Team flying - the family way

On the Lilienthal Glide the following was posted by Stephan Maikowski:

23.7.07 The Theisinger Family Always Up Front in the Racing Class
Specialist tell us, that team flying is the key to to winning. If the team consists of three family members, the success cannot be topped.
The brothers Georg and Martin Theisinger (LT and WT) have been flying together most successfully for the last 15 years and have participated in European and World Championships. For three years their nephew Florian (JT) has been part of the team. All three fly the ASW 27 from Schleicher, Georg in the B version.
On the very first day Georg came in second, and two of the three Theisingers have been among the first three ever since. Only Stefano Ghiorzo and Gilles Navas have managed to enter their ranks.
Yesterday, day six, wasn't one of their best days, because they only got into the first third of the scoring table. Fortunately, that didn't have any effect on their overall scores. The distance between Martin's score and that of his closest rival, Martin Büttner (DM), continues to be a good 120 points.
Their recipe for success apparently can't be copied easily. Normally they use close team flying and they say, that it begins even before take-off, in so far as they try to launch as close to the same time as possible. That also gives them a chance to enter their first thermal together. It only becomes difficult, when they are in the middle of a gaggles of sailplanes. There, it's not so easy to see the other team partners.
Another detail to observe is determining where to place the turning point within the Assigned Area in order to have the same distance ahead of them.
When one of the team members ends up far above the others, where it doesn't pay to wait, they continue their flight together as an info team, which means the first pilot passes on his knowledge about the whereabouts of good thermals. He also informs the others, where he made mistakes, so the don't repeat them.
Georges says, that usually the other team members close up on the first pilot within 30 to 50 kilometers making use of the information received over the radio. After that they continue to fly together.
Understandably, all three are thrilled about the championships in Lüsse. That's, what you would expect from somebody flying at the front of the table. Martin thinks that up to now all of the tasks have suited the weather very well. Also, he complements the perfect organization.
So far they haven't had to shake off any pursuers and haven't been bothered by sailplanes in gaggles.
Yesterday they were unlucky having left the gate too early, some seven minutes before most of their competitors. Those, flying in bigger groups may have had the advantage of finding thermals more easily as the clouds spread. At any rate the gaggle caught up with them on the first turning point.
They haven't got many opportunities to practice their team flying. This year they only have had three flights together starting at their home airfield in Landau. They concentrated on the mental preparation for the Nationals instead.
Back home Georg doesn't push his gliding as hard as on the competitions, where higher risks for an outlanding have to be taken. Thus he has managed never to go to the cows within the last thirty years. Quite a record, that is! Looks like he won't be a good client for gliders equipped with a turbo. In the 15m racing class this isn't a real alternative for a competition pilot, who wants to be able to get rid of his ballast, when necessary.
In spring Martin regularly flies in the French Alps in Barcelonette close to Gap. The three regularly meet in competitions, which doesn't leave them much time for OLC flying. It seems they have organized themselves very well. We'll see soon, if they will manage to keep their leading positions during the remaining days and will step on the winner's rostrum.
stefan.maikowski[at]maikoal.de "

A real demonstration of effective team flying!!!

Sven