Landout Maxim
Landouts are disasterous! In US competition, the rules simply crucify the pilot that lands out rather than punish him. So, it is imperitive to always assess your [risks] while on course both in the short term ([tactically]) as will as [strategically] while on course.
The pilot must make decisions before it is too late. This could mean taking a weaker than desired thermal to ensure future options or even a large deviation.
