On Monday, December 21, 2015 at 8:25:58 PM UTC-5, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
" ...There can be no real dispute that open FLARM allows greater leeching.. Stop arguing about it.... "

There have been many posters arguing the above in one form or another. While not intending to offend ANYONE, nor intending to quote any particular individual... the above type of argument is akin to a woman arguing that her intuition should be accepted as fact in an argument! )

It is just as possible to argue that leeching BVR is a losing proposition, stop arguing about it... Andy is a smart guy who has taken the time to actually look at traces and has the skills to do an analysis.


One more time, Jonathan: FLARM facilitates leeching. I believe Andy is not disputing that; he's just saying that it doesn't pay off as a contest tactic. That's different than denying that being able to see gliders around you farther than the naked eye makes it easier to find and follow them.

I don't think gender has anything to do with understanding the difference between these two points but I do find myself empathizing a lot more with women who know they're right and who must deal with men who don't listen very well. Learning that you have a law degree explains a lot.

I don't think Andy has "proven" anything with his analysis but it's intriguing not just because he's a smart guy with an analytical bent and his own drone (note to CD: make sure that's locked up at Nephi), but because I confess I improved my performance in the two contests I flew with FLARM on several occasions, both with and without Stealth. Opponents may dismiss this as just more opinions or apocryphal stories, as they have others who have reported the same thing. Call me a liar. I didn't win those contests but I did get some help at critical times, help I wouldn't have gotten without FLARM.

At this point, no one is going to prove anything conclusive. Even those of us who were allegedly traumatized by leeches 30 years ago admit it's unlikely that anyone will win the nationals again with that tactic.

Andy, I noted your carefully parsed words about newer pilots. That they believe Stealth prevents them from tagging along with the big boys doesn't necessarily mean they could stay with them even with open FLARM. But you make a good point, with which I agree. It's been a time-honored technique to follow better pilots for a while to learn from them. But if Stealth hinders this, I'm completely in accord with open FLARM at regional contests, which is where newer pilots have traditionally come up to speed. I still think philosophically that it makes sense for our national contests to try to limit technology and techniques that detract from the individualism that's always been fundamental to soaring in this country. Yes, leeching isn't illegal and it's always been there to some extent. Open FLARM just makes it easier and that's why I--as a midpack pilot most likely to be displaced by leeches--support limiting its effects in a manner consistent with safety.

It's interesting that Stealth is being portrayed as the RC hurtling at light speed into the unknown. That might have been a better argument a year ago.. Maybe the scariest thing to FLARMistas is that Stealth has already been tried and found to work well. As several have observed profoundly: it's tough to fight change.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
U.S.A.