * 0.30 +
                 efficiencyScore * 0.20 +
                 centeringScore * 0.20 +
                 consistencyScore * 0.15 +
                 sustainedScore * 0.15) * 100

How Each Component Is Calculated

1. Climb Score

climbScore = min(1, climbrate / 3.0)

Your average climb rate divided by 3.0 m/s (capped at 1). So 3 m/s or better = perfect score. Lower = proportionally less.

2. Efficiency Score

efficiencyScore = heightGain / horizontalDistance

Already a 0-1 value. Perfect efficiency (going straight up) = 1.0. The more you drift horizontally, the lower this gets.

3. Centering Score

centeringScore = centeringQuality

This comes from the core analysis algorithm - how much time you spent near the thermal's sweet spot. Already 0-1.

4. Consistency Score

consistencyScore = max(0, 1 - variability / 2.0)

Inverse of your vario variability (standard deviation of climb readings). Smooth thermal = high score. Bouncing between +5 and -2 m/s = low score. Variability of 2 m/s or more = zero consistency contribution.

5. Sustained Score

durationFactor = min(1, duration / 90)
turnFactor = min(1, turnCount / 2)
sustainedScore = durationFactor * turnFactor

Combines duration and turn count to reward actual thermalling work. Full score requires ~90 seconds AND 2+ complete turns. A 15-second pass-through with 0 turns scores near zero here, even if the other metrics look great.

Worked Example: Thermal #9

Let's walk through a real calculation using concrete numbers. Say you worked a thermal with these stats:

Step 1: Calculate Each Component Score

Climb Score:

climbScore = min(1, 2.15 / 3.0)
climbScore = min(1, 0.717)
climbScore = 0.717

Your 2.15 m/s climb rate is 71.7% of the "perfect" 3.0 m/s benchmark.

Efficiency Score:

efficiencyScore = 0.41

Already normalized. You gained 41% as much vertical as you traveled horizontal. Pretty typical for a drifty thermal.

Centering Score:

centeringScore = 0.53

You spent about half your time in decent lift. Room for improvement, but not bad.

Consistency Score:

consistencyScore = max(0, 1 - 0.92 / 2.0)
consistencyScore = max(0, 1 - 0.46)
consistencyScore = 0.54

Your vario variability of 0.92 m/s means the lift was somewhat turbulent, but not crazy.

Sustained Score:

durationFactor = min(1, 75 / 90) = 0.833
turnFactor = min(1, 3 / 2) = 1.0
sustainedScore = 0.833 * 1.0 = 0.833

You spent 75 seconds and made 3 complete turns - solid thermalling work.

Step 2: Apply the Weights

Now multiply each score by its weight:

Step 3: Scale to 0-100

qualityScore = round(0.609 * 100) = 61

Result: Overall Score of 61 - solidly in the "Good" range.

Interpreting Your Score

What Each Component Tells You

Climb Rate (30% weight)

This is the most heavily weighted because... well, the whole point is going up. But don't obsess over it - sometimes a 1.5 m/s thermal you work perfectly is worth more XC miles than a 4.0 m/s thermal you keep falling out of.

Low climb score?

• The thermal was genuinely weak (not your fault)
• You spent too much time on the edges (check centering)
• You were late to the party and caught only the top

Efficiency (20% weight)

Efficiency = height gained / horizontal distance traveled. A perfect helix going straight up would score 1.0 (and also be impossible in any real wind).

Typical values:

• 0.3-0.4: Normal, some drift
• 0.5-0.6: Very good, tight circles
• 0.6+: Excellent, minimal drift

Low efficiency?

• Strong wind pushing you sideways
• Wide circles or poor bank angle
• Entering downwind and never correcting

Centering Quality (20% weight)

How much time you spent in the good stuff vs. wandering the edges. Calculated using an exponential distance decay from the core: the further from center, the faster your score drops.

Low centering?

• Took a while to find the core
• Kept drifting out and re-centering
• The core moved (bubble thermal) or was very small

Consistency (15% weight)

Based on the standard deviation of your vario readings. Smooth, steady beep = high score. Vario going nuts = low score.

Low consistency?

• Turbulent thermal (not always your fault)
• Kept flying through the core and out the other side
• Mixed lift and sink in the same turn

Sustained Skill (15% weight)

Combines duration and turn count to prove you actually worked the thermal vs. just passing through. Flying through 4 m/s lift for 10 seconds isn't thermalling - it's luck. This factor rewards pilots who commit to the thermal and work it properly.

Full score requires:

• ~90 seconds of duration (shorter thermals score proportionally less)
• 2+ complete turns (fewer turns score proportionally less)

The two factors multiply together, so you need BOTH to score well here. A 2-minute straight glide through lift (0 turns) scores zero. A single quick 360 in weak lift (10 seconds) also scores near zero.

Low sustained score?

• You left the thermal too early
• You didn't commit to circling (pass-through)
• The thermal died before you could work it properly

How to Improve Your Score

Quick Wins

1. Tighten up when you hit lift - Don't wait, start turning immediately when the vario spikes
2. Shift your circle toward the lift - Classic centering technique: widen on the way out, tighten on the way in
3. Watch your bank angle - Too shallow = wide circles = drift. Too steep = inefficient in weak lift

Track Your Progress

Open the same thermal in the analysis tool after multiple flights from the same site. You'll start to see patterns:

• "I always struggle centering at this launch"
• "My afternoon thermals have better consistency"
• "That new wing really improved my efficiency"

Don't Chase the Number

A score of 45 in a broken, punchy thermal might represent better flying than a 70 in a smooth, fat column. Context matters. Use the score to track your own progress over time, not to compare yourself to others on different days.

Behind the Scenes: Why These Weights?

The weights (30/20/20/15/15) weren't pulled from thin air. They're based on what actually matters for effective thermalling:

• Climb rate leads (30%) because the primary goal is going up. A weak thermal worked perfectly is still a weak thermal.

• Efficiency and centering share technique weight (20% each) because they're both about skill. You can have one without the other (good centering but drifting out, or tight circles in the wrong spot).

• Consistency is a modifier (15%) because some turbulence is out of your control. It affects your score, but doesn't dominate it.

• Sustained skill filters flukes (15%) because briefly flying through strong lift isn't thermalling - it's luck. This factor ensures high scores go to pilots who actually committed to working the thermal.

Example Scenarios

The Lucky Elevator Ride

Contributions: 0.30 + 0.13 + 0.156 + 0.122 + 0.15 = 0.86 Score: 86 (Excellent)

You hit a monster thermal, stayed in the core, and rode it for two solid minutes. Dream scenario.

The Brief Pass-Through (Penalized)

Contributions: 0.30 + 0.144 + 0.17 + 0.117 + 0.0 = 0.73 Score: 73 (Excellent... but barely)

Strong lift, great vario readings - but you flew straight through without committing to circle. The zero sustained score pulls this down significantly. In the old scoring system, this would have been 85+.

The Hard-Fought Climb

Contributions: 0.18 + 0.076 + 0.09 + 0.045 + 0.15 = 0.54 Score: 54 (Good)

Weak thermal, broken core, lots of searching. But you stuck with it for 3 minutes and made 6 turns. That persistence is rewarded.

The Core Crusher

Contributions: 0.24 + 0.104 + 0.17 + 0.102 + 0.15 = 0.77 Score: 77 (Excellent)

Moderate thermal, but you absolutely nailed the centering and worked it properly. Technique over power.

The Bottom Line

The Overall Thermal Score isn't meant to judge you - it's meant to give you feedback. A numerical summary of "what happened in there" so you can learn from each thermal instead of just remembering "that was a good one."

Use it to:

• Spot patterns in your flying
• Track improvement over time
• Identify specific weaknesses to work on
• Brag to your friends with actual data

And remember: even a "Fair" thermal that got you to the next climb is better than an "Excellent" one you didn't take because you were waiting for something better.

Now go fly something!

See also: Advanced Thermal Analysis | Analysis Settings