Bogong/Oz Wrapup

Well, the update is a little late but here
nonetheless. Feedback on my posts has been very
positive and I am excited that I have been able to
help/encourage my fellow flying buddies.

Second to last day was looking pretty sketchy.
Overcast and swift clouds caused and extended delay of
game. Off in the distance several cu-nimbs punched
through the cloud layer. Wind forecast was for NE and
maybe increasing? Since we were set up on Mystic I
was a bit nervous. Last time I watched a pilot fly
there in a strong north east he got rotor drilled down
the lee side of a very large finger. He didn't make
it to the bailout LZ and pulled off a stylish but very
stressful landing in a Cricket field. If it had been
anyone but Bo, the story might not have had a happy
ending!

A (relatively) short task was called to an airport in
the flats upwind. Many pilots were unhappy with the
lack of caution demonstrated by the safety committee.
A small hand full of wind dummies got off before mass
revolt prevailed. Watching pilots get drilled below
launch finally convinced those in power that we
shouldn't be flying. Lukas (a very skilled pilot)
barely flared before the trees in the LZ and Laura ran
out of room landing in a small tree (no damage, no
injuries). The wind howled on launch while we broke
down.

Last day was a no brainer. Total overcast with storms
heading our way. We headed up the hill but quickly
called it quits when the rain started. I heard launch
conditions weren't looking good.

This meet was my best finish in a major comp since I
started flying. It also marked several notable
anniversaries. Just over one year ago I traveled to
Australia for my first major competition. It was also
on the last day of the Bogong Cup 2004 that I broke my
ankle. The learned never ends and this year was no
exception.

I have been beyond fortunate in all my competitions in
the equipment my generous sponsors offered up so early
in my career. Most pilots have to fight their way up
the ranks before earning the opportunity to compete on
good gear whereas GW at US Aeros and Steve Kroop of
Flytec hooked me up before I ever "toed the line." I
think this has put me in a very unique position
because I have had a clear perspective of my flying
style and the cost of my mistakes.

I often find myself repeating the same story about
flying by the numbers and using speed to fly theory.
Never have the effects of this been more apparent then
this year. Every task I used STF at some point to
make up ground I lost due to my own mistakes. This
year I switched up to the 15m Combat L and that glider
suited my style perfectly. On glides where I left
with the group (primarily at the Worlds) I could use
my glide advantage to arrive at the next climb higher
(and in better position for the next glide or final).
More often though, I found my other advantage after
making mistakes and getting low in the group. Being
small on a big wing I can slow down and tighten up so
much that I could make up hundreds of feet on a single
climb. This was also most obvious at the Worlds meet
where the groups were larger and differences easier to
quantify. Every step of the way was an opportunity to
register the lessons learned from the mistakes I made
and whether or not was able to make up for them (short
term or long term).

The biggest mistake I made was freaking out about
starting late in a clock when with lead pilots. It
was the first time I had ever seen top guys leave in
middle of a clock and my instincts were to hang back
for a clean start on the last clock. That was so
foolish. A large gaggle will leave behind stragglers
you can use to make up ground. A group of leaders
that messed up their own start are not going to leave
any stragglers, especially when they are just a few
minutes behind a big group. Leaving late doesn't have
an advantage if their aren't course markers to help
you make up time.

The most common mistake I still make is not moving to
better lift the second I get a hint that it is better.
I see another pilot climb faster but hold back for an
extra 360 or two. I need to trust my instincts more.
Another common mistake I make is trying to wrap up in
cores that are too broken or not well organized. That
seemed to happen more at Bogong (mountain meet) than
Hay (flat lands).

Flying by the numbers is another point that seems to
always work in my favor. Maybe that is the advantage
of coming into this game after the new instruments
have been so well developed. Last year I flew the
4030 race with a Garmin 76S and this year I flew with
the new Flytec 5030. One of the most exciting
features of the 5030 for me came in the form of some
new firmware features. Distance to goal (around the
entire course), and height above goal (around the
course). Those features are a first for glide
calculations. In the past, a pilot had to either wait
until they were past the last turnpoint to get numbers
from the instrument or do the math in their heads.
Now what I can do is watch my height above goal get
less negative in flight, signaling approximately how
many thermals I will need before gliding in. Having
that information at my fingertips helps me decide my
aggression level when I am with a group. Move to the
top of the stack, or charge ahead and try to get a
fast climb before others can follow. My final glide
numbers were bulletproof, often getting me to goal 5,
10, and once even a half hour ahead of pilots I was in
my last thermal with. Without good numbers many
people slow down and get tentative the last 20 percent
of a flight. I have heard Manfred quoted for noting
this phenomena and I am surprised how many times I
have witnessed it myself.

Without a doubt the shining moment in this trip was
the second task of Bogong where I left Oleg out on
final. The flytec told me I could make goal long
before even rounding the last turnpoint. Our climb
had diminished and I was below him. I knew we could
make it so I led out and took a line I knew would be
buoyant but might not hide a boomer. Oleg like the
pro he is hid above me behind my sail so I couldn't
always see him. As the kilometers ticked away I was
thrilled to see my smart line over the ridges slowly
boost my buffer. Equally as exciting was the
knowledge that I was getting at least as good a glide
as my hero, who is on a SMALLER (supposedly better
gliding) wing! The excitement lasted all the way to
just a few K's from goal where our position had
matured to neck and neck (literally!) and the exact
same altitude. Of course I blew it with a pilot error
trying to unzip my harness in advance. The resulting
wingover/loop was indeed quite spectacular.

The drug-like buzz that my decisions, my gear, and
some luck got me that close to the best pilot in the
world still has me smiling :).

Kev C