BOOK REVIEW: The Soaring Engine, Vol.3
Gliding. It’s a spectacular sport as we all know, one that has many facets, one that can be shared amongst our peers, one that can give us endless joy & freedom from the world below. What I love about our sport is that you can enjoy it any way you please, local soaring, joy flights with the public, aerobatics, cross-country soaring, racing or records – it’s limitless & it’s exciting. Like “G” Dale, I am an avid racer, I’m always eager to learn how to go further, faster, be more efficient, ultimately, to win points & enjoy my days flying more & more. After learning to fly, often you’re left to your own devices on how to do this, stumbling around the sky. Anyone who knows G would all say that he has an innate ability to describe with passion, simplicity, and ease, everything he’s learned over the years, to help you enjoy your soaring more, to help you pass on your own knowledge to friends, to enjoy this magnificent sport more. If you are like me and you want this too, then this book amongst his whole series is for you!
What I love about G’s three volumes (Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3), and this one is no different, is its simplicity. He’s able to break down the subject in question, explain it to you in a simple concept that really sticks, then expand so you really grasp it, most importantly, visualize and remember it. I certainly put a lot of my recent competition success down to G’s books – it all just makes sense!
While the purpose of this book is the same as the last two volumes, that is, to help you become a better soaring pilot – this book is all about high performance soaring. Which anyone who knows myself, this really excites me. No matter whether you’re chasing badges, cross country flights for yourself, or with friends, competitions, or records, this book aims to help you develop a sound technique that will help you pursue it.
Volume three is essentially broken into four parts which builds and builds as the book progresses. “Flying”, which covers cross country soaring strategies, concepts, and theory; “Thinking”, which draws on sports psychology, human factors & decision making; “Training”, this one is self-explanatory, how to best do it; “Competition”, how to reach for excellence, which of course there are so many avenues to explore to get the best out of the skies. G tackles all these topics effortlessly, which gives a very strong base for the reader to work with, then apply easily within their own flying, and to freely discuss with peers to maximize each days soaring. You’ll learn how to get the best out of a glider's performance characteristics, manage sporting risk, learn about the game of skill and chance, controlling your mind.
If you want to extend your gliding knowledge, accelerate your soaring, enjoyment, speeds, and satisfaction with our great sport, then this book is for you. Highly recommended!
Adam Woolley was born into the gliding world, being the 3rd generation in his family. Going solo at 15, his thirst for efficiency in soaring flight & quest for a world championship title to his name has never wavered. One big passion is sharing his experiences & joy with other glider pilots all around the world. Adam is an airline pilot in Japan on the B767 & spends his off time chasing summer around the globe. He has now won 7 national Championships & represented Australia at 5 WGC's & 1 EGC.
