I just received some personal advice from Thomas Knauff, reprinted he

On Jun 16, 2013, at 3:48 AM, Tom Knauff wrote:

Be sure to fly with one of the experienced instructors. No reasonable person is able to do what they do without many hours of experience in the region.. Totally remarkable.


Hello Tom,

Excellent advice, as always. A few weeks ago I recalled the article you wrote about flying at the Masters competition there many years ago. I found it to read again on the SSA webpage / Soaring magazine archives (JAN 2000.) Your article was my original inspiration to go to Saint Auban.

I plan to only fly with an instructor art Saint Auban. My German instructor-friend has made the arrangements as he was invited to the instructor camp there August 14 - 23.

When I travel to new soaring venues, I request flights with experienced instructors as the education to risk benefit is obviously much greater. Even as a CFIG, having flown 52 types of sailplanes at over 80 sites around the world since 1967, I have nothing to prove by immediately going solo in a new environment, especially one with rocky terrain, possible navigation or airspace issues and interesting micro-meteorology. (I wish more visiting pilots to Marfa would request some dual with me in my DG-1000T!)

By the way, I just now realized that I have flown dual with six US World Team Pilots: Tom Knauff, Karl Striedeck, Sherman Griffith, George Moffat, John Byrd and my father, Fritz Compton. Even my flights with so many instructors whose names I cannot recall, every dual flight was a wonderful and valuable experience.

Thanks,

Burt
Marfa, TX