Dear All, Preamble
Discussion on Pilot Qualifications at a competition has been tossed about almost ad nauseam on this web site. Let me say that at a Nationals level they are currently quite unambiguously defined in Clause 13.1 and 13.2 of the National Rules V2.5 Sep 2013. (Thanks Mandy). Further, clause 13.3 quite clearly gives the CD discretion to waiver these requirements under defined circumstances. It has already been said that State rules tend to follow the national rules. However they can (and rightly do), differ in places. All the essential reasons for these differences have also been given in the foregoing discussion. ************************************************************* I agree with everything that Tim said in his post, especially; 1. Match fitness which most definitely includes physical fitness, and psychological fitness. 2. .... just fly, fly, fly ... There is absolutely no substitute in the game for just doing it. Paul Mander very recently gave you Sebastian Kawas viewpoint about improving your competition flying skills, which is basically similar to point 2 above fly lots of competitions. However competition flying is by no means the only type of flying that pilots do, so see below my note on flying at the beginning and end of the day. Just for the sake of the argument, let me put an alternative viewpoint to Tims statement .......forces you not to be lazy At a competition or regatta a well oiled team is set up which does huge amounts of work this means that YOU do not have to do it! · You do not have to puzzle over the weather the organization supplies a met man who will not only present the weather information, but interpret it too. · You do not have to work out a task for the day unless you are nominated to the task selection committee. You should view this as an opportunity to influence outcomes if you are experienced, and as an important learning experience if you are newish to competition flying. · You do not have to work out a launch time just grid up. · You do not have to organise a tug, tug pilot, wing runner etc, or maybe a winch team to launch you it all just happens, gee, golly, gosh! · There are usually lots of people around, so it is relatively easy to line up a retrieve crew, to come and get you in the event of an outlanding. Hint :Think I will scratch your back if you scratch mine. · You will get fed on site at the end of the day, and usually lunch and breakfast can be provided too. HOWEVER PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU DO HAVE TO MAKE THE EFFORT TO GET TO THE COMPETION. Another point to keep in mind results from the intrinsic nature of a modern gliding competition: It is this - you will be doing the actual racing (the task), in the eye of the day.... unless you and the task setters got it badly wrong. In the bigger picture, this is not a good thing it is highly desirable to have (and use), the skills necessary to fly competently at the very beginning and at the very end of the day too. However please keep in mind that it does take a substantial amount of time to marshal and launch up to say 60 gliders on the one day. This is the accepted reality, the upshot of which is that it can make some things relatively easier for the pilot at a competition. As to the additional skills, you can develop them with your own dedicated practice. Just one further thing, which SHOULD be self evident, is that flying a glider in a competition is NOT like flying a power plane, and it is NOT like having a lazy fly around at the home airfield either. I can remember a time many years ago now, when an experienced airline pilot who had very little time in gliders, rocked up to a (State) competition, and was VERY miffed when the Safety Officer (acting for the CD), declined to accept his entry which BTW was made on the day. He was rejected on the basis that he did not have enough gliding experience, and was a potential hazard to himself and all the other pilots. Yes, this pilot had picked up the physical piloting skills in an hour or two, but he had no real experience of the gliding environment, let alone the competition gliding environment. I dont think this pilot ever came back to the sport, and in my opinion, that was a bloody good thing. He was not prepared to accept the umpires decision and go away and get more glider time and experience (and get those nominated competition entry pre-requisites), and then come back and have another go. It was quite apparent that he had a completely wrong mind-set, and I have no doubt (especially with hindsight), that the Safety Officer made the right call. To put this story in perspective, this is the only occasion where I have ever come across or heard such a case. Normally all the checks and balances, starting with the Letter from the Club CFI regarding a pilots competency, comes into play, before we get to a situation such as I have described. Gary From: aus-soaring-boun...@lists.internode.on.net [mailto:aus-soaring-boun...@lists.internode.on.net] On Behalf Of Tim Shirley Sent: Saturday, 14 September 2013 9:10 AM To: aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net Subject: [Aus-soaring] On Entering Competitions Hi all, As someone else remarked, competition flying is fun. It is challenging, it gives you a benchmark, it allows you to learn from better pilots, and it forces you not to be lazy every morning someone tells you where to go, and quite often its not the place (or the distance) you would have chosen by yourself. There are basically three levels of gliding competition in Australia. Nationals, State Comps and regattas by which I mean events like Horsham Week, the Queensland Easter regatta and similar. Pretty much they all run to the Nationals rules, the differences being the length of the events, the entry criteria and the tasks that are set. At regattas the tasks tend to be shorter and set over good country there is a more conservative approach to tasking in poor weather; while at the Nationals there will be some challenging and longer tasks set. Those who saw the town of Mansfield close up during the last Nationals at Benalla can attest to that! There have to be entry criteria, for safety of both the individual and the group. No one expects a P plate driver to enter Bathurst, or ride at Phillip Island. No one expects a wobbly cyclist to start in the Tour de France. The entry criteria are flexible. While the rules state minimum standards, they also allow the organisers some discretion, even at Nationals level. As a contest director at Nationals I have on occasion allowed someone to fly who lacked the formal entry requirements. This is done carefully, and with appropriate counselling and a watchful eye but I have yet to be disappointed in my decision. At State and National level it is often the case that pilots are in the air for 5 to 6 hours on each flight, and then go out and do the same the next day, and the day after it is an endurance sport, and at every level to do well you need a dose of commitment, good health, and preferably match fitness. At the last Horsham week I flew 5 days and more than 20 hours 2 days with more than 5 hour flights. And thats an entry level regatta, where beginning competitors are welcomed and encouraged. So if you have not done your 5 hours yet, enter a competition that problem will soon be solved! None of this is designed to discourage. Anyone with a minimum of experience can have a go at the regatta level, thats what they are for. Sharing gliders is common and welcome, flying in 2 seaters with coaches makes a good start, so I encourage anyone who is interested to have a go. Come to a coaching event Speedweek, Horsham Coaching, G Dales courses at Benalla, Lake Keepit and elsewhere. Read theres heaps of stuff on the website, Bernard Eckeys book is terrific, and just fly, fly, fly There is absolutely no substitute in this game for just doing it. See you all on a gliding site. Soon. Cheers Tim Tra dire e fare cè mezzo il mare
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