|
|
|
|
"Competition Enterprise" was born of an idea by Philip Wills following an article by Roger Barrett (S&G October 1973) to fulfil a desire to revive the 'spirit' of Gliding and bring back the fun to competitive flying. The Devon & Somerset Gliding Club, recognising this need, hosted the competition in 1974, throughout the early years and every 2 to 3 years since. To spread the notion, the competition has 'visited' many other clubs around the country and three to France.
It was hoped that there would be a wide range of entries, from 'hot' ships with all the trimmings to the 'not so warm' ones with open cockpits and string turn and slips. The tasks were to be varied and interesting - the atmosphere friendly and sporting. The brochure for the first Competition Enterprise opened with a foreword by Philip Wills . . . .
I recently wrote a book about gliding, titled "Free as a Bird". When I had finished it I realised that, over the past few years, the pressures of international competition were towards lessening the freedom and initiative of glider pilots. In modern championships the pilot's powers of deciding for himself when to take off, or when to start or exactly where to fly have been taken over by the organiser on the ground. Types of flying requiring particular initiative and a particular range of skills were and are being reduced. The more adventurous and uncertain tasks are being dropped out. Even cloud-flying, with all its skill and beauty, is becoming a rarity. The grid through which a glider pilot must pass in order to get into his country's world team is restricting entrants to an emphasis on a limited range of skills. Championship flying is becoming more mechanistic and less romantic. Luck is a dirty word.
As a result of my book, I found I was not the only pilot who regretted this, and the outcome is Competition Enterprise.
We are not competing against modern Championship philosophy. Even ice-cream has more than one flavour. We are going to find out if a number of valuable enthusiasts prefer strawberry rather than vanilla.
......... Good luck! We shall need it - with the weather etc.
-- Philip Wills
Competition Enterprise in the 21st Century
A personal view after setting tasks for 25 Enterprise Competitions.
Lest we, the current stewards of the "Enterprise" philosophy, be accused of hankering after the past, I intend to start with some direct quotes from Philip Wills, who specifically asked me to hold the "Enterprise" baton for him in 1974, when he presented me with his Book "Free as a bird"
First, he and many wise philosophers before him, have expressed the rights and privileges of the "freedom of man". I think the nicest way of expressing it comes in Philips "Free as a bird" prologue so I quote it with full acknowledgements.
He relates the story of that rare day when you get a launch at the right time and set off on a self set task for a few hours on a perfect summer cumulus day, and quietly glide out as the last cumulus dissolves.. He ends with this paragraph:-
"You have just had a day of freedom "in excelsis" : yours has been the sky and all that therein is. It would seem in retrospect as harmless a glory as man could aspire to. This book will try to show how this freedom was won and retained and to foreshadow the work and struggle that lies ahead to maintain it. For if it is taken for granted, it will, stage by stage, be worn away and, like the evening cumulus, will die."
Enterprise Philosophy.
Freedom in the Air was easier to assume in 1974, Philip had earned for us the right to control our own destiny, with a structure which was devoid of bureaucracy. It was with a real sense of sadness that he added at the end of his request to me to hold the fort. "It seems that we are only too willing to make rules which abandon the idea of free will or judgement....... do you think you can keep it alive, at least in "Enterprise?".
It has been my lot for the last 27 years to carry that banner of freedom in the eternal hope that some of the star dust, which I see so often at Competition Enterprise, will spread to the wider field of conventional gliding competitions, both here and overseas, acknowledged in the rules by which we fly (and even live). Therefore I am delighted to see the recent introduction of Designated Area Tasks, which represent the type of tasks set at Enterprise since its inception.
Sometimes I despair when I am told that competitors want to have an exact, and in all senses a "fair" task set for them to carry out on that perfect day. Would it be that perfect day if you had been constrained to do something which was only a best guess at what the day could do for you? Therein lies the difficulty of task setting for a day when All Pilots have different aims and objectives.
One pilot wants to be told to do something very exactly and to set off only when conditions are exactly right, and when all the rest set off at the same time, to be fair!
Another wants to set off when the magic of the day begins, and then make love to it for every minute which it grants him.
One is in his expensive, difficult to derig, huge glass two seater, whose partner has never even scratched it once and doesn't want to risk landing out.
Another is in his own K6 with 100 outlandings behind him, and doesn't even think of it as a risk.
In these circumstances I have had to find a formula which keeps faith with Philip, and at the same time leaves the pilots with freedom to choose how to exploit the day from each different perspective. That is the fundamental background to the idea of "no rules " when trying to set tasks and assess scoring at the end of each day. The winner is always meant to be the one who has beaten the greatest obstacles,
The task setter;
The weather;
The rules;
Himself.
Thus, and ONLY thus is freedom maintained. BUT....
Like all freedoms it brings with it a real need to understand the division between the responsibility to ones self and the responsibility to the rest of society... or the rest of the competitors.
Again Philip summarises the situation in 'Free as a bird,' Chapter 3:- "Liberty and Safety", after John Stuart Mills in his famous essay "On Liberty".
Today the political and sporting attitude is different from the 1970's, there is a much greater acceptance of "Directives" from our political masters and we seem less inclined to make a stand. "PC" has become fashionable but not acceptable, but the result is that even the BGA has a rule book of great detail and complexity which the average pilot would not wish on his greatest enemy.
Conclusions?
Philip's legacy of a gliding movement free of bureaucratic interference, promoting self determination, reliance and responsibility remains even more relevant today than it was 27 years ago. Enterprise represents that philosophy and tradition, which benefits the whole gliding community. We have inspired and achieved numerous UK records; we have had innumerable adventures. We are initiating a scheme for young pilots to participate very cheaply, and we welcome BGA soaring courses.
Above all, we fly whenever possible, and have tremendous fun. Come and join us."
-- John Fielden