One pilot’s perspective on how to improve individual performance in competition.
Author: Peter Slade
Psychological
Before the Comp
1. Believe in your ability, AIM HIGH because you deserve to be there but be able to
adapt if things don't go your way.
2. Appreciate your on the best gear (latest greatest glider and in trim).
3. Arrive well prepared with good training and know your wing.
4. If you have any insecurities with your gear deal with them beforehand. eg If you
would prefer a second reserve, put it in before. If you need to practice some stalls, do
some safely.
During the Comp
1. Be organized so you can relax before each task.
2. Be positive.
3. Enjoy yourself, have some laughs.
4. Accept mistakes as being necessary for improvement and stepping stones on your
journey.
5. Don't benchmark your performance on someone else, unless that person has LOTS
more skill. Don't set yourself a limit. We are always learning.
Physiological
1. Be well hydrated, affects ability to make decisions.
2. Avoid lots of alcohol night before
3. Eat before task
Flight Training
1. Refer to Brian’s skills matrix. Find a way to practice each skill and have a way to
measure results. Focus on key things when flying.
2. Practice task flying with the best people you can find. Attend the best comps you can.
Debrief after tasks.
3. Know your wing on full speed range.
4. Know your instruments. Don't stuff around with instruments that let you down or
distract you.
Task Flying
Decision Making
1. The best pilots make the best decisions and understand risk/reward. Risk later in
task is better than risk early. Hedge your bets. Let someone else take the risk and
capatilize on their luck or lack of. Take risk if there is a reasonable chance for reward
at the right time in the task. Back yourself when taking risk, be confident. Know you
have the skills to get out of hard place. Don't get stuck.
2. Fly in lead gaggle. If winning does not interest you, you should still aim to be there
because you will fly faster. You will also benefit from the best pilots decision making,
and learn more. (To fly in the lead gaggle you need to glide fast, find the core fast,
climb fast, immediately go on bar to those climbing faster, fly on bar into the core.
You need to be prepared to fly through turbulence on bar, fly through weak lift and
use 100 percent bar. If you get left behind by lead gaggle identify why so you can
work on that when training. Don't expect to be able to keep up with or catch up to the
lead gaggle if you’re on a inferior wing. It may be possible however if the lead gaggle
is slow(which it shouldn't be) or makes incorrect decisions.
3. Identify early the moment to stop (change gears) .Stopping can sometimes put you in
a dominant position before final glide.
4. Don't go on final if it's iffy. It’s never worth landing before goal. Don’t get to goal high.
It may be better to delay final if you a pretty sure of a stronger climb closer to goal.
5. Try to get good starts, it feels good. Cooperate with those around you. Get upwind.
6. Be decisive. Once you commit you should stick with it. If a better option appears
however, act decisively.
7. Avoid flying own line, it has increased risk. And you isolate yourself from your
competition.
8. Know your optimized route and adapt according to terrain, wind, thermals, other
pilots and lead out points. It may be better to take the turnpoint early and get the lead
out points on the way in and out.
9. Never give up.
Flying Skills
1. Use full bar. You probably will need to. Use speed to fly and change to best glide
when necessary. Rear riser control, speed bar pitch control, keep glider open at
speed and maximise efficiency at speed.
2. Climb fast, allways search out the strongest core.
3. Avoid using brakes when gliding.
4. Allways move to a lifty line on glide.
Gear choice
1. Ask yourself whether you can step up to CCC. In order to raise the bar in Australia,
we need more competition. That's more pilots on CCC and more of those pilots
wanting to win tasks. More competition=better competitions=more fun.
2. Good Instruments
3. Best Harness
4. Good radio set up