the nxl and now 2 woth over a 1000k and a 3rd on the way

Post by **gary stenhouse** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 8:31 pm

what is going on in the flying world, a few years ago 75k was a top flight and now looking at the xc league that just a warm up. i mean ian break the scotish record a few weeks ago only to see brendem do over 150 yesterday. now brenden is at 940k with a 50 k flight so it looks like he is going to break the 1000k as well as mike cav richard westgate.

just amazing stuff to see such a high standard of flights going onto the board.

http://www.xcleague.com/xc/leagues/view-1.html

RonDon · Post by **RonDon** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 10:09 pm

It mite just be! What broom stick you are on?

RonDon

ron freeman · Post by **ron freeman** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 7:32 pm

Gary, a few things come to mind here. You say high standards or it could be good xc conditions or being available at the right time in the right place.

When most have to work for a living its very difficult to be out in the good flying weather all the time.

All pilots can fly xc if they want to.. but I give credit for the pilots who achieving big distances for great mental attitude & determination and of course plenty of thermals in a limited time span

Post by **gary stenhouse** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 8:13 pm

i think there is a lot to do with the right hill the right job and the conditions this year that have been drier than ever. however i do think there has been a big jump in pilots focust on xc, causing the bouderies to be pushed. as for weekend flying i go from been 36th in the xc league to 11 for weekends. it is true to be at the top of the leugue you have to be 100% focust at getting to the top and be able to shift from the north to the south even if you did fly 6 hours the day before. great if that is what you are after but after 5 hours the other day i realised that i would not like to of been flying the next day.

still absolute amazing what has gone on and i think you will see the british pg record of over 200k will go this year.

cheers gary

Post by **colin keightley** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 6:49 am

It's easy to say "I can't get out mid week" and use it as an excuse but fact is if your committed enough and passionate enough then you would have a job that allows you to work around your flying instead of flying around your work

jill mcgeachie · Post by **jill mcgeachie** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 7:12 am

Sorry Colin but who is fortunate enough to be able to fly when they want and still have a job which is gonna pay the bills?? Only those with their own business! Us mere mortals have to fly when work an weather permits an that's the facts!

milleboy · Post by **milleboy** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:10 am

Having your own business doesn't guarantee being able to fly when you want Jill.

Helen Gant and Richard Westgate both have jobs.

Who you work for is irrelevant, it's flexibilty, longer holidays (teaching?), or shift work that's needed.

Post by **gary stenhouse** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:40 am

i must say its just so easy runing your own business, the spare time the easy hours do what you want when you want. unfortunately once you become a company this no longer is the case, being self employed can be ok but when you have 9-15 people relying on you to keep them employed dedlines with 10s of thousands ain penalty clauses then it all becomes a different ball game. you can't turn in sick no matter how bad you feel if you do go off you have to prepare for it and if you do badly injure yourself you not only do not get paid you are likely to go out of business.

however if you are lucky enough to be on flexitime or it self employed you may get away with it, but in the cerrent market you could quickly be replaced if do not comit to your job.

Fingers · Post by **Fingers** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 9:16 am

The people who can spend 7 days a week 52 days a year doing whatever it is they wish are either still living with Mummy, pot less or VERY rich. Also either single, divorced, no responsibilities or shurking them or have a VERY understanding woman/man at home.

I believe ANYONE who wanted to could fly massive distance if they spent enough time at it, its not rocket science its all fairly simple really. Its more conditions and lady luck than anything.

Post by **colin keightley** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 10:41 am

I used to go to airshows with a lad who worked in newcastle as a data analyst and as long as he put in his 45 hrs a week he could do them when ever he wanted 24/7 granted these jobs are few and far between but it depends how much you want it. The average flyer probably doesn't think the struggle to find the job or the possibility of a long commute is worth it, I certainly don't but them I'm not committed / enthusiastic about flying XC

Chris L · Post by **Chris L** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 11:01 am

It takes skill dedication and commitment to learn and fly long xc flights.
But once you start to get the experience and skill to be able to do this then being able to log long flights on XC Leagues is a lot to do with having the flexibility and freedom to able to get the time off on the good days.
For this reason XC leagues don't provide a level playing field for many. They just show who can get the time off when they need to.
Competitions put everyone on a more equal footing where pilots compete at the same time on the same day in the same conditions.
On days where everyone flies from the same hill at the same time the best pilot is the one who flies the furthest.
I'm sure the pilots at the top of the XC league are some of the best in the land but I'm also certain that there are other pilots who are equally as good but just can't get out on the good days.
For me XC flying is about adventure and exploration and not about competing for trophies. I think for many its frustrating entering flights on XC leagues because they are a 'league' comparing positions against other pilots and aren't a true measure of how good a pilot you are They can also make you competitive and stop the enjoyment of just flying a good flight. Its great to able to go XC but its also great to just boat around sometimes and appreciate where you are and what you are doing

RonDon · Post by **RonDon** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 11:26 am

Being out on the hill with your flying mates and like minded people means a lot to me, and a drink and a natter when the flying is over.

RonDon

milleboy · Post by **milleboy** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 12:01 pm

Some good points....

But look at the weekend league..
http://www.xcleague.com/xc/leagues/view-1.html?vx=40

Familiar names still at the top. It's about commitment and skill not your job!!

This is somethink I lack

Post by **gary stenhouse** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 12:55 pm

yep it certainly is and the learning curve is slow but i think i have finaly turned a corner that has now getting me to a average of 40k. also i feel i am relying less on luck though you still need it. patience is my downside and i know it is, as if i get this the rest will fall in place. good glider good confidence a pee tube sorted. though i know i have so much more to learn to be in the top 30 but i hope to stay in the top 50

cheers gary

Chris L · Post by **Chris L** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 1:44 pm

I hadn't realised there was a weekend league, I think thats a farer comparison for most pilots (if they were aware of it)

Post by **gary stenhouse** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 3:13 pm

i pointed this out ages ago as for me, i have always ended up surpisingly high by doing this, also if you then took away the southern flights then you would end up even higher.

for me i has been a little bit of a booster as i know that if i could be out i could have a good chance of holding my own, so knowing that being mainly a weekend warrier and scoring fairly high lets you think you may not be doing so bad.

you can also seperate into clubs as well this was one of the reasons that i had brought this up last year in referance to club comps and sites as well as weekends as it would be dead easy if all pilots who were in for the prizes put there flights on the nxl to make life even easier. i even paid for up to 25 of are club pilots to do this.

but if i remember i was shot down that i was trying to make an elaetist club to exclude others

cheers gary

brian day · Post by **brian day** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 9:17 pm

Being out on the hill with your flying mates and like minded people means a lot to me, and a drink and a natter when the flying is over

Quite agree, when there's a level playing field then competition is fine, as long as we are flying different wings in different air people will always have excuses.
OK, I competed at the highest levels on a similar basis for a long time, but as I look back and realise the compramises that were made, money spent, careers waisted, relationships tested to their limits, temper tantrums and above all, time, and for what, a few gongs that are hidden in the roof and a moment of glory.
No,,,,honest guys, it aint worth it!!!!
Took 15 years before I went back to a swimming pool and I've never set foot in a canoe since I finished, if that's what you want to do to your flying then continue down the path of personal destruction.
Go out flying, enjoy, if you fly far, then great, if you do a top to bottom, well it aint your day, but so what, enjoy being out in the countryside.
Yes I've heard the argument that without competition advances wouldn't be made in equipment, but I would argue that fact, there will always be improvement as long as man has a design and a desire, few, if any designs from top performance come down to the grass routes of sport as the demands have totally different parameters.

Think Sunday could be a great day for a record breaking out and return open triangle! I've already declared mine!

Andrew Maltby · Post by **Andrew Maltby** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 9:28 pm

Well done Gary,Jim and Ali for this weeks flights, inspirational stuff.!Watching from afar its great to see NHPC names moving up the xc league after so many years absence. Just waiting for the first one through 100k! Sure it won't be long.

BTW If paul or Kay ask, you ain't seen me right

Kay · Post by **Kay** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 10:05 pm

Andrew Maltby wrote:
BTW If paul or Kay ask, you ain't seen me right

Toooo Late

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Jim Bittlestone · Post by **Jim Bittlestone** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 10:36 pm

Hi Andrew, I mean, er Joe, thanks for that mate, I've had some good mentors, Ali's taken on the task more recently, I'm learning all the time. On the membership thing, Kay will get you, it's best to pay up, we've already had one back tracking, cowering in the corner...and he was already paid up! It's a thankless task and Kay's doing a great job, (but good luck mate)

Here's hoping you can come on our next trip. It's been yonks since we've flown together, oh and I finally bought your pod harness, you were right, it does suit me, loving it, but don't tell Neil. Sshh. I still owe him a bottle of red to seal the deal. He's insisting on some posh French stuff now I've had a decent flight on it, Lambrini Nun or summat?

Tuesday was an amazing day, not really strong thermals but just enough to get by on, everywhere I went worked, blind luck.

It's like the great man Mad Dog says "It's better to be a lucky pilot than a good pilot" How very true.

Just over 4 hours flying from the Dales to the coast, almost got as far as Ali, although he could have gone on as he was high, but chose to land with Jake to make the retrieve easier. Gary did really well too, much more patient than he usually is.
100k? Hmm, I may have used up my luck already? We could have done 100 on Tuesday possibly, if we went to Parlick early instead of Wether so who knows?

Bradleisure · Post by **Bradleisure** » Sat Jun 18, 2011 3:38 pm

Jim Bittlestone wrote: blind luck.

The more you practice Jim the luckier you seem to be getting!

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the nxl and now 2 woth over a 1000k and a 3rd on the way

the nxl and now 2 woth over a 1000k and a 3rd on the way

High standards or good xc conditions or...