Gliding Success: Small Gains, Big Wins

So many fabulous books have been written, many on this topic. George Moffat & his book, winning on the Wind, was, at least in my mind, the first to publicise it. Winning by not losing, I must’ve read it & Reichmans a dozen times in my life. My favourite teacher, Mr Cummins, also played a pivotal role in my obsession to not waste time and how to be more efficient. 

Efficiency is Key

I’ll never forget the assignment: choose something you do in this life that has many moving parts & display it in such a way, the most efficient way to complete it in the least amount of time. I chose something gliding-related, of course, from first opening the hangar doors & seeing the glider to getting it to the far end of the airfield to take a winch launch. From that very assignment forth, if there’s something I can achieve along the way to achieving another goal, to save a few walking steps in my preparation, or to save some distance along the task line, I’ll do it, it’s become habit. I also am a man of routine & efficient systems - it saves my energy, allows more brain space for other things & most of all, keeps me safe.

Mastering Thermals: Smarter Turns, Better Results

I recently discussed this topic at the recent gliding nationals about which way to turn. I’ll use two examples for this article. Entering lift & leaving lift. When entering lift, there must be planning in doing so. Once you’ve got enough experience, you can reliably anticipate where the thermal likely is. So if the track line is off on the right, then position the glider to be on the left side of the thermal. It seems obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many turn left, only to fall out of the lift, then waste 270* of a turn only to then head on track without climbing. The best way in this situation, is to turn right, then if you don’t nail the core, you can simply continue on without wasting even a precious few seconds.

Gain More When Leaving Lift

The same goes for leaving a thermal. You should always be looking for a reason to stay, a reason to leave. When the time comes to leave, you need an exit strategy. The best way is to identify more potential lift on the exit, while heading in the direction of the next energy line. So often, my competitors will roll out directly on track, only to miss a finger of extra lift on the way out, potentially a stronger core, too!

Think ahead, think of ways you can save seconds, they all add up - I recently lost a podium at the Uvalde WGC by just 5 points, that’s literally one too many turns in the whole championships!

Banner photo by Mika Ganszuge

 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.