I agree Tim. I enjoy hearing when others start. It allows me the chance of understand how I am doing (if I have caught them, or if they have caught me) if I run into them during the task.

Its one of the only parts of most US tasks that makes me feel like I am racing. Even though it may be a wide TAT, it still gives you some idea of how its going so far. The fact is that in most tasks do not feel like like a "race" anymore. They feels like an easter egg hunt. Local knowledge is knowing where the eggs usually are hidden. Everyone fly's around the task area randomly searching for the best easter eggs.

In Minden last summer, "certain" pilots made a point of never calling in their start time. Foolishly, I always did out of respect for my wife. I would fly the whole task, sighting that same glider at various times...including final glide. For 30 minutes we flew along together to the finish. I had no idea what the situation was between us. I had to wait an hour or two to see if he started before or after and see who actually "won!" It would certainly make the flights more fun and more tactical to know your relative start times. No, I was not leeching! We kept leapfrogging each other and were out of sight most of the time! ;-)

I think the result of this proposed rule change will be that not a single pilot calls in. Not only does this make the task less exciting, but it is makes the experience for spectators less exciting. Crews have no idea when to expect you back based on the majority of our tasks including the concept of minimum time.......

Sean