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Playing the mental game.
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Wings & Wheels Gliding and Soaring Supplies

Psychology to stay in the race.


The world championships just wrapped up. Two gliders (JS-3) were air-freighted and had just started test flights 1 month before the start of the contest. Their social media buzz was strong and got a lot of people wondering how much better it was going to be. Five (Ventus 3) were brand new and had not really been raced yet. Three wings (EB-29R) were flying in open class and only had their first test flight 8 months earlier. A lot of hopeful champions and a lot of pilots just happy to have the honor to represent their country.

Can you win before even stepping foot on the airport? Not , but you can lose. You could worry about the gliders mentioned above and resign to the fact you won't win because their equipment is better. The sailplane could be a few % better, but the pilot making a bad decision can cost a lot more then a few %.

"If you make the ship 1% better, you fly 5% better" Klaus Holighaus' statement on tweaking.

In the US the open class moved to 850kg on par with the rest of the world, that 1st year I won in my Nimbus 3 at a limit of 750kg. I even put bug-wipers on to help, however I had to be careful washing the glider because the chamois would remove gelcoat. The bug-wipers were mostly for show and the psychological effect, it was buggy, but most the gelcoat was flaking off anyway.

It is crucial that you fly your best and learn as much as you can on each flight. Bounce back quickly and stay focused for why you are there. There is a score sheet so we are there to win and we are racing the other pilots. Improving your performance is key.

If you are having a broken thermal day, probably everyone else is too. I remember I asked all of the pilots at Montague after a particular frustrating day if they thought the thermals were, broken, hard to center, lying clouds...Everyone else had the same challenges for the day. This is hard to imagine while in the cockpit.

We have talked about gear shifting and getting back into racing but I am thinking psychology of racing.  More about the being ready the next day. Not just gear shifting once up again. But actually keeping your head in the race.

After a dismal day it is easy to lose hope and not do well. I have seen pilots go home, I have seen others continue to race to learn and have a better overall result at the next contest. Gary Ittner is known for his comeback after a land-out, like winning multiple straight days afterwards is not uncommon.

I have seen many times the local hot shot show up at the nationals ready to show everyone how its done...only to stop racing after their first defeat. Not all of us are Sean and win our 1st contest. I placed top 10 my first contest, 7th actually, out of 7... One guy even took a day off from flying and still beat me.
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Tow Bar
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Tow Bar

The tow bar allows you to tow your glider by a car. We have elegant solutions both for light or heavy gliders. For heavy gliders we consider: gliders with water ballast with MTOW over 525 kg, twoseaters, open class, gliders with turbo or selflauncher engine.

The system intended for heavy gliders doesn't carry the tail of the glider in the air, it only pulls/pushes and steers the direction, the glider rides on the tail dolly. The towing bar connects to the taildolly by robust steel tube hinge with closing lock. To mount/dismount the towing bar, simply revolve it up to the angle of 45° and pull out from the tail dolly hinge.
The towing bar is telescopic and can be shortened for transport very quickly and easily. Simply push the lock button and push together. The towing bar is mainly made of anodized aluminium, the highly stressed parts are made of zinc-galvanized steel. Wing dolly has to be modified before use - simply install the connecting adapter with hinge tube between the tail dolly body and castor wheel. This part is, of course, shipped with the bar and is included in the price. The dimensions meet the standardized dimensions of the wheel brackets, so the prepared holes fit for all factory delivered tail dollies automatically. 

Day / Night Solar Vent
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Day / Night
Solar Vent

All Day/Night solar vents come complete with two fan blades, white plastic interior trim ring, insect screen, mounting hardware and an easy-to-understand installation manual. High capacity NiMh battery on a full charge will operate the vent for up to 40 hours without sunlight to continually circulates fresh air in your trailer eliminating mold, mildew and musty air even in cloudy weather. 
 
Discount does not apply for this product.
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garret willat  Garret Willat holds a flight instructor rating with over 8000 hours in sailplanes. His parents have owned Sky Sailing Inc. since 1979. He started instructing the day after his 18th birthday. Since then, Garret has represented the US Junior team in 2003 and 2005. He graduated from Embry-Riddle with a bachelor's degree in Professional Aeronautics. Garret represented the US Open Class team in 2008 and 2010 and the Club Class team in 2014. Garret has won 3 US National Championships.
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