The Mind Game: Flying the Race Before I Ever Strap In

Air racing isn’t only about horsepower and skill in the cockpit; it’s just as much a mental game. Long before I line up on the runway, as a pilot, I’ve already flown the race dozens of times in my head.

I go back to footage from training, like PRS earlier this year. I study the track, revisit each turn, each pylon, each landmark. Then I close my eyes and fly it again, lap after lap after lap, until every part of the course is second nature.

This process is called visualization, and it’s something athletes across all sports use. For me, it’s about building muscle memory before the race even begins. When I finally strap in, my brain already knows the course, I just have to let my training and instincts do their job.

It’s not always easy. Roswell will be a new course, with a lot of unknowns: hot weather, maybe crosswinds, conditions I can only guess at until race week. But mental prep allows me to stay calm and adapt, because I’ve already rehearsed what I can control.

Flying the race in my head is more than just practice, it’s a way to push fear aside, focus on the task, and build the confidence to meet the challenge ahead.