RICHARD OWEN wears the medals awarded to the top three finishers each day. Before landing, Owen dumps the water ballast he carried during the race to equalize wing loading among competitors. Dumping the water reduces the energy of the glider. 70 | AOPA PILOT August 2017 The pilots strap on their parachutes, and Owen climbs into the tight cockpit-much smaller than that of the F/A-18 he used to fly. The panel is crowded with small but sophisticated instruments. He belts up and goes through his preflight checklist, waiting for the start of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Sailplane Grand Prix USA Orlando competition, held at Seminole Lake Gliderport in Clermont, Florida. Owen's call sign in the U.S. Navy was "Micro," earned for expending eight of his lives-and his impellent need to micromanage his ninth. Navy flying was some of the most challenging flying that Owen has ever done. The exacting skill of landing