Love is the opposite of fear

The first thing to know about an SIV clinic is that everyone’s scared. No one wants to fall into their canvas or pull their reserve because they’re in a free fall. The reality couldn’t be further away from the nightmare fantasies we create for ourselves as we prepare for the 1st tow.


Stine Cove at Lake Isabella: A graveyard for your fears.

If there’s any maneuver where you’re in a free fall it’s the full stall. For the first 50 feet or so you actually are in a free fall, but you learn soon that you’re not accelerating at 32 feet per second per second, In fact, you’re flying backwards in a choppy but stable glide.

I’ve found that it’s usually the biggest talkers at the gliderport that are the biggest chicken-shits at the clinics. I take that back, the only chicken-shits are the pilots to don't take SIV clinics. Regardless, I think it’s best to just be honest. When I’m afraid I say so. I’ve found that everyone gets real all the sudden and starts to share their experiences.

When I’m afraid first I check in with my intuition: Is this fear fake or real? It’s not natural for man to fly, so some trepidation before any flight is natural. The question is: is this fear real? I know real fear, it’s a message from your intuition. It’s simple, guiding and quiet. I know fake fear as well, in fact, it’s far more familiar than real fear.

Fake fear is the fear you taught yourself. It’s how you beat yourself up. You got it from movies, society and your parents. It’s learned. Real fear is different, it’s actually not fear at all. It’s a simple message. In my assault prevention training that I teach with Andre Salvage I know that every assault victim says the same thing, "I knew something was wrong". That’s true fear. It’s the voice of your intuition keeping you safe.

So I check in first. Is there a message? Does something feel different? I hear my intuition mostly through feeling. Some people feel it in their gut or the hair on the back of their neck. So far I’ve never heard that voice before flying. So far I’ve been safe. If I ever do hear that voice, I’m not flying and I don’t care if anyone understands my explanation. I’ve learned to trust my intuition unconditionally.

When I’m certain that I’m not experiencing real fear I need to take care of that fake fear that can be so debilitating. If you go into a tow thinking, “Oh my God I hope I don’t fall into that fucking canvas!”, you’re not going to have a very good flight. It could happen, because you could accidentally get back into the moment, instead of living in your self-imposed fear chamber.

A better attitude is to focus on what you love. Love is the opposite of fear.


What's not to love about this?

I love flying. I love everything about it: the freedom, listening to nature, the peace, going to places and seeing things few others have seen. I love being safe in the air. I know that with each tow I’m coming back a better pilot. Without fail that’s what's happened. So, I scrub out all those petty bullshit fake fears with my love of the sport, every aspect. Don’t overdo this, when it’s time for your tow drop it, focus on your goals, check the lines, even the chin strap. This is work for before the tow.

If you go into your tow thinking, “I love this. I’m going big! I’m going to nail this!”, you’re going to go big and you’re going to nail it.