Saving Time on the Grid
This is the first part in a series of 'How to Lose Points'. Bright Ideas that slowed me down, lost me points or got me stuck.
Saving time by writing over my previous day's task. Sitting on the grid inputting the flight computer I would just click on the previous day's task. Click on turnpoint Number 1 change it to the current turnpoint, and continue with the task edit that way. This saved me a few minutes before each flight. Click change, click change….
Sometimes I would even type in the task while in the air. Now everyone outside of the US will think this is nuts, but in the US we can change the task in the air. Ideally, the Contest Director will hand out a Task A, B, C… This is ideal because most of the flight computers will allow you to change different pre-loaded tasks easily while in the air. We can even make up a new task entirely, so bring a pen in the glider with you. The biggest advantage of this is it allows a flyable task on a day that we might not have been able to get a completed task if we stayed on the first one.
That is one reason GlideNav, ClearNav, and the SN10 are so easy to write and edit tasks. You wanted to be able to easily do it in the air.
Day 4 at the 2006 US Open Class Nationals in Hobbs NM, was a day I learned something. I had won 2 of the 3 days and was 2nd on the first day. Liz Schwenkler and I were having a good battle with Nimbus 3's against all of the Nimbus 4's. After landing on Day 4, SeeYou Mobile claimed I would have another day win. However, the Scorer said otherwise.
The issue was, we had a turn area and I just wrote over a previous turn area task. When I was quickly clicking turnpoints to change the numbers. I missed the turn area was different than the task before. Because this day was a smaller turn area I missed the turn area completely and had a scored land-out as I was a few miles short of the area.
I had done a similar thing 4 years earlier where I thought I flew over 100mph only to have a scored speed of 77mph. That day we changed Start points and I missed that and started through the gate I did the day before. Luckily I had flown through the correct gate at some point before I started and after the gate opening time.
Now I make sure to input the task while not being rushed well ahead of time. I clear the previous day's task and re-input everything in, start height, turnpoints, finish, etc. If possible I put in Task A, B, C...
I have my crew read from the task sheet while I visually check the computer, then I read the computer as my crew visually reads the task sheet. This redundancy hopefully will keep me from making this mistake again. Crewless pilots can do this with someone next to them on the grid and offer the same help.
Photo: Mika Ganszauge
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.
