In the world of gliding or any airborne activity, in reality, we as pilots rely on sharp judgment, quick processing, and steady physical performance. These factors don’t depend only on skill or experience; they’re heavily influenced by something surprisingly simple: hydration. Long flights, high cockpit temperatures, and the low-humidity conditions common at altitude all contribute to our fluid loss.

I was fortunate enough to go gliding in Uvalde last summer as my preparation for the World Gliding Championships in August 2024.  Being Australian, I know the need to remain hydrated, but flying out of Texas really heightened the fact that it’s super important to keep on top of.  Drinking water only wasn’t an option, but an electrolyte supplement within the water was also essential in this harsh

On the last day of the Uvalde Pre-World Gliding Championships and 18m Nationals, I was asked to give a safety talk to the competitors and organisation.  It’s something that we’ve done in Australia too in the past, but not of recent years so much unfortunately.  I think it’s a really good initiative, no matter how quick or small the topic presented by the speaker, it puts safety at the forefront

Every day before we fly we (daily) inspect our glider, we’d all agree it’s an important part of our flight.  But what about the pilot? Clearly, it’s the same, however, every day we as humans perform, react and feel different every day we wake up.  Diet, sleep, work, relationships, and a whole range of external factors affect our moods and levels of arousal. If we have a headache, fatigue from a

Dehydration

Tends to be a contributing factor to a lot of stupid things that happen at contests.

Preventative Maintenance

My first contest was in Phoenix, AZ, early in the season before it got hot. At least that is what they claimed, it seemed pretty hot to my crew, and I. All of the pilots walked around with water. I remember Tony Smolder with his huge Big Gulp cup full of ice water and a wet towel