On Oct 12, 4:00*am, " wrote:
Now if BB says you need to sniff around like a dog, you need to sniff
around like a dog. He gave you a book worth of advise and it went
right over your head.
First learn the pilot, and then ask yourself the right questions. Like
why would a top racer advise to "sniff around like a dog"?
The answer to that question started 56 miles back when he started his
351 L/D leg to a location that would produce good "huntin".
And in this business, you ain't sh't unless you can "hunt".
There are four other gems he put in there that require some study.
Racing is easy. Racing good is a lucky day. Racing good consistently
is simply rare talent. To advance to must get out on course and hope
for such talent to come along to allow you draft in his magic, seeing
for yourself what can be done.
What you know now is only enough to get out on course.
R

New contest pilot is like a new sponge. Needs to get wrung out a few
times before it becomes fully absorbent.

This has gone pretty far afield from the OP, but...

Interesting to me how many guys (XX, DJ, BB, others...) are finally
talking about the intuitive aspects of competition soaring and giving
them the weight they always (imo) deserved. Those are slippery
topics. Hard to discuss, harder to teach. About all you can do is
put the new guy on alert for what to look for.

It's been obvious for a long time that these guys -- and their less
talkative racing peers -- weren't winning because they were better at
MacCready speed to fly, thermaling aerobatics or even flying skills in
general. Knowledge and skill set are necessary, but secondary. The
real deal is the ability -- consistently -- to make the intuitive leap
of understanding. It's a beautiful thing to watch when someone gets
it right.

-T8