Max Kotchouro <<motomax>>
writes:

Short version: I had so much fun it should be illegal.

Longer version: I am not interested in competition all that much, so going to a
competition event made me anxious a bit. Things were going to be rushed.
Performance anxiety. Pressure.

None of this happened. I took performance anxiety out of the equation by
performing poorly in the first 3 days. But seriously, the event is as laid back,
and smoothly running as they come. My anxiety disappeared by day 2.

I didn't feel rushed once. Yes, you have to be on a cart and ready to fly by
certain time, but you have hours to prepare. I had time to take a leisurely
breakfast, drive to a grocery store, very slowly assemble my glider, check
everything as many times as I felt necessary, etc. You get the idea.

Then there was a magic of five tugs towing us up. No long wait before you get in
the air. It was awesome.

As to the competition itself, I was looking at it as an opportunity to fly with
a purpose. It gives you a task to complete. Technically, you should always plan
your flights anyway, so here you can practice that. Practice working with your
instrument to help you fly farther.

Competition points. I viewed those as measure of my progress. Yes, it is nice to
win, but if that is the only driving force, then this event is probably not for
you. This is a practice comp, no reason to be stressed about the points.

Anyway, if you are an aspiring cross country pilot - this is the event to go to.
You will be practicing your cross country flying skills with help from very
experienced cross country pilots. And if you want to compete, same thing - this
is the best staring point for you, too.

Oh, and last but not least, flying in Florida is amazing. I logged more hours in
a week than I logged last year in 2 months back home.