Ground Crew
While gliding is a solo sport in many ways, a pilot and their crew need to work together closely and have a nice working relationship. I’ve often found that my best flights in the past have come from having my father as a crew, I have complete confidence that with whatever happens on the ground, I’m in good hands, also if I need a sleep in to recover from a days flying, I can rely on him 100% to get my glider ready for me. Of course, when an off-field landing occurs, we rely on the crew member to retrieve us. Sadly for our sport, finding a good crew is getting increasingly difficult.
Weekend Crew
On a club level though, a pilot may be aiming for a badge or just going out to practice some XC techniques, often relies on a club member to come pick them up if an outlanding was to occur. Prior to the flight it’s extremely important to ask politely your friends whether they’d be willing to pick you up should you have to landout, followed by ensuring your trailer is fully ready for the retrieve, your car is near full of fuel, finally, your keys are in the car... A friend once had to use his own car on a 10hr road retrieve, to retrieve a pilot who had his keys in his pocket 400km away!
Competition Crew
The situation when it comes to a competition is entirely different, a really good crew can add so much to a pilot's result, equally, a poorly chosen crew can draw energy from the pilot. The key, once you get to the competition environment, is respect and involvement, to have routine and finally, a thorough debrief on the flight at the end of the day is also important, draw them in, they helped you with your daily success. What this does is that it encourages the vital support that’s required, but also makes for a nice relaxed environment, one where the crew can learn on your behalf for their own soaring success too.
Empower Your Crew
Treating your crew as equal, giving them the power to make decisions within their responsibilities, and giving them a voice too, really helps with an enjoyable and successful competition. The crew choice should be one that you trust, has a determination to learn and help the pilot, and one who has some technical knowledge is preferable. They should be able to help with the daily chores (arranging lunch or being able to help with the washing), but also be there to give you motivation or moral support when it’s needed. A good crew is a great backup for yourself with avoiding distractions at launch time, helping you think about things you should be thinking about, keeping you motivated, happy, and relaxed, whenever each occasion arises in the day.
It's great to share this sport with others, especially if you can build up a lifelong crew relationship, or support an upcoming junior at your club for their own ambitions in their future!
Photo by Wings and Wheels
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.
