Picking up the Pieces

Picking up the Pieces

As the well known Gerrad Dale of the UK says, "Gliding is a game of skill & chance". You can do many things to improve your skills, many things you can do to improve your chances, but sometimes, the ducks just don't line up. In this article, I aim to talk about my thought processes that help me pick myself back up to complete the set task, have a good day, or even still, have a chance of placing well on the day!

Start Line

Poor starts, they can happen to anyone, it sets the tone of the day. In my case, it was a GP (Grand Prix). I started alone & low, 2200' low, while my mates sailed over the top at 5500'... I knew I was in trouble when my first glide was at best LD to climb away from 800'. The mind starts to ponder in the eventual climb, but now isn't the time for that. No matter the climb rate, willing it or wanting it to go up faster isn't going to help, focus on the here & now, relax, core the climb as best you can, look for reasons to leave, look for reasons to stay.

The true key point to overcoming the poor start to your badge flight or record attempt is to discard what just happened. Nothing in the past can affect what's ahead of you, literally forget it (until debrief time). What will help is a positive mindset & a willingness to put in your best flight from this moment forward.

I like to think of it as a virtual start line. Cross it again at 900' as you've just cored your saving climb. Think, if everyone was with me at this point, I'm going to complete my flight the fastest from this moment forward. Just like you would on a fresh new XC task or a competition day - it feels good to release that negative energy & start fresh.

Focus on the here and now

Another common negative feeling is, your friends are up ahead & you're never going to catch them. Well, with that attitude, you won't! So how can you catch them? Certainly not by saying, I will fly faster. That won't help at all. What will help is a positive attitude, a willingness to learn & quite simply, flying the process which makes a good flight. Focusing on the here & now, coring thermals as efficiently as possible, flying the best lines that are in front of you, etc. Slowly but surely, over the next 200km, you will catch them back up & you'll feel great for it!

The last one I'd like to talk about is that feeling of not being able to feel the sky, or falling out of climbs on the first turn. Super frustrating yes, & it's a tough one to manage, but again, relax! Guess what? Everyone is feeling the same. So what can you do to go faster or enjoy your badge flight more? You can accept the conditions & 100% know, it's not just you that are having these issues, everyone is!

Stay Relaxed

You can use this to your advantage by staying relaxed, accepting that it will take two turns to center, or that you just have to take weaker climbs at altitude to stay there. A key point is being able to core weak climbs fast because a strong climb cored slow is just as fast as the slow one!

Regarding these sorts of days, it's important to realize that once you've cored the climb, the 20-30 second averager is king! Why? Because the 4kt 30-second averager has now become your bottom-to-top averager. Why? Because after you've taken your time to search for the lift, your total thermal average is now only 2kts & it's highly likely the next climb will be the same - so stay in this thermal until it drops to say 2kts? You'll be faster, flying smarter & less likely to get low.

Every flight is an opportunity to learn, the power of the mind is amazing when you use it in a positive way & very destructive when you stay on a negative path – so be positive, inquisitive & for sure you'll turn your day around

Banner Photo by Petr Kolmann

 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.