Tales of being distracted by scenery and/or euphoria while soaring

Like many pilots, I try to be extremely cool and rational when I'm flying a glider and (such as it is)I enjoy my technical mastery of soaring, and I enjoy the companionable and endless discussion of technical detail on the ground.

But I fly in eastern-scale 'mountains', often below the ridge lines, and the combination of topography, foliage, clouds, shafts of sunlight, double rainbows, virga etc. can be at times sublime and visually stunning (this is of course, an understatement).

I've not heard much discussion by other pilots about what they see in the sky, but I've observed that many pilots are euphoric after their flights. I suspect that scenery is a factor for even the most aspiring_to_be_macho_and _insensitive pilots. It's undeniably beautiful up there.

My basic question is this, 'how do pilots balance the cool and rational execution of the technical side of flying with their enjoyment of the scenery'? Does euphoria heighten or dull alertness and attention to the technical side of flying? Does anyone have a tale of being adversely distracted by the scenery? I'm also interested in the purely technical aspects of scenery, such as white aircraft disappearing against a background of snow and grey rock (one of the motivations for Flarm).

Fair's fair, so here is my answer for your review and possible critique:

I try to concentrate and prioritize my conscious attention on the technical demands of flying but simultaneously relax and let the experience of the scenery wash over me. I surmise that my euphoria heightens my alertness, and that my alertness heightens my euphoria. (I've wondered if this is a dangerous rationalization and that concern is the motivation for this post.)

And here is my tale of euphoric intoxication while flying:

We had some visiting gliders at a fall wave camp at my local field. I noticed the light maroon colored glider on the ground and I spotted it on the ridge after I launched. I caught a thermal and headed north to get away from the crowd. An hour later, I came back to the ridge and I saw another glider, and this one was painted International Orange. I thought, 'Wow, that orange color is really easy to spot!'. I kept looking around to find the maroon colored glider, but it was nowhere to be spotted. Later in the day, I saw the maroon colored glider on the ground and I got some puzzled looks when I asked if the international orange colored glider was still up on the ridge. (Possible explanation... euphoria accentuated my color perception.)

Dude... Stop smoking that stuff!


"son_of_flubber" wrote in message
...
Like many pilots, I try to be extremely cool and rational when I'm flying a
glider and (such as it is)I enjoy my technical mastery of soaring, and I
enjoy the companionable and endless discussion of technical detail on the
ground.

But I fly in eastern-scale 'mountains', often below the ridge lines, and the
combination of topography, foliage, clouds, shafts of sunlight, double
rainbows, virga etc. can be at times sublime and visually stunning (this is
of course, an understatement).

I've not heard much discussion by other pilots about what they see in the
sky, but I've observed that many pilots are euphoric after their flights. I
suspect that scenery is a factor for even the most aspiring_to_be_macho_and
_insensitive pilots. It's undeniably beautiful up there.

My basic question is this, 'how do pilots balance the cool and rational
execution of the technical side of flying with their enjoyment of the
scenery'? Does euphoria heighten or dull alertness and attention to the
technical side of flying? Does anyone have a tale of being adversely
distracted by the scenery? I'm also interested in the purely technical
aspects of scenery, such as white aircraft disappearing against a background
of snow and grey rock (one of the motivations for Flarm).

Fair's fair, so here is my answer for your review and possible critique:

I try to concentrate and prioritize my conscious attention on the technical
demands of flying but simultaneously relax and let the experience of the
scenery wash over me. I surmise that my euphoria heightens my alertness,
and that my alertness heightens my euphoria. (I've wondered if this is a
dangerous rationalization and that concern is the motivation for this post.)

And here is my tale of euphoric intoxication while flying:

We had some visiting gliders at a fall wave camp at my local field. I
noticed the light maroon colored glider on the ground and I spotted it on
the ridge after I launched. I caught a thermal and headed north to get away
from the crowd. An hour later, I came back to the ridge and I saw another
glider, and this one was painted International Orange. I thought, 'Wow,
that orange color is really easy to spot!'. I kept looking around to find
the maroon colored glider, but it was nowhere to be spotted. Later in the
day, I saw the maroon colored glider on the ground and I got some puzzled
looks when I asked if the international orange colored glider was still up
on the ridge. (Possible explanation... euphoria accentuated my color
perception.)

On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 10:25:50 AM UTC-6, Dan Marotta wrote:
Dude... Stop smoking that stuff!

Dude, don't bogart that joint!

Seriously, I'll give a slightly different perspective:

I find that I lose time while racing because I get distracted with the fun (and beauty) of soaring, and do not keep focused on going fast. I have to consciously force myself to "get back in the race" at times. Usually a problem if alone; being around other gliders usually results in my fangs coming out...cuz now the high is in catching up and passing the guy in front...

Kirk
66

On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 11:53:05 AM UTC-5, kirk.stant wrote:
On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 10:25:50 AM UTC-6, Dan Marotta wrote:

Dude... Stop smoking that stuff!



Dude, don't bogart that joint!

That would be "Easy Flyer"? But seriously, I don't partake in mind altering substances, prescription or OTC drugs, and I have no documented neurological impairment.

To complete the picture, lift topped out at 6000 MSL that day, so this was not hypoxia-induced euphoria (and hypoxia tends to dull color perception?). And 50% of my field of vision that day was brilliant orange foliage, so there might have been some sort of retinal over-stimulation, or after image. A shift in color perception is a well known trait of euphoria, something to do with brain chemistry, adrenaline, serotonin levels etc.. And I should clarify that I have never seen any leprechauns on the wingtips (maybe if I flew on March 17th?).

On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 9:35:50 AM UTC-8, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 11:53:05 AM UTC-5, kirk.stant wrote:

On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 10:25:50 AM UTC-6, Dan Marotta wrote:



Dude... Stop smoking that stuff!







Dude, don't bogart that joint!



That would be "Easy Flyer"? But seriously, I don't partake in mind altering substances, prescription or OTC drugs, and I have no documented neurological impairment.



To complete the picture, lift topped out at 6000 MSL that day, so this was not hypoxia-induced euphoria (and hypoxia tends to dull color perception?). And 50% of my field of vision that day was brilliant orange foliage, so there might have been some sort of retinal over-stimulation, or after image. A shift in color perception is a well known trait of euphoria, something to do with brain chemistry, adrenaline, serotonin levels etc.. And I should clarify that I have never seen any leprechauns on the wingtips (maybe if I flew on March 17th?).

OK - this is an easy one - given that you were flying toward the "maroon/int'l orange" glider. We're all familiar with the red shift associated with the expansion of the universe, right? Objects moving away (at relativistic speeds) show a spectral shift toward the red end of the spectrum, and, conversely, objects moving toward us - at relativistic speeds - show a blue shift (to shorter wavelengths). A rough calculation shows that if you were approaching the "maroon" glider at 0.75c (c= speed of light), then the spectral shift would move maroon into the orange part of the spectrum. So the real question is how you kept the wings on and didn't burn up in the atmosphere ... or, translated ... what were you smoking?
Eric Bick -

At 17:35 26 February 2014, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 11:53:05 AM UTC-5, kirk.stant wrote:
On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 10:25:50 AM UTC-6, Dan Marotta wrote:
=20
Dude... Stop smoking that stuff!
=20
=20
=20
Dude, don't bogart that joint!

That would be "Easy Flyer"? But seriously, I don't partake in mind
alterin=
g substances, prescription or OTC drugs, and I have no documented
neurologi=
cal impairment.

To complete the picture, lift topped out at 6000 MSL that day, so this
was
=
not hypoxia-induced euphoria (and hypoxia tends to dull color
perception?).=
And 50% of my field of vision that day was brilliant orange foliage, so
t=
here might have been some sort of retinal over-stimulation, or after
image.=
A shift in color perception is a well known trait of euphoria,
something
=
to do with brain chemistry, adrenaline, serotonin levels etc.. And I
shoul=
d clarify that I have never seen any leprechauns on the wingtips (maybe
if
=
I flew on March 17th?).

Just as a matter of interest what colour lens do you have in your
sunglasses?

On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 2:16:31 PM UTC-5, Don Johnstone wrote:

Just as a matter of interest what colour lens do you have in your
sunglasses?

Grey lenses and I was not wearing sunglasses that day in late October with large lenticular and rotor clouds high above. The glider color was not brilliant International Orange, it looked faded and dull from sun exposure. Plus I only gave it a quick glance, just long enough to ascertain the relative position and recognize the color as being orange. It was not that close either.

On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 11:53:05 AM UTC-5, kirk.stant wrote:
On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 10:25:50 AM UTC-6, Dan Marotta wrote: Dude... Stop smoking that stuff! Dude, don't bogart that joint! Seriously, I'll give a slightly different perspective: I find that I lose time while racing because I get distracted with the fun (and beauty) of soaring, and do not keep focused on going fast. I have to consciously force myself to "get back in the race" at times. Usually a problem if alone; being around other gliders usually results in my fangs coming out...cuz now the high is in catching up and passing the guy in front... Kirk 66

The classic for me is daydreaming about the winner's speach I'll be giving. Tends to be self correcting.
UH

On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 10:53:05 AM UTC-6, kirk.stant wrote:
On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 10:25:50 AM UTC-6, Dan Marotta wrote:

Dude... Stop smoking that stuff!



Dude, don't bogart that joint!



Seriously, I'll give a slightly different perspective:



I find that I lose time while racing because I get distracted with the fun (and beauty) of soaring, and do not keep focused on going fast. I have to consciously force myself to "get back in the race" at times. Usually a problem if alone; being around other gliders usually results in my fangs coming out...cuz now the high is in catching up and passing the guy in front...



Kirk

66

What Kirk said!

Found myself backtracking at Cordele once because I got engrossed in looking at something on the ground. I wasted several minutes, lost altitude, and was going the wrong way when I remembered I was supposed to be racing.

Watching birds in thermals gets me sometimes. I'll get distracted watching them and end up wallowing around 99.9% stalled.

I could never race at Parowan. How could anyone go fast when the turnpoints are the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce and all that other stuff out there? I'd be zipping along under a street at 11k' and next thing you know, I'd find myself landing out near Zion Park.

Oh, so -that's- what you were doing...
I think you beat me anyway.

1FL



Found myself backtracking at Cordele once because I got engrossed in looking at something on the ground. I wasted several minutes, lost altitude, and was going the wrong way when I remembered I was supposed to be racing.



Watching birds in thermals gets me sometimes. I'll get distracted watching them and end up wallowing around 99.9% stalled.



I could never race at Parowan. How could anyone go fast when the turnpoints are the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce and all that other stuff out there? I'd be zipping along under a street at 11k' and next thing you know, I'd find myself landing out near Zion Park.