Pushing your boundaries

By Gerrit Groenewold

This is not a guide to XC theory or techniques as there are many more experienced pilots out there that have written about this subject.

On the hill at Mertha 1st round BCC, a fellow Thames Valley pilot said to me you know going XC is like a game of poker. I replied, yes but you must play it with a weighted dice (load the odds in your favour).

Think of it as a car driver, we can all drive cars from point A to point B. We can all fly on the hill from side to side, we have all been taught the skills.

As a car driver you need your keys, fuel etc. With XC flying you also need to do preparation to achieve your goal.

• Check the weather you must be comfortable with the conditions.
• Dream of what is achievable in these conditions, then plan to do it.
• Know your equipment; you don’t want to be unsure at cloudbase.
• Learn as much as possible from the flying theory out there.
• Do not be blinded by theory as to where the thermals should be rather follow the rising air.
• Get your head in it.
• Nothing beats experience, keep on trying.
• The weakest link (e.g. launching) will determine your flying progress.
• Breaking your routine is difficult as you are forced to leave your known environment.
• Keep the chatting on the hill for the non flyable days.
• Many of the great XC hounds give the impression that it is more complex than these obvious and simple pointers above. The fact is they work.

Try to get to cloudbase even if you are constrained by time, family, retrieves, work, may I say funding etc. It is awesome to glide above takeoff (at cloudbase) and view the launch site with gliders littered out on the hill side just to glide down when it is time to pack up.

I believe the most exiting part is to get to cloudbase and the ultimate sense of achievement is working with nature and achieving your set goal for the day.

Ultimately if you are able to fly you are able to go XC, the longer distances will come with experience.

PS You need your PILOT qualification first.

Safety:

A good bit of advice I was given is that if you start to feel uncomfortable in the air is to have a good look around, have the conditions changed since you have taken off?. If they haven’t, control your emotions!!!, and keep on assessing the conditions objectively.

Identify your limitations, if you look at them objectively in most cases, and you were to push the boundary’s they wouldn’t increase the risk.

Love Hate Relationship

Do you still enjoy the sport? Has the sparkle gone out of flying?

In the sport we lose to many pilots. The reasons are varied

A rough time in the air and questioning yourself if this is still fun?

• Flying too regular with no new challenges
• High expectations and not realizing your dream.
• Read or heard of too many accidents combined with a possible near miss yourself.

We all have our reasons for flying, we all go through similar emotions.

If you are up there and it is bumpy you want to be on the ground, but once on the ground you wish you were up there.

We all realize this is a dangerous sport, even on a calm day. To minimize the risk stay current. Be strong enough to sit by and enjoy the view in good company, if conditions are above your capabilities.

Appreciate the sport to the full, we are all pioneers searching our own limitations.

As for me, if the sun shows its face, the sky is blue and the cumulus start building an urge takes hold of me. It’s like needing the loo, if you’ve got to go, you’ve go to go.

What I say is, prepare for it, have as much knowledge and practical experience possible for the conditions of the day. At the end of it you want to go home or to the pub with a happy story.

One day we are all going to be old and these memories, the ones where you pushed your boundaries will stay with you.

• Keep on slacking. (JG)
• It’s all about winning. (BR)
• Your head must be in it. (BH)
• Push your own boundaries. (GG)

Gerrit