On 08/09/2011 19:35, HoUdino wrote:
Condor doesn't eliminate the fear of doing "it" the first time.

"It" is landing out.

Most GFIGs are not particularly good at XC, focusing on beginners not
XC.

No CFIG wants to "land out", all want to return to home field for the
next paying customer...this is subconciously planted in every students
mind.

.................................................. ...........................................
The #1 learning event that got me flying XC was getting in my car and
physically looking at every field I thought I might land in with
camera...slope, wind, obsticals, GPS coordinates, etc. This greatly
reduced the fear of "landing out".

My club has organized early season "field trips" to do this
basic...which have been alot of fun, especially for those on
motorcycles. We take tools to clear fields, streamers to indicate
wind, and cold beer to BS with.

Once you have or while you are getting your Silver Badge, go to a
contest, any contest, as pilot or crew, and listen with both ears wide
open.

LT


Yes, this is all true!

Also, as you say, one would be foolish to start on a cross-country first
time without doing a number of necessary things in preparation: Get in
your car and walk some fields you may land. Study your map. Learn your
machine and be able to land it very short, etc...

What condor is brilliant at is two things:
1) making you internalize a number of decisions you will need to be
making while cross-country. You can get used to this work flow for free
and get better and better at it. The big bonus the first time around,
and the next few times, is that since this type of decision making has
become second nature, the workload for the flight is lighter and you can
concentrate on what is most important and fly safer
2) the second thing is that after flying in Condor for a while you will
realize what you will realize after flying your first cross-countries:
if the weather is there, the lift will be there as well. Believe in the
weather and search it out rather than worrying about where the home
field is. It is this realization that probably marks the true transition
between local and cross-country flying. In Condor, you get a preview of
this for free.