Larru Huffman, a brilliant XC pilot from PA sent me this note yesterday, and I've copied it here with his permission since it was so well thought out. Here's what he said:
I find that your desire to improve to be refreshing. I have always believed that it should be a never ending quest. It would seem from your posts that you are getting valuable advice and suggestions from the best pilots. While not being a comp pilot I would like to try and add some things that may be of some help to you."
First lets look at some reading. Helmet Reichmann's classic "XC Soaring" is my favorite and it is excellent. However "Performance Flying" by Dennis Pagan has most of the same information. It really boils down to the reader's preference. Another good one is "Winning On The Wind" by George Moffat. It was written in 1974 but still applies today. His ascribes to the concept of winning by not losing and low risk flying. This book is out of print but he has another Winning II that I have not read.
Glider size, design, wing loading, and pilot are just some of the things that effect flying performance. Some can be changed easily and some can't but the bottom line is we have to play to our strengths in the hope of offsetting our weaknesses. Even though it is older I too am flying a Litespeed 3 and I think that it may give me an insight into some of your experience. As you stated in your post small gliders may not glide as well as larger ones but as some of your comp friends pointed out jumping to a larger glider is probably not the answer. Ah the dilemma of the smaller pilot. I does help though to understand what the effect of differences in wing loading are.
For my explanation we will assume that two pilots of different weight are flying the same glider (model and size). Basic aerodynamics tells us that as the wing loading increases so does the stall speed. This means that the heavier pilot has to fly at some higher airspeed than the lighter one. This means that not only is the horizontal speed faster but so is the vertical speed. Yes the lighter pilot does have a better sink rate. This is why some people encourage pilots to buy larger gliders so they can be at the top of the stack. It would be nice if it were that simple but it isn't. If you fly a larger glider you will lose some control authority for the same inputs with the smaller glider. In other words you have to work harder and even then you will probably lose response time to these control inputs. In addition the effects of turbulence are greater with lighter wing loading.
In smooth air we can fly anything, but as turbulence (convective and oragraphic) enters the picture things change. Here is one of the areas were we have to reach a compromise with size glider we fly. In thermals I have found that for me to climb well it is better to have a glider that responds quickly to my attempts to get it in and keep it in the better lift. This is also important while flying in gaggles. Understanding how wing loading effects speed and sink rate is an advantage when flying with others. Remember to play on your strengths.
Wing loading also has an effect on gliding. Theoretically our two pilots of different weight have the same glide ratio but the speed that it occurs is different. Were you able to use the spread sheet that I sent you to calculate your proper polar numbers? Having the correct ones will make an improvement.The heavier pilot has a higher airspeed for the same glide ratio as compared to the lighter pilot. Again there is a horizontal and vertical component to this. So you ask "If the glide ratio is the same then what is the big deal." If our two pilots on glide both enter an area of sink and both fly the proper speed they will have the same glide ratio. However the heavier pilot will be flying faster and therefore get through the sink in less time. This is clearly and advantage.
In its simplest form cross country speed is determined by reducing the amount of time spent climbing. How you reduce this time is the essence of going faster. Better climbing, less time spent in garbage lift, awareness of our surroundings, and choosing better lines for gliding are a few. Remember to play to your strengths.
You mentioned changing gears while flying xc. I've always had a problem with pushing and not slowing down when I should. This has caused me to fly myself into the ground on too many occasions. After doing it yet once again last year I was determined to fight the urge to push on when it was a mistake. I literally had to talk to myself after that. Slow down and have patience became my mantra on light lift days. Some things come naturally but others require more thought and effort. When we don't think we resort to habit and talking to myself was my way of trying to avoid that.
How much vg I use is also based on a number of factors all of which dictate how much handling I need at any given time. Because conditions are always different I use different amounts of vg from 1/4 to full on. I even have the line marked in 1/4 increments to help me know where it is at. I have entered a thermal at full vg and let the glider get too slow as I initiated the turn. It entered a spin and cost me some altitude but it wasn't scary at all. Just a pain in the ass. I recovered and reentered the thermal and continued on my merry way.
I hope that some of this has been of value and I haven't rambled on to much. You have the right stuff and will continue to get better. Remember that sky is the limit.
Larry
more good advice about XC flying
Moderator: CHGPA BOD