Flying vs. Racing/High Performance driving...
Do military aviators necessarily make talented racers/drivers and do talented racers make good military aviators?
Hopefully all of you can help me out with the second question. As someone with nearly 10 years of racing experience (before someone notices my age and jumps at the chance to call BS, I started racing karts at 10), including lots of instructing in recent years, I can answer the first, and it's no. Of course there are exceptions as with every group, but military aviators seem to follow the general trend in terms of learning curve, and in the end, ratio of fast vs. slow. I think they should be more adept at it, and should pick it up quicker but that doesn't seem to be the case. The culprit, at least in my experience, and that of fellow instructors, is attitude. Maybe some of you can chime in here and shed some light on it, but there seems to be a lack of willingness to listen and take instructions. This would doom your typical student, but it ends up balancing out due to an aptitude and feel for controlling a vehicle of any sort. Of course now you're asking how do you know whose just a private pilot and whose a military aviator, etc. Everytime you get a new student you ask them questions about, prior experience, hobbies, career, etc. This helps give you an idea of what your dealing with. Ohhhh and oddly enough, the only anomyly is ski racers, although don't ask me why....
Maybe a more appropriate question would be- "Do
above average/talented military aviators necessarily make good racers/drivers?" Unfortunately the sample size is not that large, and it's a little odd asking the person sitting next to you in the drivers seat (remember your about to put your life in their hands), so are you just an average pilot or an above average pilot...
Now how is this important or relevent? It's recommended that you contribute, as opposed to just asking questions, so the first part of this was my contribution to any of you who want to go racing some day (and incase you missed the point, LISTEN TO YOUR INSTRUCTORS
).
Here's the second part, I've mentioned this before, but the reason I'm signing up and going into Marine aviation is not because I'm an aviation nut. I haven't been dreaming about planes night and day since I was a little boy, nor do I know that much about aviation. I have always felt a duty to serve and feel my skill set that has been developed over the last 10 years in racing would best be put to use in aviation. I could very well be sacrificing any remote chance I have at racing pro, but it's one I'm willing to make. What is that skill set, and how is it relevent to aviation (if at all)? Well I was hoping maybe all of you could help me out on that.
Car control- This is just a general feel for the vehicle. Alot of people just don't have this, and it's difficult to learn, if not impossible. It's the ability to know where the edge is, and control your vehicle on that edge (when necessary) with out exceeding it.
Precision- It's the ability to place the car EXACTLY where it need to be, within inches at 100mph +. To do this you have to know right where all the corners of the car are.
Discipline- The ability to do the above, lap after lap, for hours on end depending on the length of the race. It's also involves controlling your emotions, despite what you see in movies or NASCAR, this is very important. If you want your car to last, and not to get hurt you need to control the "red mist" as we call it.
Scanning- Always having your head on a 360 degree swivel, checking your mirrors, left and right, knowing right where the other cars in close proximity are and whats going on around you.
Vision- Relates to scanning, your never looking right in front of you or at your nose, always as far as you can see, giving you time to react. The other thing you learn is to look where you are headed.
Concentration- The ability to hit your marks and be precise after many hours in the car, one screw up or lapse and your in the grass, wall or another car. Also if you do the math, generally 10-20 corners, lap times from 1-2:30 minutes, a braking zone before the corner, turn in, apex and turn out, it doesn't give you alot of time to screw off and think about what you had for breakfast.
General Mechanical Knowledge- Just what it sounds like, car break, you have to work on them, set them up for optimal performance. Dialing in adjustments etc. Although I mostly developed that from working and being around my dads shop (repair shop for Porsche/BMW) since I was 12.
There are many others, but those impress me as the most pertinent.
btw. most of my experience is not oval racing (NASCAR), it's from road racing, courses that go left and right, sports cars or formula cars, run rain or shine, 1,2,4,6,12,24 hour races, etc.
I'm looking forward to everyones input,
Mike
Mods- Feel free to move this to the war zone, or another forum if it's more appropriate there.