"GOODBYE, PAPA GOLF"

[miltonpilot JLH]

FYI: For those of you who that don't know already, this is a new book written by Chip Bearden.  I bought the book from Amazon, received it three days ago and finished reading the 380 pages tonight.  It's that good!  I highly recommend it!

Jimmy Hamilton/H4

Sparks, NV

[David Cleveland]

Thanks for the steer, Jimmy. Since all I'm doing these days is thinking about soaring, this is a nice diversion.... reading about soaring.

DC

[Chip Bearden]

Thanks for the kind words! I'm truly grateful for--and flattered by--the favorable response to the book. Whether you've read it or not, I recently delved into more backstory and insights on The Thermal podcast. I've been a fan of Herrie ten Cate's interviews with soaring personalities for some time, often tuning in during my drives to and from contests. But you don't have to wait for the Northern Hemisphere's weather to turn to listen in!  https://thethermalpodcast.libsyn.com/the-thermal-episode-45

There's also more info on the Web site, including the book review from this month's Soaring mag, reader comments (including from a few soaring luminaries), and an excerpt : https://chipbearden.com

You can also read an excerpt and order the book on the Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CF48TZVK?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_9TN03785TJRAN7FG9SDX. Finally, it's also available from the SSA. https://www.ssa.org/product-category/books/

Thanks!

Chip Bearden

"JB"

[cbb...@sbcglobal.net]

I think that I may be your biggest supporter so far, JB.

I bought 8 or 9 copies through Amazon and had all, but one, sent to members of my club as Christmas /HNY presents. Club president, tow pilots, instructors, etc., all got a copy. Even our resident DPE got one!

One went to my house, and I have just finished it. Great read.

The chapter (21 maybe?) that has the description of what soaring is like must be one of the best descriptions for non-flying folks that I have read so far.

I often struggle with describing to my ground-based friends.

 

Thanks for sharing your life, JB!

 

Kind Regards,

DD

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[Chip Bearden]

Mystery solved!! :) Thanks, DD, for shedding light on that bump in late December sales.

You've joined the ranks of readers who've singled out Chapter 21, a portion of which follows:
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"This is the moment when life changes, when the waiting and talking cease and I am transported, literally and figuratively, to a more exalted state that transcends my earthly distresses. Whatever might be troubling me in life, towing off in my sailplane begins an interlude--sometimes of only minutes but more often hours--when everything else dwindles to irrelevance.

"When I awaken, I know my competitors and I will share a common purpose: to fly around the course as fast as possible. Throughout the day, that will be our foremost thought, displacing other cares and apprehensions.

"Soaring infuses me with a euphoria and enchantment that escape most people. Part of the appeal arises from engaging the country’s best pilots in a complex sport. I enjoy the sense of self-reliance. Much later, Into Thin Air author Jon Krakauer will write that Everest teammate, John Taske, a commander in the Australian Special Air Service, began climbing to provide what he missed on retiring from the military: viz., “[T]he challenge, the camaraderie, the sense of mission.” When I read this, I will smile in understanding.

"I never served in the military, so nowhere else have I experienced the collective sense of resolve, the missions through marginal weather over hazardous terrain in an arena where each pilot is relentlessly pushing and being measured by and against others. In the cockpit, I alone am responsible for everything that happens. Part of the allure is pushing myself to my perceived limits, a sensation few seek, much less experience, in their sensibly ordered lives on the ground. I wonder how many people know, really know their limits. Caught up in what author and pilot Richard Bach referred to (in his book, Stranger to the Ground) as a “droning adventureless existence,” most have never really tested themselves, be it in combat or climbing Mount Everest--or in flying or marathon running."
----------
I once contemplated axing the entire two-page section from which this is excerpted to trim down the manuscript (yes, it was even longer then! LOL). But my editor and a few non-pilot friends who read it convinced me otherwise. It's heartening to hear it resonates with you, too. Thanks, once again!

Chip Bearden
"JB" 

[Stephen K. Brown]

Chip - Finished the book on a trip just a couple days ago. It falls into the "Must Read" category by far! It caught me off-guard, as I never really fully understood what the book was about.  The best part for me (And maybe others) is it helped me understand myself and why I enjoy soaring (ok a marathon or two in the past too) so much - enlightening. I happened to pick up a copy at the National Soaring Museum if I recall, but it sat in my pile of books to read for a few months. Once I picked up - I found myself reading way beyond what I had planned in my schedule, I finished about 3 times faster than almost all others.

As an Aviation Safety Professional I greatly appreciated and understood your debate, experience and rectifying in your own life that you shared about the "The Riskiest Thing I Do". I.e. I get it...Although the details are different for each of us, there is so much similarity I believe for all pilots can endear themselves to at least major portions of the book, if not in it's entirety.

For others - if you have not read it, change that - One of the very few books that meets the "Must Read" criteria.

Thanx

SKB

[Peter N. Steinmetz]

It does sound like a good book from what people say here. But reading someone’s description of how their father died seems way too morbid and depressing to me - sorry Chip.

How did others feel about that aspect of it?

Peter

[Chip Bearden]

I’ve been waiting for someone to say, “No, no, Chip’s book is not depressing!” Oh, well. :)

I agree reading about death can be difficult, especially for those of us in aviation who’ve lost friends and don’t need reminders of the risks.

And it’s true, as Stephen Brown noted in his flattering review above (thx!), that I don’t exactly ignore those risks. That said, I attempt to convey how I manage them and why many of us continue to fly despite them.

Obviously I couldn’t pretend my father’s crash--which occurred when we were at the 15M Nats--wasn’t emotional. But I tried to explain what happened and how we all dealt with it. I think of it not as a fascination with tragedy but as an appreciation for what keeps drawing us back.

I hoped Goodbye, Papa Golf would be uplifting. After all, the accident is just one part of a much larger story that begins 20 years earlier and goes on for another 40, covering the ups and downs of soaring and other aspects of life and, importantly, staying in our sport.

And I’m still at it! I just returned from a great regional at Perry, SC, with spectacular weather every day (not unprecedented, but rare). And the Mifflin Sports Class Nats start next week. At every soaring function I attend, I’m touched when people tell me they enjoyed the book. Feedback in general has been wonderful (see the Web site). But, hey, it never gets old! 

I’ve also heard from a few who said it just didn’t work for them. That’s fine, too. I also suspect there are more who were too polite to say so! Hahaha

Not to worry: I received plenty of critical remarks from readers of preliminary drafts of the manuscript, nearly all of which I incorporated in the final version. Even so, I knew the book wouldn’t appeal to everyone.

Many have mentioned the book’s theme of perseverance, continuing to move forward despite the obstacles we all face. But it’s hard to develop that theme without addressing both the highs and the lows.

I’ve also been told the book captures the appeal of soaring. That’s cool, because explaining soaring has always been frustrating. Gratifyingly, even non-pilots (especially pilots’ spouses and partners who’ve ended up with their pilot’s copy) have said it helped them understand for the first time why we’re so captivated by this wonderful sport.

In any case, if you do decide to give it a try, I hope you find it speaks to more than just one difficult event.

Reviews & feedback: https://chipbearden.com/home-page/what-others-are-saying/

[Bill Hill]

😄

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