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Preparing for Your First Glider Competition: Essential Tips for Success

Get ready for your first glider competition with our comprehensive guide! Understand the critical preparations needed for both your glider and yourself. From annual inspections and equipment checks to familiarizing yourself with the competition rules and local protocols, we cover it all. Learn strategies to excel such as setting realistic goals, effective racing techniques, and handling the weather. Ensure you're physically and mentally prepared to face the challenges and have an enjoyable experience. With the right preparation, you’ll surprise yourself with your performance!

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Preparing for Your First Glider Competition: Essential Tips for Success

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Presentation Transcript

  1. Getting Ready For Competition

  2. Topics • Preparation • Glider • Pilot • Expectations • Practice • What to Expect

  3. Glider Preparation • Be Sure Everything Works • Annual/Condition Inspection • Wheel Brake • Fix dings, wax • Instruments (keep it simple) • Know how they work • Know that they work • Program PDA • Relief (pee) System/Drinking Water • Cockpit Comfortable • Trailer (lights, hitch, tires, interior)

  4. Pilot Preparation • Task Area • Turnpoints • Map, Restricted Areas, SUA’s • Google Earth (where terrain a factor) • Competition Rules-know them • Read SRA, Moffat, Davis (see end) • Local Field Protocol • Crew Arrangement • Physical Conditioning, Rest

  5. Map • Why a map? I have GPS and a moving map on my PDA. • Big picture • Planning • Familiarization with the area • Reliability of glider electrical systems

  6. Pilot Preparation • Checklists! • Before leaving home • Glider • Before Take Off • After Landing

  7. W3 PREFLIGHT: Critical Assembly Check Batteries (charged) IPAQ (turnpoints loaded and charged) Cellphone (charged) Pee Thing & connector Sunglasses Map Road Map Landing Cards Retrieve Numbers Grid Sheet Task Sheet Sun Screen/ChapStick Lunch Drinking Water Oxygen On Ridge Head Pad Landout Kit ELT armed W3 POSTFLIGHT: Download flight log Turn Off: GPS-Nav Instruments/Master Oxygen ELT (for trailering) Remove from cockpit: IPAQ Landing Card Cellphone Batteries (to be charged) Camelbacks Lunch Return to Cockpit Sunglasses Dump valve tool Pee Connector Clean off bugs Secure glider in trailer Sailplane Racing Checklist

  8. Expectations • Competition often turns perfectly good pilots into idiots! • Set realistic goals. You are probably not going to win your first contest. • If you finish every day, you will surprise yourself with how well you do!

  9. Racing Strategy • Not rocket science • Set MacCready conservatively • Pick a reasonable speed for the day and use that in cruise. • Flying a little slower increases range for finding the next thermal. • If you get low, survival, not speed is priority • Minimize circling; Fly lift lines

  10. Racing Strategy • Focus on reaching goal(s) • Next cloud, turnpoint, finish • BUT, always keep several options in mind • Think flexibly, don’t become fixated • Use other gliders. (Be sure they are really climbing!) • If flight is not going well, evaluate other alternatives. Perhaps try something else.

  11. Practicing for Racing • Racing (and XC flying) is a complex task • Good start • Finding & centering thermals • To circle or not to circle • Gaggle flying • Identifying best lift lines to next turnpoint • Proper speed control • Outlanding options • Drink, eat and pee • Final glide • Finish and LANDING!

  12. Practicing for Racing • Fly cross country every chance you get • Whenever possible, set a task and try to complete it, preferably racing with several other pilots • Vary task setting: AST, TAT, MAT • Analyze each flight, using SeeYou, etc. Identify areas for improvement • Develop feel for starts and final glides

  13. Practicing for Racing • On weak (non XC) days practice finding and centering thermals at low altitude. • Practice picking landing fields, and visit later • If your next contest allows water ballast, use it in practice on good days.

  14. Your First Contest • Stay ahead of the curve • Eat a good breakfast • Assemble and CAC glider early • Grid early • Use your checklist • Comfortable in cockpit • Be ready to go with 4-5 gliders ahead of you for tow

  15. Your First Contest

  16. Your First Contest • Stay relaxed, but alert • Don’t worry about the weather. It is what it is. • Create several general strategies depending on task and weather. • Use your mentor. Ask questions. Discuss your proposed strategies. • Avoid Distractions

  17. Your First Contest • Review the Task Area • Map • Terrain features, issues, aids • Outlanding options

  18. Your First Contest • Flying the task • Don’t start first, or last • Use the skills you have learned and practiced at home. • Avoid the onset of “Contest Idiocy” You don’t have to follow those other guys streaking at a high rate of speed towards the ground! • Watch weather trends, keep flexible, be ready to change strategy if conditions warrant.

  19. Your First Contest • Flying the Task • Use other gliders, but don’t blindly follow them • Flying to your next thermal (cloud), have a plan for the possibility it is no longer working.

  20. Your First Contest • Finishing • Plan to finish high (1000 ft agl) until you have a better feel for final glides. • Don’t miss the bottom of the Finish Cylinder • If the finish looks marginal, keep landable fields within reach. • After the Finish, focus on fitting in with the traffic, landing the glider and clearing the runway.

  21. Your First Contest • Post Flight • Glider clear of the runway • Flight log to scorer • Put the glider away for the night (Check List!) • Have a beer and discuss your flight with the other pilots

  22. Other Reading • SRA Guide to Soaring Competition • http://sailplane-racing.org • “How to enjoy your first gliding competition”, Sailplane & Gliding,June-July 2004 • Cross Country Soaring by Helmut Reichmann • Winning II by George Moffat

  23. Good Luck! Fly Safe!

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