Bert Willing wrote:

Remember - good judgement comes
from experience, and experience comes from poor judgements :-)

This is true. However, I prefer to get good judgement from
the experience and poor judgement...OF OTHER PILOTS! :P

I don't feel the need to repeat Carl Herold's early
experiences damaging gliders to come up with his
conclusions. Because of my opposable thumbs and
mouse, I can simply read about the dangers he describes
and spend a bit more effort to avoid his mistakes.

I've also taken his comments about ridge soaring to
heart. Perhaps this limits my excitement or capabilities,
but that's the part of the risk-acceptance spectrum where
I fall...and I still don't find my soaring particularly
conservative.

I suppose for every pilot, what chances you are willing to
take is a very personal choice, and requires a lot
of self-evaluation. This is one of the best aspects of
soaring: it is an excellent mirror...