George Moffat is a double world soaring champion (Open Class, 1970 and 1974), a frequent U.S. national champion and one of the most skilled, experienced and courageous sailplane pilots who ever flew. Better still, he is a writer of formidable power and purpose. When he 'speaks,' pilots should pay attention. We ignore him at--literally--our peril.
His first book, WINNING ON THE WIND (1975) traced his early soaring and contest flying from the era of 'sticks and glue' gliders (Ka-6, Standard Austria, Elfe) to his triumphs with the early composite birds such as the Nimbus crafted by a young genius, Klaus Holighaus, and beyond. Comprised primarily of his articles in SOARING magazine, the book reviewed the principles by which glider pilots learn to fly better, faster, safer and more competitively. You didn't have to be a contest pilot, a glider pilot or even a pilot to enjoy it. The writing alone was worth the reader's time.
Now Moffat has done it again, updating his masterwork into a new book no pilot or reader can afford to ignore. In fact, as he points out, every flight in any airplane should be used to improve one's skills, not just stooge about in the sky.
The book, with typically whimisical but insightful introduction by Michael ('Platypus') Bird, is divided usefully into sections similar to the original, from 'Changes in Competitive Soaring,' to 'Contest Flying Techniques' to a series of compelling 'Soaring Stories,' which will interest pilots and non pilots at many levels. Moffat updated his new book to October 2004, but it will be many more years before anyone writes with equal clarity about the marvelous, difficult, frustrating but inspiring sport and art of soaring. This is writing of the highest order, yet rendered in the style of the man: low key and unassuming, despite its tremendous punch and importance.
Winning, Moffat writes, comes out of personal energy that is focused and applied efficiently. This is a metaphor for life itself but it is more: a lovely coincidence, since extracting energy from Nature is the essence of the act of soaring.
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