[Wingspan34]

I've been wondering,

When are you more adventurous? When you only have yourself to challenge, or when you're flying with other pilots.

Does it depend on the conditions or your personal goal for that day?

[relate2]

For me it depends on your definition of adventurous. If your definition is low possibility of hurt, I would say when I am with others. If your definition is high possibility of hurt, my answer is never.

I always want to come back and fly the next time, then again, I am also past my rev rat days and know on an experiential level that it take longer to heal the older you get.

Now if you asked me this when I was 21 the answer may have been different.

[Wingspan34]

Hey relate,

I'm thinking more along the lines of pushing of limits as little or much as a pilot may feel the motivation for. I don't mean risking life or limb. More like trying something new. Climbing a little higher or going for a first time XC.

I wondering if "competition" stimulates this in most pilots or if wanting to improve one's own abilities is the deciding factor.

Is there safety in the flock, and adventure as the lone hawk - or visa versa?

[CHassan]

If you look at the Team Challenge, and notice how many pilots get their first XC, or first XC since last years Team Challenge, I think you can say a lot of people like the flock mentality!
This weekend I suggested we all try for a large triangle. No one made even the first turn point (my task calling ability sucks), but we had a large number of pilots gunning for the turn point. Even the guys who normally just boat around the LZ tied it. Sure felt like a flock mentality.

Myself when I'm in a group I'll try to keep up. That may mean pushing my limits of climb and glide, or it may mean I'm holding back waiting on them.
Alone I may be pushing harder, or I may be flying rather leisurely and just trying to make better decision to improve my flying! Either way I always attempt to get better.

[AIRTHUG]

complicated topic... should make for good discussion!

I think:

When I'm flying ALONE I'm safe as possible. Doesn't mean I won't still play around and do some aeros and stuff, but I try not to push my limits.

When I'm flying with a few trusted friends is when I push it. I don't feel like I'm trying to 'show off', I just have observers to give me feedback, but not a crowd in case I embarrass myself.

Flying in large groups or very public places, is not the place to push things. Blowing a loop out in the middle of nowhere is very different than blowing a loop over houses, spectators, and other pilots at the North Side.

That said- sometimes flying in a group can lead to 'group think' (as can any group activity)... this is when everyone's decision making is altered because they are in a group. Flying in a large group, such as a meet, you might find yourself in conditions you are not comfortable in- but because there are lots of other people flying you do it anyway. What you don't know, is most of the pilots in the air could not like what they see, and they're basing their decision because you and everyone else are in the air... it's a vicious cycle!

that's my 2 cents...

[mtpilot]

I feel more adventuresome when the conditions are good and I have
a driver to pick me up.

[Wingspan34]

[Wingspan34]

But the goal of this thread was not to tell my story, but to hear what others think about this subject. There have already been a few unexpected and educational answers. Thanks.

[steve555]

For me adventurous means putting my drive time to air time ratio at risk.

If I drive 4hrs to get to the tow park and I only have one day free to fly that weekend I find it very difficult to venture away from the field. Not because I’m afraid of going XC per se, but rather I’m afraid of bombing out and only getting 15min. of airtime for the whole weekend.

If I get to fly two days in a row, or have already been in the air boating around for an hour, then leaving the security of an easy second tow becomes far less adventurous.

[remmoore]

"I wondering if "competition" stimulates this in most pilots or if wanting to improve one's own abilities is the deciding factor. "

I've never wanted to compete. In fact I avoid flying at sites where any type of competition is going on. For me, competition is the exact opposite of why I fly.

I do, however, fly an "adventurous" site, and have a love of XC flying. I think many pilots in my region might consider me more adventurous than is typical.

I don't disagree that competition sharpens skills and leads to more adventurous aspects of HG. I strongly feel, however, that one can be an adventurous and skilled pilot without competition.

Virtually everyone in the world thinks we are all adventurous with a capitol "A" for flying HG's. An individual's flying style, or his particular tastes in glider/site/conditions won't change that.

RM

[Wingspan34]

Thanks for that reply Remmoore.

But I meant competition in the everyday sense - as in attempting to be the high pilot, or being air hog for the day. That sort of thing. More of the friendly competition kind of thing.

I try to "compete" with my fellow pilots all the time. Unfortunately, I don't always (or even often?) get the day's title of "best" at this or that. And that's usually fine with me, unless I get a ten minute sled ride while everyone else gets a few hours!

This kind of casual competition sometimes does draw me towards trying something new - and possibly even being adventurous.

Part of why the opposite may be true (more adventurous while flying solo) is that I just get BORED and want to try something new.

BTW - A pilot can even fly "solo" on days when other pilots are flying too. If you get unusually high, or just drift a different direction down the ridge, you can find yourself flying solo. Often, to avoid crowding on the ridge, I might fly off on my own and look for lift in all the right (or wrong?) places. That, I suppose, is it's own form of adventurousness.

Do you strike out on your own when the air space over launch gets overly populated? Has this ever rewarded you with an unexpected adventure?

[SJ]

This is and interesting topic. I can say I had not thought much about it before. As I think about it, I realize I do not really compete with anyone else and the conversation of "how high did you get" normally bores me. I most often strike out on my own. I fly sights that do not normally produce much XC but rather a lot of running aroung the local area.

That means I spend much of the time not sure if I will make it back to the normal LZ and landing out just means a pain in the but retrieval. However, making it back is very rewarding.

As I think back almost ever XC flight I have had it has just been me and a driver or just a couple others. Not sure why. Perhaps the abundant beer when a group is flying attracts me. I also do not really enjoy flying with much traffic. So, I you are all going to fly over there(whereever that is), I am going to take off and go over there.

I am not sure if I would classify any of my flying as adventurous (despite the wuffo talk). However, my decisions are often altered when others are in the air. When I am alone or in a small group I do what I want and when others are around I mostly do what they don't.

[PilotGuy]

I tend to get a little more adventurous if there's a few people I know around. It's a lot easier to go XC if there is someone else keeping an eye on you and to help find thermals and stuff. I've only ever done 2 XC flights, and they were both at Team Challenge in Tennessee.

[Rob McKenzie]

I tend to push it much more when nobody's watching. Wouldn't want to set a bad example. But please don't tell anyone.
uh
Damn. Strike what I just said.

[Wingspan34]

[remmoore]

"But I meant competition in the everyday sense - as in attempting to be the high pilot, or being air hog for the day. That sort of thing. More of the friendly competition kind of thing."

I look at it more as "comparison" than "competition". If someone is getting higher than me, it indicates that there is better lift than I'm in. I'm not looking to get higher than that specific pilot, just to be able to get the best of the day. I look at others to see what's possible, not to see if I can beat them. I've learned alot from observing better pilots than me, but it seems petty to always reduce this amazing experience down to who-beat-who.

Regarding striking out on one's own: my personal philosophy on HG is that the pure flying experience is the greatest reward. I do what I want to do in the air, not what the majority wants, or the comp task committee, or the beer-suckers in the popular LZ. If that means striking out on my own, fine. If I go XC alone, I make the committment to waiting for hours to be retrieved or making my own way back. I fly the sites I want to fly, not the ones that the majority do. I launch and land on my own terms, not because the lemmings are(nt) doing it. It took a few years to be able to feel confident enough to do that, but it's a really valuable skill.

Being able to safely and correctly make our own decisions is the growth we all should be striving for. It doesn't really require pushing one's boundaries, just a regular use of the skills we already possess.

RM