Fling Competition Report: August

Overheard

Not every pilot is always in a playful mood.

‘They won’t tell me what they’re doing,’ he says, all serious and frowning.

‘Who won’t?’

‘Them.’ He gestures with his chin to the other pilots.

‘What do you mean?’

‘How come they’re all getting higher launches than I am?’ he asks, maintaining his seriousness. ‘They’ve all tricked their launches lines somehow and they won’t let me in on it.’

‘And...?’

‘Something smells fishy.’

‘Are you saying they’re cheating? Conspiring against you?’

‘I’m not saying it, but maybe that’s what I’ve been thinking.'

‘Perhaps your glider is heavier than the others. Have you tried lifting it in one hand and comparing it to the weight of one of the other gliders in your other hand?’

‘No, it’s not that. They’re working some new launch technique and they won’t share it with me.’

‘I’m sure that’s not the case.’

‘Well, something’s going on. I’m never at their height when I come off the line, I never have a chance of winning a heat. I’m always launching from what seems like half the height of the others.’

‘Okay, so what do you want to do about it? Are you lodging an official complaint?’

‘No. I just don’t think it’s fair.’

‘I remember that the second time you flew in this competition, you won the third and fourth heats.’

‘Yeah, but they hadn’t tricked their launch lines at that stage.’

‘Okay, tell me: these other pilots you’re flying against, how good do you think they are?’

‘I’ve never thought about it to be honest. They’re reasonable, I suppose.’

‘You’re wrong. Though no-one beats a drum about it, they’re awesomely good at what they do. Who else in Australia is flying Fling gliders competitively as often as we are?’

‘No-one.’

‘Who else in Australia is flying Fling gliders as well as we do?’

‘No-one, I guess.’

‘If there were such a thing as the Australian Fling Championships, these guys would make it into the finals. More, one of them would win it. Another would probably come second. That’s how good they are. I watch you. I know you fly competitively within this field. If I were flying competitively with these guys, I wouldn’t waste my time grumbling about the other pilots cheating. Instead, I’d be feeling a bit bloody happy with myself.’

‘Maybe you’re right. I hadn’t looked at it like that.’

‘What does your glider weigh? What does Russell’s weigh? Scott’s? Important information. Why not start there?’

‘Yeah. Whatever.’

The Leader Board

Scott: 8470 points

Dallas: 7591 points

Chris: 4887 points

Russell: 4488 points

David: 4380 points

James: 2829 points

Ross: 722 points (DNF)