Stress. Excitement. Nerves. I often feel some combination of these emotions before I fly. Different people react to these emotions differently.
When I am stressed, my tendency is to check everything on my glider many times -- unnecessarily, over and over -- sort of like the people who wash their hands 130 times a day. I dislike being bothered when I am obsessing, and have a hard time listening to casual conversation with any degree of concentration. I just need to check my leading edge one more time...
While my natural tendency is time consuming and annoying, it is not -- comparably -- a bad one to have. The main downside is that I may have missed the best time to launch because I have pre-flighted 17 times. However, I can be reasonably assured no one has de-tensioned my glider while I got a soda from the car.
One of my friends (who no longer flies hang gliders) used to have a hard time drumming up the courage to launch. Therefore, he would often miss the quiet air of the morning, which is where he needed to refresh his skills. Whenever Paul and I flew, whenever that was -- no matter how much our skills or our currency levels differed from his -- he flew. The air would often scare the hell out of him. One flight he told of feeling for his parachute handle the entire time, because he was sure he would tumble. We got to giggling about him flying around with one hand on his chute, but it really wasn't funny. I fully understood his stress, but I was frightened by HIS REACTION to it, which was illogical and dangerous (flying when his friends flew, not when it was appropriate for him). He flew powered aircraft also and I was never again comfortable flying an airplane with him, fearing that he might react to stress in a similar manner when he flew it.
I have another friend who gets sloppy pre-flighting when he is nervous. Paul and I have caught things (on his glider) like the fin being on backwards, a luff line being caught around a batten, and the luff lines being twisted. It is very challenging for this friend to take a breath and look carefully at the glider when he is overwhelmed by the need to pace and stare at the sky. This is also, obviously, a dangerous way to respond to stress.
I would venture a guess that when Bill was stressed, his tendency was to want to get into the air -- get the damn launch over with - so he could fly and relax once again. Obviously this is speculation but I would say with confidence that the reason he launched first at the meet and neglected his hang check was because the waiting was so stressful -- NOT because he loved flying so much.
The point is that we all tend towards different, often illogical behaviors when we are nervous. Perhaps this is another area where we can improve safety. Try to recognize your own tendencies and implement the means to change them if they are potentially dangerous. And I promise I will only pre-flight 2 or 3 times from now on.
Lauren
another safety issue, reaction to stress
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
-
Lauren Tjaden
- Posts: 371
- Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2005 6:27 pm
-
Flying Lobster
- Posts: 1042
- Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:17 pm
Great post Lauren. And you make a good point: stress is dangerous.
If Bill's accident hadn't happened, we'd all still be down there having a blast flying. Having said that, I can say that standing up there on launch behind Bill, packed into the middle of 30 gliders, with the meet organizer yelling "Let's GO! Let's GO! Let's GO!" (or something that seemed like that to me)...I was definitely nervous, and I didn't like it at all.
I react calmly to stress and can focus my thoughts (years of performing on a stage before huge audiences helps with that!)...but I still don't like it, and I definitely don't like it when I fly. I learned a valuable lesson---that I'm not ready to fly in pseudo-comps (like the Team Challenge was this year), and definitely not ready for real comps (and may never be).
I'm sure you're right---Bill's rush to get airborne was his reaction to stress. (How many of us go "Aaaahhh....that's better!" when we get into the air?) I'm so sorry he didn't recognize the danger of it. We talked a lot about how bizarre it was that getting caught on the ramp at the Pulpit without being hooked in didn't scare the daylights out of Bill. If I ever do that, I'll break down my glider and leave for the day.
For what it's worth, I can't imagine a greater contrast than the Pulpit Fly-In (just one week prior) and the Team Challenge. From the perspective of a new pilot like me, it was a HUGE difference. I felt no stress at the Pulpit, as everything was laid-back and effectively controlled on the ramps. A much better environment to gain experience.
Scott
If Bill's accident hadn't happened, we'd all still be down there having a blast flying. Having said that, I can say that standing up there on launch behind Bill, packed into the middle of 30 gliders, with the meet organizer yelling "Let's GO! Let's GO! Let's GO!" (or something that seemed like that to me)...I was definitely nervous, and I didn't like it at all.
I react calmly to stress and can focus my thoughts (years of performing on a stage before huge audiences helps with that!)...but I still don't like it, and I definitely don't like it when I fly. I learned a valuable lesson---that I'm not ready to fly in pseudo-comps (like the Team Challenge was this year), and definitely not ready for real comps (and may never be).
I'm sure you're right---Bill's rush to get airborne was his reaction to stress. (How many of us go "Aaaahhh....that's better!" when we get into the air?) I'm so sorry he didn't recognize the danger of it. We talked a lot about how bizarre it was that getting caught on the ramp at the Pulpit without being hooked in didn't scare the daylights out of Bill. If I ever do that, I'll break down my glider and leave for the day.
For what it's worth, I can't imagine a greater contrast than the Pulpit Fly-In (just one week prior) and the Team Challenge. From the perspective of a new pilot like me, it was a HUGE difference. I felt no stress at the Pulpit, as everything was laid-back and effectively controlled on the ramps. A much better environment to gain experience.
Scott
-
Paul Tjaden
- Posts: 398
- Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2005 10:28 pm
another safety issue, reaction to stress
In a message dated 10/5/2005 8:57:31 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, sw@shadepine.com writes:
Hi Scott,
?
To say your first attempt at competition was a negative experience is, of course, a huge understatement. I am SO sorry that the anticipation and excitement that you all had the night before Bill's accident was replaced with such pain and I certainly won't blame you or anyone else for not wanting to ever compete again.
?
I can't speak about your experience at the TC....I wasn't there. I can, however, tell you that at the three comps I have flown in and the one I helped crew at there was NEVER any?"Let's Go, Let's Go!"?mentality? at launch and no one was ever pushed or hurried to launch.?To the contrary, everyone lined up in anticipation of the launch window opening and it was always the more experienced pilots chomping at the bit and leading the way. Yes, there was excitement and anticipation but it was all pretty organized and controlled. All my comps have been aerotow and the launch crews?all seemed attentive and helped to double check that? you had done a reasonable hang check. As launch crew at the Flytec we were instructed to ask EVERY pilot if he had done a hang check and to try to insure they were indeed, ready to launch.
?
I don't write this to suggest that the organization at the TC was inadequate, just to let you know that?things are not normally chaotic at competitions and should you choose to ever give it a try again you will most likely find it a fun and exciting experience.
?
Paul T.
I can say that standing up there on launch behind Bill, packed into the middle of 30 gliders, with the meet organizer yelling "Let's GO! Let's GO! Let's GO!" (or something that seemed like that to me)...I was definitely nervous, and I didn't like it at all.
Hi Scott,
?
To say your first attempt at competition was a negative experience is, of course, a huge understatement. I am SO sorry that the anticipation and excitement that you all had the night before Bill's accident was replaced with such pain and I certainly won't blame you or anyone else for not wanting to ever compete again.
?
I can't speak about your experience at the TC....I wasn't there. I can, however, tell you that at the three comps I have flown in and the one I helped crew at there was NEVER any?"Let's Go, Let's Go!"?mentality? at launch and no one was ever pushed or hurried to launch.?To the contrary, everyone lined up in anticipation of the launch window opening and it was always the more experienced pilots chomping at the bit and leading the way. Yes, there was excitement and anticipation but it was all pretty organized and controlled. All my comps have been aerotow and the launch crews?all seemed attentive and helped to double check that? you had done a reasonable hang check. As launch crew at the Flytec we were instructed to ask EVERY pilot if he had done a hang check and to try to insure they were indeed, ready to launch.
?
I don't write this to suggest that the organization at the TC was inadequate, just to let you know that?things are not normally chaotic at competitions and should you choose to ever give it a try again you will most likely find it a fun and exciting experience.
?
Paul T.
Thanks Paul---good words, and I appreciate hearing about what it's like at other comps. I'd love to fly a comp someday when I'm more experienced. I know from my own experience whitewater racing how much more we can learn about our sport(s) by competing.
Monday night I sat with the other Region 9 pilots around Hank & Karma's RV listening to Kevin Carter talk about flying, finding lift, strategy---all that stuff. It was fascinating, like drinking from a firehose.
(I know you guys get that all the time!) And it made me realize again what I already know: that I don't know squat.
Bruce Engen said something I won't forget either: he said his first comp experience was as a spectator/volunteer, and not as a pilot. Very wise, Bruce! I'd love to come to a comp as a spectator/volunteer and just see how it all works.
Scott
Monday night I sat with the other Region 9 pilots around Hank & Karma's RV listening to Kevin Carter talk about flying, finding lift, strategy---all that stuff. It was fascinating, like drinking from a firehose.
(I know you guys get that all the time!) And it made me realize again what I already know: that I don't know squat. Bruce Engen said something I won't forget either: he said his first comp experience was as a spectator/volunteer, and not as a pilot. Very wise, Bruce! I'd love to come to a comp as a spectator/volunteer and just see how it all works.
Scott