Open Discussion; Creating XC pilots

On 7/16/2014 6:46 PM, son_of_flubber wrote:
I wonder if the old hands in XC have forgotten how big the issue of safely
landing out looms in the mind of the aspiring XC pilot?

Maybe some, but not all/this guy! I've long thought "the off-field-landing
hurdle" probably THE most significant one "on the normal road to XC soaring
competence."

My perspective is that efforts to foster XC should focus on thoroughly
preparing novices to land out (in fields and at unfamiliar airports).

I completely agree...and my training (very informally, but also very
effectively) did. My "pre-XC" training consisted entirely of: 1) instruction
(patterns/spot landings/verbal advice); 2) reading/brain-picking; and 3)
imagination. The first glider I ever saw in a field was the one I'd just
piloted there; it had not been one of the day's goals at takeoff time.

XC
novices are not babies. We will take the initiative to learn all the other
fine points of XC and to initiate all the necessary changes in club
guidelines and structure. Your coaching is invaluable, and we will ask for
it once we get the XC bug.

I suspect "the magic poll" would overwhelmingly concur your attitude is
"ideal" and "just what the XC Soaring Doctor ordered." It reflects my own when
I was convincing myself thermals weren't airport-centric...an attitude in my
case probably somewhat self-constructed and instructor-influenced. My primary
CFIG was a very matter-of-fact sort who tended to see humor in the very many
self-inflicted situations almost certain to accompany XC soaring. He certainly
laughed a lot at my eager, silly questions!

I'd love to do more simulated landout training in my area like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAOCd18Bv8Y

"Go for it!" if you have the opportunity...but know such training & exposure
is far from necessary, to safely learn - and apply! - the basics: rudimentary
navigation; always keeping a perceived safe landing field within conservative
reach; being mentally prepared to USE that area (sooner, rather than later,
should that little voice in your skull begin talking to you); applying what
your instruction conveyed to you about "the proper way[s]" to asses how any
approach is progressing; spot selection, speed control; etc.

Everything about XC beyond land outs seems very doable to me. I'm an XC
pre-novice until I'm prepared to safely land out. Get me over that hurdle
and I can manage the rest.

And - though there's many ways to "get there" - you can probably get yourself
over "that hurdle" much more easily than you may presently imagine. All it'll
take is being a hair below "prudently making it back to your home-base
pattern" height, and not connect with expected lift. (BTDT! As have many
others, I suspect...) In safety, pattern, and actual landing terms, everything
was a non-event. In MENTAL terms, not so much! And all I'd set out to do that
day was (very briefly, and one time only) get one thermal beyond the home
base, simply to convince myself that thermals DID in fact exist in that region
surrounding my home-base training area (i.e. go from "pre-novice" to
"experienced"). Everything worked as I'd imagined, planned and discussed with
my instructor, except that the SECOND thermal I needed to get back home didn't
exist (a timing thing - a new, blue, stable airmass was literally on my tail
as I chased my first cloud-n-thermal beyond the training area). I was more
embarrassed than alarmed at the turn of events, especially when my
instructor/crew brought ME the brewskis on the retrieve (saved until after
reassembly at the airport), a whopping two or so road miles from the training
field.

And from what I gather in my area, the restrictions on using my club's
aircraft for XC followed from bad experiences with landouts in the past.
QED

"Sigh." In my observational experience an all-too-common reaction to what
usually is some blend of
inadequate-instruction/poor-interpersonal-dynamics...rather than "upping
everyone's game," the easy/coward's/predictably-self-defeating way out is
chosen. Having been a member of three clubs in three widely separated regions
of the country, insofar as encouraging tyro XC in club equipment is concerned,
two "did things right" and one "applied the frightened turtle approach.".
Fortunately the turtle club was my SECOND club experience, by which time I
owned a 1-26. Still, their (understandable, but deplorable) attitude made me
hesitate a season or so before joining that club. (Happily, things/they
changed not too long after my job took me to my 3rd club.)

YMMV.

Bob W.