"Ted Wagner" wrote in message
news:1113884285.a78fd29b709c0208118e60bfb2ea8e41@t eranews...
The whole handicap thing remains a mystery to this racing sophomore. If I
had to fly my glider in soft conditions I would feel more advantaged, with
low sink rates and good L/D below 65 knots (but not the advertised 44:1,
which is a joke). When the conditions get strong (I fly in Arizona), my
competitors disappear into the horizon when I find myself having to find
my
next thermal. Often this means they get to the next thermal and I don't.
So
a glider's handicap seems to have quite a different affect in different
parts of the country!

It's a impossible task to make ONE coefficient to correct the
multi-dimensional problem field...

There are many scenarios that make unfair compensation:

1. Too long glide (for more-handicapped glider), I go to a field, others get
average speed
2. (Mr. Cochrane With lesser performance, I have to use weaker lifts, less
average speed as compared to flying the same McCready performance ratio
3. If clearly less performance, others fly together, me alone - almost fatal
in blue days and severely affects also in others.

To compensate the unfairness:

4. Rain wall, tough upper cloud or equivalent on the task: I win, because
everybody stops on the (almost) same spot.

Hmmm.. probablility: (1..3)/4 is approximately 25:1 (subjective guess)

I am accustomed to German handicap system (flying mostly 0.96 against
1.04-1.08) and admittedly being less of a pilot as well, I still feel
squaring the handicaps might make it even a bit closer (doesn't help 1.,
though)

2, and especially 3 are prevalent in most of the days

This evaluation is based both flying in (last 5 years) and scoring the
gliding competitions (last 10 years). Maybe the handicap system works better
when each pilot flies alone.

regards, hannu