On Sunday, March 17, 2013 11:14:44 PM UTC-6, Morgan wrote:
Solid observation. I recently got an email from a club member about our upcoming contest asking about ways to let people fly during the contest that didn't want to compete. What struck me most was the use of terms like "top guns" or "elite" in reference less experienced pilots not wanting to get in the way.



We are fortunate to have a small low key contest that attracts some big names, in part due to the fact they live within several hours drive. My experience as a competitor and contest organizer has been that none of the "elite" act remotely elite. You could hang out and never realize that you're surrounded by 3 or 4 national champions or world team members.



One reason for people feeling this way is probably due to the fact that many of the top pilots have been competing for quite a while and contests are like reunions of sorts where they get to see old friends. Other top guns, and of course, you take the opportunity to hang out. That can probably make it seem hard to break into that circle or make it seem like there are different cliques.



So far, I have never been turned away from a post flying BS session or a pre-flight talk because I hadn't been to a Nationals or flown an official regional. Just drumming up the courage to walk across the field and sit down with a group of champions is usually enough to earn you a beer, wine, water or whatever and a chance to make new friends.



We make up most of the walls and hierarchies ourselves.



If people don't want to compete, that's perfectly fine, but I would like to figure out how to help them break down the walls they have built.



Morgan

Morgan,

You are quite correct. Furthermore, US soaring pilots have a golden opportunity to meet, engage, and mingle with many of the names they see in Soaring by attending the SSA conventions and regional and local seminars and other events. The convention allows you to get face to face with more pilots and many of the movers and shakers in the sport. Too many attendees often show up for a day or even just an afternoon. You miss out if you do that. I believe you really need to be there on Wednesday (or earlier for the FIRC) and stay through breakfast on Sunday. With modern sailplane tracking taking another shift forward, you may find yourself rooting for a your favorite pilot (that you've finally met in person) in near real time. At the recent SSA gathering in Houston, a former club mate of mine (USN jet instructor and outstanding CFI-G) commented about how cool it was to meet some the names he had only read about. Plus he got to compare current Navy pilot training with Ralph Kolstad, who took his jet training 40 years ago. Surprising how little things have changed;^). Another venue is the annual Barnaby Lecture which is planned for Denver in October this year. Even my wife enjoyed John Cochrane's presentation in Chicago. Last year, Greg Cole's Perlan presentation in Charlotte was wonderful, as was Chip Garner's in Wichita. Indeed, each Barnaby lecture I've attended was outstanding, especially if you have this soaring disease. I've always been surprised at how few local pilots attend these. Like the conventions, they are not to be missed.

Are there unapproachable elites in soaring? Yeah, some that wannabe, but not names you'd recognize.

Frank Whiteley