So you are thinking of competing? If not, then maybe after reading this, you might get the urge to compete. I have been competing for less than two years and I thought my experiences as a new comp pilot would help other pilots new to competition understand what they are like.

For this article I will be discussing the fixed task, race type of competition. There are other types of competitions such as open distance XC, duration, spot landing, speed gliding etc. In a fixed task, race type of competition, a distance task is set each morning. This could be straight line, triangle, out and return or any other type of distance task that includes a start point (or circle) and a goal with any number of turn points along the way. Points are given for completing the task, but points are also given for how fast you complete the task. There are other points given for how early you start the task and how early you finish the task.

The tasks can have one start time, or several start times. Most of the tasks I have seen have several start times at 15-minute intervals. One reason for having a single start time may be to get the pilots back as soon as possible due to predicted over-development later in the day. Having several start times can make the start less congested as well as letting the pilots choose when they want to start, given how they feel about the conditions. Starting the task at the first start time, finishing first and having the fastest time for the course will give you the maximum points for the day.

Why compete?
I have been flying hang gliders for 5 years. In the past two years I have flown in six major competitions. I have found no other way to advance my skill level faster than competing. Not only do you get instant feed back on your thermaling skills (discussed later in this article), you get access to some of the best pilots in the world. Most are very open to questions. Just sitting around the breakfast table and listing in on the conversations can be quite informative. And, competing can be just plain fun. How many chances do you get to fly with 50 or 100 other pilots? Watching what line they take or what part of a cloud they fly under can teach you much.

Preparation:
Most of the events have camping on or near the event. There is usually a motel associated with the event that will give discounts. I have rented a house and split the cost between several pilots. Whatever lodging plans you may have, make them early to ensure no last minute problems.

You will get the most enjoyment and the best experience if you are well prepared for the competition. These competitions are considered cross-country flying, even if you return to the place where you started. As such, you need to be ready to fly XC. While some of the top pilots may fly without radios or even retrieve drivers, having them will reduce some of the stress. A cell phone in your harness may help as a last resort.

Try to arrange for a driver before you arrive at the event. If it's your first time at an event, you may not know anyone there who can drive for you. Bring a driver if you can, preferably someone with retrieval experience. If you have to hire a driver, I have been told that $50 per day per pilot is the going rate (plus gas). Don't be cheap. Having a retrieve driver under you as you fly the course can be both comforting and advantageous. An example of the latter: your driver may see several gliders on the ground ahead of you. This can tell you that there is a sink hole or a difficult section of the course ahead. When approaching goal, someone at goal on a radio letting you know what's going on can be very helpful. If they see gliders landing short or crossing high, this can tell you if there is sink or lift on the final glide. The wind direction and strength at goal is also valuable information.

If renting a car, be ready to build some type of rack to carry your glider. These can be made out of PVC pipe, electrical conduit or other items available at the local hardware store. You can purchase inflatable rack pads for the roof of the car. Don't plan on the rental car having a luggage rack. Many rental agencies are removing these due to customers overloading them. Don't mention to the rental agency that you plan on placing anything on the roof of the car. Do plan on an entire day getting the rack set up. If you are close enough to drive your own vehicle, consider yourself lucky.

You will need at least one GPS if not two (one as a back up), a vario, radio etc. You will need to charge all of their batteries or have fresh ones. I bring with me two AA size chargers as well as a charger for my radio battery. I also bring my own multi-outlet plug strip. Power outlets can be at a premium at some motels and even at the event itself.

Bring spare parts. When flying for seven or more days in a row, you will not have time to order spare parts if something happens to your glider. The types of spares I see needed are down tubes, VG ropes, small hardware etc. Silicon lubricant and tools are handy. If you have a composite style control frame, some composite repair materials may come in handy. If you have the room, you can't bring too much stuff. Many pilots bring a second glider.

GPS usage:
All of the competitions now score by GPS track logs. If you are unfamiliar with navigating to a waypoint, I would suggest practicing before your arrival. One method is to get a friend to drive you in a car while you try to navigate to a waypoint. This will allow you to concentrate on the GPS display and understand how it works without having to stay focused on flying or driving. At several of the competitions, someone has given a seminar on GPS usage for competitions. You will need to understand start circles and turn points. Most of the time the turn points are a circle .25 miles in radius. You must fly through the circle and remain inside long enough for your GPS to record a track point inside the circle to get credit for the waypoint. Start circles can be various sizes, but they tend to be 3 to 5 miles in diameter. Your time starts when you leave the circle. If you leave the circle before the first start time, you may not get any speed points for the task.

Flying the gaggle:
You can count on flying in a gaggle. If this makes you too uncomfortable, then this may be one reason not to try competition. Even if you manage to find a thermal all by yourself, as soon as other pilots see you climbing, you will attract them like bees to nectar and you will soon find yourself in the middle of a gaggle.

Use care when entering a gaggle. I know of one seasoned comp pilot who tends to center punch the gaggle. Not only is this dangerous, it can cost you in performance. Paris Williams told me that he could see how well the gaggle is climbing as he approaches. He enters it from a lager circle spiraling in. If there is a better core to the side of the gaggle, he has a chance to find it. If not, he can safely join the existing gaggle.

Don't do anything strange or unexpected while in the gaggle. I have seen flex wing pilots do a tip stall to whip around faster (I hope they did it on purpose and were not out of control). I have, and have seen other pilots, turn inside of gliders in the gaggle. When doing this, make sure you are not cutting off someone on the other side of the gaggle. You still have to look both ways as you are circling. There could be someone trying to turn inside of you. Don't push out suddenly unless it is to avoid a collision; there could be some one right above you in your blind spot.

Flying in a gaggle was one of the best learning experiences for me. There is nothing I can think of that will get you as quick a feedback on how well you are thermaling. You could be back home at your local site, out climbing all the other pilots around and sitting on the top of the stack, but you may have been able to climb even better. This was dramatically demonstrated to me in my first comp. I was circling in a thermal and going up at 400+ fpm. I thought I was doing great. Then the lead gaggle, returning from the turn point, entered my thermal and proceeded to climb up right through me at 600+ fpm.

When you are in a thermal with a gaggle, you can see how the changes in your technique affect your climb. Try changing speeds, bank angles, flap or VG settings etc. until you are climbing as fast as the gliders around you.

Towing:
Most of the race type of competitions in the United States are in the flatlands and require towing to get aloft. If you do not have a tow rating, plan on arriving several days to a week early to get signed off before the meet. When you sign up, make sure the meet director knows you will need to get your aerotow signoff. When you get in line to tow during the competition, let the volunteers know you are new to towing. They can give you extra attention to help ensure your tows are successful.

No one gives an award for releasing low and climbing out. Unless you are in a really big thermal, take the tow until you're signaled to release or you've climbed the full 2,000'. Sometimes it's hard to read your instruments and still concentrate on staying behind the tug. Some tugs can tow you at 900 fpm, others 200 fpm. Just because you are going up fast may not mean you are in a thermal. If you start climbing 400+fpm faster than your rate earlier in the tow, you may be in a good thermal.

Try and look around to see where other gliders are circling up. If you are not released in a thermal, you will want to get under the climbing gliders as fast as possible. The tow pilots try to release you in a thermal, but there may be reasons why they wave you off in less than optimal conditions (traffic congestion is one reason that comes to mind). If you stay right behind the tug and are not wandering all over the sky, the tow pilot has a better chance of getting you to a thermal.

Tow early:
A seasoned comp pilot told me at my first comp to tow an hour before my planned start time. I thought that sounded a bit excessive, but I have found it to be very true. The start circles are not necessarily right over your tow area. It may take two thermals to get to the optimum edge of the start circle. You want a chance to feel the air and get a good idea what the day will be like. There are a couple of other reasons to tow early. You may have a weak link break and have to re-tow. You may sink out and need a re-tow. The tow line gets very long as the start time gets closer. It's also cooler up there. Sitting in the hot and humid air is tiring and increases the stress on the body.

By towing early you are not in as much of a rush to climb out. If you are released in a 200 fpm thermal and you see a gaggle climbing faster elsewhere, you can stay where you are and enjoy a leisurely and relaxing climb to the top of lift and avoid the crowd.

Take the first start time:
Well at least try it a couple of times. If you wait for the faster gliders to start and then try to follow them, you will probably never get a chance to fly with them. If you start early, the faster pilots will most likely catch you and you can get a good chance to fly with them for a thermal or two. If they never catch up, chances are you are as good as they are. In my first competition, I was amazed at how fast the best pilots fly and climb. Be ready to pull in on the bar between every thermal (if you want a chance to keep up).

Making goal:
If you make goal, congratulate yourself. The tasks are set up so that only 30% to 40% of the pilots will make goal. Use caution and keep your head on a swivel as you approach goal. Goal is a convergence point for gliders that you may not have spotted earlier. Once on the ground, carry your glider clear of the area as quickly as possible. I have seen as many as 20 gliders land at goal in just a couple of minutes. The flight is not over until you tie down/breakdown your glider.

Get in shape:
Unless you are a professional hang glider pilot and fly every day, you will probably not find flying for seven days in a row at a comp easy. Even if the task for the day is short, you should plan on being in the air 3 to 5 hours every day (remember towing up an hour before the first start time).

All of the top pilots I have met are in very good shape and are thin. It can be very difficult to work out in such a way that you will be in perfect shape for a week of competition. For me, I have found that the better aerobic condition I am in, the easier it is for me to fly. That is not to say that I am not sore after several days of flying, but by the second half of the competition I am starting to feel stronger and less sore. I try to run 20 to 25 miles a week to keep in shape. I work in construction so my muscle strength is not that bad. If I had more time, getting to a gym would help even more.

Last but not least:
Enjoy yourself. Finishing well is a great reward, but if you scare yourself, or exceed your personal safety limits, you may feel that it is not all that it's cracked up to be. There have been times that I have left a gaggle because I thought it was too crowded, or landed short because I did not have enough altitude to cross an area without visible LZs. I have never regretted any of my decisions based on safety or enjoyment.

So, give competition a try and enjoy yourself!

© Vince Endter, 2004