The risk of a land out is part of the sport? Definitely part of XC comp
flying.

The weather in the UK can be sufficiently poor that a comp director will
launch the field knowing that the whole field are probably going to wind up
in fields.

Why waste the day? If you under set the task the top 50% will go around so
fast that the day is de-valued. Set it to maximize the day and you will get
90 - 100% of the competitors around. The 10% will learn and in time go
faster.

All of the above said, the idea of the GP format is to set smaller tasks
which keep the spectators interested. Different type of flying to normal
comps.


At 14:41 22 January 2015, wrote:
On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 11:44:12 PM UTC-5, Sean Fidler wrote:
Dave, I agree and raise you 3 just for the fun of it!
=20
1) I think 40% of task should be AT tasks and not 10% ;-).
=20
2) I think we should have a 30-60 minute start window and not be able
to
=
hang out indefinitely. ;-)
=20
3) I think we should be required to announce our start times (within 10
m=
inutes) so we can feel like we are racing if we meet with a competitor on
t=
ask (you know, in the 60 mile turn area) ;-). Yep I know this is counter
t=
o a proposed rule change.
=20
I do think our tasking is generally quite conservative and not
challengin=
g enough for many at regionals. That said, the last two 18 meter
Nationals=
(CD Eric Mozer at Bermuda High and John Godfrey at Minden) were really
fun=
and challenging. I think 4 hours was median. The later had a very
diffic=
ult job with surprise special airspace and weather challenges. Kudos to
the=
task committees as well.
=20
I guess I am fine with knowing we will at least have challenging
tasking
=
at nationals. I am willing to support the conservative tasks at our
region=
als if it helps maintain and grow contest soaring in the US however. But
a=
zero land out tasking strategy is not realistic or fair either. A
novice
=
contest pilot should be comfortable with and expect an occasional land
out
=
while learning the sport. Novice pilots (especially) should therefore
brin=
g crews. I sure did (land out alot and be sure to bring crews)!
Crewless
=
pilots "hands" at first pilots meetings is big pressure on regional
CDs....=
and thats not right.
=20
On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 10:50:06 PM UTC-5, Dave Springford
wrot=
e:
The post was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but in general, I feel tasks
are=
too short and that the maximum amount of day is not used.
=20
However, there is a significant reason European tasks are longer and
it=
has to do with Latitude. Many European contest sites are in the 50's in
L=
atitude (or hilly/mountain sites) and the soarable day can start as early
a=
s 10 am and go as late as 8 pm.
=20
Most US contest sites have Latitudes in the 30's and the soaring
doesn'=
t start until at least noon and then is done around 5-6 pm. So by
necessit=
y the task times are shorter.
=20
In my opinion 2-2.5 hour tasks are too short and 3-4 hour tasks
should
=
be the norm. Of course, there are some days when a short tasks is
necessar=
y to fit into a weather window, but these should be the exception.

Sean,

While I agree it would be most fun and interesting to fly assigned tasks
us=
ing the maximum portion of the day, it is the general consensus by the
majo=
rity of contest pilots that they don't want to deal with many landouts.
If
=
we use an honest-to-god assigned task on a given day, it is likely to end
u=
p in landouts in anywhere from 0-half of the fleet. Possibly more if it
is
=
REALLY overcalled. (Think about our Condor tasks).=20

However, that does not necessarily preclude the possibility of using
assign=
ed tasks, it's just they need to compromise too to the reality of the US
so=
aring scene. What if the assigned tasks are intentionally slightly
under-ca=
lled to provide landout insurance? Say the nominal distance on a TAT
would
=
have been 150 miles on a contest day, and call a 120 mile Assigned Task
ins=
tead? Sure, for the top tier it would be best to have a racing task that
us=
es the whole day and all, but perhaps by shortening assigned tasks a bit
to=
ensure a higher completion rate, we can have better "racing" than a TAT
or=
MAT while also making it realistic for novices to finish.

Best,
Daniel