Checklists & Competition Mistakes

'A smart man learns from his mistakes a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.'

Many of us have made mistakes that cost us a podium finish. Everyone has done something that cost us points, the question is at what stage of your racing career do you learn?

A few days ago an anonymous pilot failed to use a checklist. Turned a 72 mph flight (a would-be winning speed for the day) to a 0 point flight. All by going out the wrong start gate. With no valid start out of the correct start, it was a 0 for the day.

I had done a similar thing at the 15meter nationals in Tonopah 2002. We had been assigned to start groups and I was complacent and did not recognize it had changed to a different start group. I had luckily flown through the correct start gate and turned a 100+ mph flight into a 77mph flight. I did learn my lesson about reading task sheets... or so I thought.

Jump ahead 4 years and add 10.5meters. I was re-editing my previous day's task to accommodate the new task. Both days were TAT's (Turn Area Task), I failed to change the radius of one of the turnpoints. This resulted in me turning short of the actual turnpoint, effectively a land-out, not another day win like I was anticipating.

These are simple mistakes that should not have happened. At Tonopah, I was very inconsistent with my daily finishes. However, in 4 years I learned to become more consistent and was 1st or 2nd each day. I still made it on the US Team and was able to participate at my first World Gliding Championships in 2008.

How do I avoid doing these simple costly mistakes now?

I am not the only one that looks at my flight computer to check my work. This is much easier with a crew because you can have the crew read the task sheet while you look at the computer. Then you do in the reverse where you read the computer and the crew (or unlucky passerby) looks at the task sheet.

I make sure to confirm everything, start point, altitude, turnpoints, finish, finish height, etc.

I no longer modify the previous day's task. I delete the previous day and start over. I also make sure it is all done before takeoff. I do know that we change tasks in the air and some Europeans think it is crazy, but it is not the topic today. I remember in 2006 I was less careful and just inserted my task into my computer while in the air, many times while still on tow...

Now before I takeoff I have checked the task sheet to the computer at least 3 times, I have caught mistakes when double-checking.

 Garret Willat holds a flight instructor rating with over 8000 hours in sailplanes. His parents have owned Sky Sailing Inc. since 1979. He started instructing the day after his 18th birthday. Since then, Garret has represented the US Junior team in 2003 and 2005. He graduated from Embry-Riddle with a bachelor's degree in Professional Aeronautics. Garret represented the US Open Class team in 2008 and 2010 and the Club Class team in 2014. Garret has won 3 US National Championships.