Author: Ivan Anissimov
Hi
Everyone
My
glider is still in transit, so I got some time to share my thoughts
on subject of that elusive creature – Lead Gaggle.
For
everyday pilot it is (and should be!) something mysterious, briefly
seen for very short time few times a year during big comps. Like:
here they are! And now they gone…
I
had a privilege to be part of it few times, mostly by accidents ,
so, here is my take on it.
But
first: let’s define what is not a Lead Gaggle.
Lead
Gaggle is not just gaggle which is in front on the course line.
Sometimes it might be caught and even overtaken by second gaggle.
Every
one heard few times something like: “I could/could not keep up with
Lead Gaggle”. If you are the one who said that, you are not part of
it… Sorry. Trying to keep up would never make you part of the Lead
Gaggle. Only if you are trying to lead, then you might have a chance
to become part of Lead Gaggle. Or if you are stupid enough and trying
to overtake Lead Gaggle, and accidentally succeeded, then you are
done! You just form new Lead Gaggle, even if it made up just out of
you only for now. It would be more pilots with you soon enough if you
will keep doing that!
Lead
Gaggle with not just the best gliders in it is a very concerning
sign… No disrespect to pilots who choose to fly these gliders, they
are doing great job to keep up and sometimes lead Lead Gaggle. But
with constantly increasing gap in performance between current CCC
gliders and the rest of the pack, it is not expected to see many D
gliders in Lead Gaggle in big comps… That is reality of our flying
world, good or bad is another question...
Pilots
in Lead Gaggle would not wait another turn before shifting to the
better lift. They would not wait and see what happens to someone who
went ahead. Most of the times Lead Gaggle would not let single pilot
to lead, they would lead all together. Not just for lead out points,
but just because it is right. If someone is in front of you – you
are not in lead gaggle anymore. They are!
Don’t
get it wrong, there is always exception to the rule, and there are
always some outlaw pilots who don’t care much about rules and just
keep pushing. When there are enough pilots like that, that is when
new Lead Gaggle is formed.
Lead
Gaggle is very different to any other gaggle. It consists of very
good pilots on very best gliders. Each pilot in Lead Gaggle is flying
his very best in order to be the first and win day/comp and
everything else in between. Each one of them is very hungry for Big
Win. To be the second is not an option, it is disappointment. They
form gaggle not just because it is easier to find thermals (which it
is, off course!), but because they made chain of decisions that
landed (not literally here, most of the time anyway) them at the same
place and at the same time. These pilots are mostly very driven
independent flyers, who are prepared to take sometime excessive (for
“normal” pilot) risk in some form, or some just don’t give a
flying f#rk about risk, or sometimes some of them don’t realise
what the risk is. It is mostly very personal choice… They pushing
very hard not just a speed bar, but every possible bar on their way
to increase their performance just by notch and get this little extra
bit over everyone else, which give them that edge, chance to be the
first.
Lead
Gaggle consists only from winners. If you are flying with Lead
Gaggle, but don’t expect to win, not looking for that chance –
you are not really part of Lead Gaggle, you just flying with it,
trying to “keep up”.
It
is not easy task to fly that way every day. It is not always
enjoyable. But it feels bloody great, exhilarating and it is very
addictive!
Green
wind stoppers are great as well! Love them! Unfortunately they are
not enough to make up for the lack of skills, hunger to win or
substandard equipment. May be that is why in Australia we just don’t
have enough of these pilots to form proper Lead Gaggle. We got
handful of pilots prepared and equipped to do what it takes every
task and now I think it is one of the important factors that slowing
us down. We regularly see Lead Gaggle formed by three, two or one
pilot. It is pretty sad looking lead gaggle, really. In big OS comps
you will see Lead Gaggle of 30-50 pilots. We have to have that
experience here, in Australia; we need practice in Lead Gaggle
flying. And that what we all need to aim for the next few seasons. A
bit unrealistic, I know, but we can aim for it, help each other with
advice on equipment, tactics and goal setting, whatever can make us
fly better and form that Lead Gaggle.
In
the old days typical Australian Lead Gaggle would sit back and wait
to see what happens to the guy in front. A lot of times that guy
would land. But, with introduction of new generation of the comp
gliders, that front guy got lucky much more often, then another guy
decided to follow suit and suddenly they formed kind of new
generation of stupid Lead Gaggle without care. And, funny enough,
that is how the whole world flying now.
After
introduction of lead out points couple of seasons ago we made amazing
progress. We fly faster. We are getting much more competitive against
OS pilots. But we are still not in the lead on most of the days. We
are still holding back and “see what happens to that guy in front”
a lot of times. We are not there yet. By margin! We destroyed old
style Lead Gaggle, but we didn’t really form new Lead Gaggle yet…
And none of us can really do it by himself. One pilot Lead Gaggle is
a joke. It is just one pilot…We need more pilots for the Fast Lead
Gaggle. Slowing down faster pilots in order to get more pilots into
the gaggle would have detrimental effect on our overall flying.
Each
one of us can look around and think: what would I need to
do/have/stop doing to be in Lead Gaggle all the time? And what
John/Kevin/Tony/Marcy needs in order to be there as well? Tell ‘em!
Don’t hold back! They might return the favour. They might even
listen! Even you might listen instead of being pissed off!
So,
lets stop patting ourselves in the back, put some smart heads
together and see how we can get this “new generation” Lead Gaggle
formed again!