There's a lot to be said for consistency in the sport of hang-gliding. I'm not quite sure where I stand in the realm of consistency. Is consistency flying regularly and learning from each flight, or is consistency simply having successful flights? Am I consistently learning while having successful flying experiences?
The past weekend at St. John was a lesson in doing the best I could at a new site that intimidated me. I didn't really want to land in the bailout LZ, but did anyway...why?
I left lift, that's why.
Shannon Raby once told me, "Never leave lift..."
That concept seems so simple, but I left lift at St. John for what I thought would be better lift elsewhere...what I found was better sink elsewhere. But, I also discovered that I don't give up like I used to a few years ago. In fact, I was working what I could unzipped getting ready to land thinking, "This is the low save of the day!"
But, that wouldn't be the case...so, I opted for a safe landing in a challenging bailout LZ after fighting for all it was worth.
The good thing is I also didn't beat myself up mentally, even after a 2+ hour hike with my gear as well as the gear of another pilot. It became a core workout and a day where I was clearly there to help others with their retrieve(s)...the day had purpose, so that made me happy. It also was a great workout, and I may not go to the gym for a few days simply to rest from the weekend.
The sharp contrast from my flying experience(s) at Chelan and my flying experience at St. John is like day and night, but in retrospect, they are pretty similar. I learned something from both road trips and that is what will make me a better pilot in the long run.
So, maybe consistency is consistently learning...