"Marc Ramsey" wrote in message
...
Perhaps, but, am I really the only one who has experienced a near miss
after
finishing an PST/MAT using a GPS finish gate with no low altitude limit?

I'm not sure what your point is Marc but there is no such thing as "a GPS
finish gate with no low altitude limit". The minimum is 50'.

If you are meaning that finishers are coming from all directions then I
agree that it can be a problem. That is why experienced CD's call for
either a steering turnpoint as the last one or for folks to finish from a
single direction. In my experience the latter still can provide some
problems so I prefer the steering turnpoint.

If you are meaning that you nearly didn't make it home then I honestly feel
that it is a pure miscalculation on the pilots part. Every single flight
that we take we have to decide how much margin to put in re making it back.
That is totally up to you as it should be. But please don't blame me if you
chose to begin a marginal final glide and don't quite get there or barely
make it. I am a conservative racing pilot and the only time that I can
remember barely making it back (rolling finish) is when I had 30 other
gliders, half lower than me and in front, at the 1998 Uvalde Std Nats last
day. Even with that I was puckered and haven't done it since.

And I think that Chip has summarized things in the best way possible from my
viewpoint. Thanks Chip!

Casey Lenox
KC
Phoenix