Bill Daniels wrote:


Show me a competitor in any field that says, "I don't need to sweat the
basics" and I'll show you a loser.

Paul McCready was the most famous of the pilots I know that espoused
that philosophy ("I don't need to sweat the basics"). I don't recall the
details now, but in essence, he said soaring competition wasn't about
keeping the yaw string straight, but being in better lift longer than
your competitors.


I teach that good is good, better is better and the best are those that stay
up and win contests. The best pilots always strive to get as close to
perfection and as their talent will permit. They never stop learning. Just
being "good enough" is not an option.

After all, even extraordinary flying skill weighs nothing, adds no drag and
doesn't consume battery power. In the long run, it's the cheapest thing you
can acquire to improve soaring performance.

This is all true, but it's a far cry from the original contention that
cross-country experience makes an instructor better at teaching the
basics. I still maintain a good instructor without cross-country
experience can teach the basics better than a mediocre instructor that
has cross-country experience. I encourage all instructors to try
cross-country because he/she might enjoy it and might be able to instill
that joy in a student, but a good instructor should not feel less valued
because he doesn't have it.


--
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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA