Every contest flyer has at one time or another asked other flyers questions regarding
improving contest performance and has no doubt received a greater variety of answers than
one could imagine. A theory that I have developed over the last couple of years deals with
removing the barriers that may inhibit our potential or give an advantage to our
opposition. Below are several tips that will assist you to being "on the same
page" as many of the expert pilots and hopefully will contribute to improving your
contest standings.
PROGRESS TO AN OPEN CLASS SAILPLANE -- If the competition is flying high-tech planes
and you are not, you're giving up a lot of speed, distance, and landing accuracy
potential. An aileron plane with its responsiveness gives you the ability to go WHERE and
WHEN you want, unlike most polyhedral planes.
DON'T FLY A 2-METER PLANE IN AN OPEN CONTEST -- Although it may be fun to fly a 2-meter
plane in a contest when pitted against open class planes, the disadvantages are just too
great. Big planes fly better, and while it may not matter when the lift is great, when the
conditions get bad you need to be able to search as far as possible for lift and be as
unaffected as possible by utilizing a plane with superior L/D (lift over drag) and speed
potential.
HAVE YOUR EYESIGHT CHECKED -- This is something I feel is easily overlooked. I had a
friend who flew a Falcon 880 and just wouldn't let the plane travel in search of lift like
it could, creating a huge handicap. Despite the Falcon's performance potential he would
continually search the same air even though he wasn't going up. It turned out he wasn't
flying the plane to its limits, he was flying to the limits of his vision! Once he began
wearing glasses, he was able to fly it out to MY vision range. Test your eyes against
those you fly with and if there is doubt, then have them checked (your eyes, not your
fellow flyers) and get glasses if necessary. You may want to experiment with different
tints for sunglasses. Different colors work better for different people.
COLOR YOUR PLANE FOR VISIBILITY -- Again, this deals with seeing you plane as far away
as possible. A natural wood finish may look great on the ground, but if it disappears in
the sky, you’re hurting your performance potential. If another pilot can see his
plane a mile away and you can only see half that, he has a definite advantage. Being able
to see your plane well will increase your confidence in marginal situations as well.
FLY A PLANE THAT WILL PERFORM WELL AT LIGHT WING LOADING -- While using the latest
composites is fun and has benefits, if it increases wing-loading over 12 oz /sq. ft., you
are at a disadvantage. Even if you subscribe to the philosophy that weight doesn't matter,
you won't have the advantage in light lift and especially in slowing down the plane for
landings when there is little or no breeze If conditions change and the heavier ships come
into their own, ballast up.
FIND A PLANE THAT IS EASY TO FLY -- The best plane to fly is the easiest plane to fly.
What that means is you don't have to worry about what the plane is doing. It basically
flies itself. A plane that flies predictably and calmly will require minimum inputs,
minimize drag, and maximize the plane's performance in all conditions. It also gives you
the opportunity to concentrate on strategy instead of worrying about flying the plane.
Trimming out the plane has a big effect also, so get your plane trimmed as well as
possible.
FLY WHERE THE EXPERTS FLY -- Regardless of whether they call it sandbagging or not,
when you are trying to figure out when to fly in an open contest, the burden is on you to
choose the right time to fly. When considering all the factors, like birds, dust devils
and the less obvious details, keep your eye on the experts who consistently make their
times. It's very probable that it is not only their good flying skills that cause them to
find lift. Notice their search patterns and fly when they fly, if possible. They may fool
you occasionally, but chances are good that if you have comparable equipment and eyesight,
you will find lift with them.
USE LANDING DEVICES -- As ugly as they look, if rough skids or shark’s teeth are
allowed, use them. The competition does. Not only can they improve your scoring
consistency, they keep your ship from sliding too far. This may not be important if you
fly only on a sod farm. However, if you fly on rough dirt, the shortened slides keep your
wings from getting so roughed up. If you fly in a fenced area, it may keep your plane from
sliding into a fence on a poor landing. Landing devices may even keep your plane from
occasionally hitting you in the shins!
FIND "USER FRIENDLY" TIMERS -- This is like having an easy plane to fly. I'm
sure you've noticed when you have not had a good timer. He/she may not keep you informed,
leading to anxiety or lack of rhythm (you should tell your timer how you prefer to receive
updates and countdowns). The timer may talk excessively to bystanders, distracting your
concentration. Whatever the reason, strive to find several who read lift well, keep you
posted on your time, and have mannerisms that put you at ease and allow you to concentrate
on flying.
BUILD A LIGHT, YET STRONG PLANE THAT WILL LAUNCH HIGH -- High launches feel great, look
great, and give you a definite advantage. It may take a bit of work and knowledge, but
with the right amount of weight and structure in the right places (and a correctly placed
hook), you can build a light yet strong plane. It is advisable to start with a kit or
plans that have the potential to be both light and strong. There are lots of Open class
planes out there that meet these criteria so stick around 12 oz/sq. ft. wing loading, if
possible. Planes rarely come in at less than the advertised weights.
LEARN TO BALLAST -- Finally, since several of my topics have dealt with keeping weight
down, it is important to learn to overcome any disadvantage created by light weight when
the wind conditions pick up. Heavy planes have advantages at times. If the wind picks up
and there is lift to be found, you should be able to match a heavier aircraft's
performance. Learning how, when, and how much ballast to add will place you in the same
ballpark. So learn how and do it.
In closing, I hope these tips are helpful to you. In my observations over the years
that I have been contest flying, they seem to hold true more often than not. Anything you
can do to give yourself an edge or to neutralize the opposition - DO IT! While it almost
always comes down to the pilot's skill and not the plane, removing as many handicaps as
possible will go a long way toward improving your ultimate contest performance.
