This week's tip is from a reader who has been flying for while. It wasn't really meant for publication so we'll keep his name private, but we liked his style. :-)

There seems to have been a lot of talk recently about gears, gliding modes and ways of making efficient 'progress'.

I recently returned to flying and have come back from a great trip.

Reflecting on that I realised I also had three gears.

1. Euphoric singing whistling and happy gear.
2. Bricking it.
3. Stumbling around the sky, looking for clues on how to prolong the experience: "ploughed field, cloud, slight rise, bird … ground."

I may add another tip: Don't set yourself the modest goal of flying 100km in 1997, give up flying (twice – kids and location problems respectively) and still be floundering around trying to achieve it in 2013.

Realise that when it comes to flying there isn't one analytical cell in your brain, just enjoy the ride!

Photo: Marcus King