Contest participation

On Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 10:59:45 AM UTC-5, Bob Pasker wrote:
as a glider pilot with some XC experience, and no contest experience, I can you what keeps me from contests: there is no 'on ramp'.

the only way that I know to participate in contests is to participate in contests.

What we really need is a way for people to learn about contests before actually entering one:

1. ground school -- 1 day covering eligibility, rules, launch & land procedures, strategy & tactics, traffic, equipment, etc

2. flight school -- non-competitive contests in 2-seaters

3. newbie buddies -- when you show up at a contest, team up with an experienced pilot who will be your mentor for the duration of the contest

Reno Air races has pylon school: http://airrace.org/event/racing/rookie-school/

--bob

We will be doing 1 and 3 at Region 1. Rookie school and active mentoring.
I don't know what 2 is. I assume this is cross country training you may be describing. There may be some possibility of contest riding if some seats are open in Bus class.
Region 2 will be having an OLC class which is likely to be mostly cross country camp.
Looks like it is not quite as dire as you think.
UH

I remember my early contests. The cameras that you had to master, the maps.... it's become way easier. And the mentoring back then was fantastic.

I then disappeared for 14 years. When I reappeared, the rules had utterly changed. While I was initially intimidated, I rapidly realized it was WAY easier than the old camera days. The computer does everything for you. Yes, you have to understand what it's doing, byt a couple of evenings reading books and manuals will let you know. And before anyone complains about cost... an Ilec SN 10 is an excellent instrument, and people on this website (including me) can't give them away!!!)

Mentorship has always been amazing. Just show up to the first meeting and let them know you'd like a mentor, and a bunch of world class pilots will line up to help you.

And remember, you don't have to win. you don't even have to finish! Just fly the first few times. So what if you miss a turnpoint, or leave early, or come back early? As long as you fly safe, no one will criticize you. In fact, if after three days, you feel tired, just take a day off!

There is absolutely a "ramp up". Start by just flying along and making a few mistakes. Not safety mistakes, those of course are not excusable, but they're easy to avoid. Come home high, come home early, miss an intimidation turnpoint, land at an airport if the return looks intimidating and miss the next day, and you CAN ramp up over time.

And you'll find the competitors unbelievably eager to help you. I can't think of another keenly competitive sport where the competitors are so friendly immediately after the end of the day's contest.

thanks for all the info. I read Soaring and r.a.s religiously, and had no idea. I went to thermal camp last year at Air Sailing, and they also have an XC camp and wave camp.

Let me recap what I found.

ABQ Soaring -- nothing on their website http://www.abqsoaring.org/calendar.php?year=2016

Seminole Lake -- SSA calendar has "Seminole Lake Wave Camp," which has only the date and a person to contact. No info on the Seminole Lake website itself http://www.soarfl.com/Upcoming_Events.html

Lake Keepit 4 day xc -- http://www.keepitsoaring.com/LKSC/in...ay-xc-weekends

Ephrata -- http://www.thedustup.info/

Region 1 -- http://www.flynesa.com/Region1/ "The Bus class is intended to encourage clubs to bring a two seater, and more importantly bring members new to contests. Generally, this class features an experienced instructor pilot and a rotating cast of copilots new to the racing scene. What a great way to contribute to the growth of cross-country and competition soaring!"

Region 2 -- http://tinyurl.com/h8g64gz We will have an "OLC" class for pilots who want to participate but not fly in the normal regional contest classes. Pilots may select their own tasks or fly the FAI or Sports task. Flights will be scored using the OLC and daily best performances will be recognized. Coaching and mentoring will be available. If you are interested in flying the OLC Class, just register as a Guest and I'll contact you individually with other details.

some other's i found:

Air Sailing -- http://www.airsailing.org/xc_camp2016.html

Nelphi -- google finds old XC camp pages, but nothing up for 2016 yet http://www.utahsoaring.org/

Exactly. The SSA is very fractured (to say the least) in its communication and marketing execution even though that task should be job #1.

From what I can see, we at the SSA has no very little marketing or marketing strategy. Our website should be set up based on our key audiences. It is not. It is generally set up to serve active existing SSA members.

We very little in the form of a growth and development strategy. Very little social media strategy. We have an almost ancient website that speaks for itself. Again, it only really serves the people who are already familiar with the SSA and know what they are looking for. You really do not get a sense of what is important or really going on at the SSA from our website. For example, another forum was recently created to foster inter club communications. I'm sure that there are others. This information cannot be found as a resource from the SSA website.

You're description of learning about cross country camps, etc from RAS and varied sources really speaks volumes to the larger problem.

No wonder RAS is so popular. It's really the best communication platform available. This is sad. What a huge opportunity for the SSA.

The SSA should have its own moderated (login required) forum really...

This problem (finding cross country camps or destinations or destination based non contest events, etc) is a perfect use case example for an SSA site rebuild.

Who are the target audiences for the SSA website? Are we providing them with good information or are they forced to go to RAS or "search around" for themselves? Of course if they are forced to go elsewhere the SSA has failed, miserably...

Quick list of SSA website target audience...

General public (unfamiliar but somehow interested in soaring and doing research...)
Contest pilots
Prospective Contest Pilots
Cross country pilots (non contest)
"Prospective" Cross Country Pilots
Pilots looking for soaring travel destinations
Pilots looking for soaring camps and coaching, training, mentoring...
OLC community
Prospective OLC Pilots
Commercial Soaring Operations
Prospective Commercial Operation Customers
Club pattern pilots (non-cross country)
Student pilots
Prospective students pilots
Prospective existing (but non glider) pilots (power, etc)
Tow pilots
Soaring Clubs
Soaring Club members
Junior pilots (should be top of this list)
Female pilots
Soaring Club members
Soaring Clubs
Instructors
Cross Country active Clubs
No Cross Country Clubs
Media
International Soaring Community
Potential Event Sponsors
Etc., etc.

This is a significant task but each of these audiences are very important. We need communications and marketing strategies that serve most or all of these communities. Little exists for them now.

We need to bring the SSA out of the 90's and into 2016.

Sean Fidler

On Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 9:37:54 AM UTC-5, Bob Pasker wrote:
thanks for all the info. I read Soaring and r.a.s religiously, and had no idea. I went to thermal camp last year at Air Sailing, and they also have an XC camp and wave camp.

Let me recap what I found.

ABQ Soaring -- nothing on their website http://www.abqsoaring.org/calendar.php?year=2016

Seminole Lake -- SSA calendar has "Seminole Lake Wave Camp," which has only the date and a person to contact. No info on the Seminole Lake website itself http://www.soarfl.com/Upcoming_Events.html

Lake Keepit 4 day xc -- http://www.keepitsoaring.com/LKSC/in...ay-xc-weekends

Ephrata -- http://www.thedustup.info/

Region 1 -- http://www.flynesa.com/Region1/ "The Bus class is intended to encourage clubs to bring a two seater, and more importantly bring members new to contests. Generally, this class features an experienced instructor pilot and a rotating cast of copilots new to the racing scene. What a great way to contribute to the growth of cross-country and competition soaring!"

Region 2 -- http://tinyurl.com/h8g64gz We will have an "OLC" class for pilots who want to participate but not fly in the normal regional contest classes. Pilots may select their own tasks or fly the FAI or Sports task. Flights will be scored using the OLC and daily best performances will be recognized. Coaching and mentoring will be available. If you are interested in flying the OLC Class, just register as a Guest and I'll contact you individually with other details.

some other's i found:

Air Sailing -- http://www.airsailing.org/xc_camp2016.html

Nelphi -- google finds old XC camp pages, but nothing up for 2016 yet http://www.utahsoaring.org/

Hi Bob
How long did it take you to search out the information above?
Thx
UH

To all of you who are interested in contests but have not yet flown one: Just Show Up! Every sports class regionals is designed as an entry level affair. Go to the practice day, explain that it's your first contest, and you'll get all the help you need. Yes, it would help to read the rules appendix and guide to competition, and have a vague idea of what the task types, start and finish procedures are. But even so, you'll get a "mentor" who can help explain everything to you. There will be several other first-timers. The camps, clinics and so forth are even better, but they are really not necessary before you go to a sports regionals. Just Show Up!

John Cochrane BB

Based on my experience, BB is right on!

The SSA website has one or more "flying your first contest" documents that have great information. Read those first. Then show up.

I've been to 4 contests in the last 2 years and everyone, to a person, has been exceedingly helpful. Strategy, instruments, flying in tough conditions - you name it - help was there for the asking.

The biggest hurdle for me was being willing to land out. It happens. Be trained and ready - both skills and mentally. Then go fly!

The old adage about contest flying improving your soaring skills is also spot on. In my last contest, I spent 22 minutes at 1200 feet trying to stay up (yes, I had a landable field right underneath me.) I managed to get away on that one. I would never had worked that hard at my home field.

Finally - to every experienced contest pilot who has mentored a "newbie" - thank you very much!

Lou

PS - See you at the Region 7 contest in Albert Lea! It will be a great one this year!

On Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 12:01:30 PM UTC-5, John Cochrane wrote:
To all of you who are interested in contests but have not yet flown one: Just Show Up! Every sports class regionals is designed as an entry level affair. Go to the practice day, explain that it's your first contest, and you'll get all the help you need. Yes, it would help to read the rules appendix and guide to competition, and have a vague idea of what the task types, start and finish procedures are. But even so, you'll get a "mentor" who can help explain everything to you. There will be several other first-timers. The camps, clinics and so forth are even better, but they are really not necessary before you go to a sports regionals. Just Show Up!

John Cochrane BB

I will add, it seem's (to me) whenever the SSA/Soaring magazine has done a pole (about Soaring content), the majority of SSA members complain about the level of reporting of contest's/contest reporting/contest (basically too much) info.

So, for some SSA members (mostly here on RAS) that seem like there is a dearth of contest info (in any form), maybe some of it the SSA is responding to those that make the most noise?
Not saying good or bad, just saying I've been around long enough to have seen multiple SSA/Soaring poles over ~30+ years.

As I've stated before, I started by crewing for much better pilots, then did "Little guys meets" in the NE US, followed by actual contest's.
Yes, I had "on field mentors" along the way as well. Maybe I'm in the 0.1% of the group in the US.


As a XC/contest pilot/CFIG, I've never "blown someone off" that had XC/contest questions.

On Sunday, 31 January 2016 10:01:30 UTC-7, John Cochrane wrote:
To all of you who are interested in contests but have not yet flown one: Just Show Up! Every sports class regionals is designed as an entry level affair. Go to the practice day, explain that it's your first contest, and you'll get all the help you need. Yes, it would help to read the rules appendix and guide to competition, and have a vague idea of what the task types, start and finish procedures are. But even so, you'll get a "mentor" who can help explain everything to you. There will be several other first-timers. The camps, clinics and so forth are even better, but they are really not necessary before you go to a sports regionals. Just Show Up!

John Cochrane BB

Read the Appendixes of the rulebook, great primer. Someone mentioned crewing for an experienced pilot but also volunteer to assist with organizing and running a contest. If we do not continue to foster organizers and volunteers events will not occur.

This is quite the response to a topic i tried to delete seconds after starting it...
Bob, I do completely agree with you that the "on ramp" is by far the hardest part of getting contest participation. While the other responses are very well and valid points, I appreciate your perspective that the non-participating 95% sees too many obstacles to jumping into contest flying.

Based on the responses below, I think possibly part of the "on ramp" problem comes from the disconnect between the club a regional/national SSA levels.. While there are lots of people at these events and contests to help you into contest flying, you must first already know that going to one is worth your vacation time and money, which is the leap I believe most pilots (including myself) don't make.

This topic is actually the reason that I started asking around as to how we might bring back the Region 1 contest (that UH and T8 mentioned), and make it a more relaxed learning experience, and try to make it something that the region clubs would start to come to as a group, to help bridge that first gap.

So I'm sure yes, you can just sign up for a camp in the back of SSA magazine, but after 10 years in the sport, as a single data point, I never have. I think it takes club encouragement and peer/mentor pressure for people to make that step on to the "on ramp", and the clubs with those people probably also see much higher ratios of their members in contest than those without..

That is a large part of why we are hosting R1 this year, so if you can make the trip, I would encourage you to sign up (maybe with another club member or two).

Chris