1st Contest. Where Should I Go?

On Nov 25, 6:38*pm, Scott Alexander
wrote:
By the way, the "famed" aviator Dennis Linneken may grace us with his
appearance.

In other words, if there's hurricanes, tornadoes, hail &
lightning.....it will be worth a visit, just to shake his hand.

The SSA site for contests has the results from previous years so if
you want to get an idea of how many days you will actually fly and how
many days you will watch it rain check out the previous year
history. Land outs are another thing to look for. The more land
outs the more you will need crew.

I would listen to JJ and head to the west if driving far is not an
issue. Most pilots do not have the luxury of crew but if you have
someone that is great. The rest of us just agree to help each other
out if we cannot make it to an airport. In the last three years at
Air Sailing we have had only a couple of land outs and only one pilot
needed a ground retrieve.

I am sure there are many good contest locations but vacations are
precious so make yours count.

On Nov 24, 6:32*pm, Barry wrote:
I am interested in entering my first contest. I am looking for
recommendations of where to go. I currently reside in region 7. I am
willing to travel just about anywhere. Most of my resent cross-country
has been in and around MN. *I have had minimal mountain flying, a week
in Minden and learned in Montana quite some time ago. There seems to
be fewer regional’s than years past. Perhaps more will be scheduled
later in the year. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Barry Jaeger

Barry,

The choice depends quite a bit on experience - primarily with
outlandings - and your comfort level overflying rough terrain. Most of
the west/southwest requires that you cross tiger country at one time
or another. The compensating factor is the top of lift is frequently
8-10,000 above the ground, but getting low at the wrong spot can leave
you with a busted ship and a very long walk. My specific comments on
sites I've flown at at least once.

Parowan/Logan: Beautiful country, strong conditions. Parowan is less
mountain flying and generally slightly stronger. Both have decent
stretches of rough country. Parowan has only a single runway which can
get busy (only the Sports nationals there this year so unlikely you
can get in). You should be good at keeping the alternates on your
computer well within range.

Ephrata: More cultivation than just about anywhere in the west.
Conditions probably the most similar to what you've seen in MN - maybe
a bit better on average. Great airfield, but some scary country to the
east-southeast make for interesting final glides.

Minden/Air Sailing: Great conditions and a fun first contest under
JJ's direction at Air Sailing. It is pretty rough country in a lot of
directions and there is a lot of local knowledge with the strong
effects of the Sierra-Nevada mountains with convergence, strong
thermals and occasional wave.

El Tiro/Tucson: I think it's been awhile since they've had a contest
here and I'm glad to see it happening as it's perhaps the best soaring
site in Arizona. The enthusiasm of the Arizona Soaring Association
when it come to racing will ensure a fun contest. Some mountains in
the form of the Santa Catalinas to the northeast and some significant
stretches of open desert make this another site where knowing the
alternate airports well comes in handy.

Cordele (Charley Spratt was quoted as saying it rhymes with 'ordeal'):
A great airport and flatland that's completely cultivated makes this
pretty friendly for a newbie. I landed out every day at the 1983
contest and got to know the local crops well. It's usually hot, humid,
hazy and you can get thunderstorms on top of it all. Top of lift is
lower than you'll get out west so you'll get a good look at those
friendly fields.

New Castle: Great site, really fun people. It's the east so the
possibility of rainout is higher. If you don't have ridge-running
experience you have a good chance of doing some here. It's more
forested than any of the above sites, which can give you pause on a
marginal ridge day.

Ionia: Usually a well run contest. Flat, landable terrain. Downside is
the chance of a washout. Not sure if they are putting one on this
year.

Micki is right - a mentor program is a good thing. Most contest try to
organize something along these lines - just ask the Contest Manager.
Most racers are willing to mentor - some are really good at it. I
generally prefer well attended contests, but the small ones can be fun
too.

9B

NUMBER ONE RECOMMENDATION: *Bring CREW....I generally pass around a
list for the "crewless and clueless". *But as a newbie, you NEED the
help, and the retrieves!


In the meantime . . . You could offer to crew for a competition
pilot.
You can learn much about procedures, rules and racing techniques just
listening at the pilot briefings and the pool-side debriefings.
By listening and observing, you can also figure who are the mentors
and who are not.

Burt
Marfa, west Texas USA
www.flygliders.com

On Nov 25, 11:46*am, MickiMinner wrote:

Also, I wanted to warn you that there are several types of regional
competition pilots.
1. *There are those that are just trying to get points to keep up
their ranking, and want to eventually fly in Nationals. *These are the
serious, I don't have time to mentor pilots. *They are great, but
really they would never tell you they don't have time, but they really
don't. *They have a serious agenda, nothing wrong with it, just be
aware!

No one else responded to this so I'll jump in. I'm not sure I
understand what this category is. If it's a small number of pilots who
hope to improve and don't have time to help others do so, then yeah, I
guess there are a few like that. But if it's the group of experienced
pilots who do well regionally and, often, nationally, then they can
make great mentors, too, despite the fact that they enjoy competing
against each other fiercely. I don't think Micki intended to say that
the better pilots make lousy mentors (or that good mentors make lousy
pilots!) but that's sort of how one could interpret her original
posting.

The atmosphere at most regionals (all?) is dialed back a notch
compared with the nationals. So there's often a bit more time and
something less at stake there for the "big guns." For example, some of
the best mentors at New Castle this fall were national-caliber pilots
(including, from memory, at least two national champions) who love
competition...so much so that they also enjoy mentoring less
experienced pilots who might grow to love it, too. That doesn't mean a
newbie can show up expecting someone to explain how to do everything.
Years ago, I believe it was George Moffat who wrote that there are a
few pre-requisites for entering your first contest. Know your glider
and your equipment. Know the rules. Know how to stay up. Know
something about how to fly cross country (navigation being much less a
requirement now than it was before GPS). And, importantly, know how to
thermal safely in close company with other gliders. A mentor isn't
going to enjoy explaining the basics of how to thermal. But a good
mentor will be able to discuss the strategy for a given day and task,
the likely weather and timing of the start, how to use the terrain and
other gliders to best advantage, the rules, etc. So don't assume that
just because a pilot is a "name" that he/she won't make a good mentor.
Hank Nixon (UH)s, for example, has a long record of instructing
newbies on how to fly contests and anyone who's been fortunate to have
that experience is a better pilot for it.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
USA

On Nov 30, 12:16*pm, Chip Bearden wrote:
On Nov 25, 11:46*am, MickiMinner wrote:


other gliders to best advantage, the rules, etc. So don't assume that
just because a pilot is a "name" that he/she won't make a good mentor.
Hank Nixon (UH)s, for example, has a long record of instructing
newbies on how to fly contests and anyone who's been fortunate to have
that experience is a better pilot for it.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
USA

You are right...It did get worded wrong. Not that those experienced,
looking for national seeding pilots wouldn't make GREAT tutors/
mentors...just that they may not want to be or have time for it, if
they are looking to increase their ranking for nationals....thanks for
pointing out the difference! Uncle Hank was the BEST example to
use...he always seems to have time for mentoring/educating no matter
how difficult his hunt for a national title is. We owe a lot to his
mentoring skills!
Micki