On Tuesday, December 29, 2015 at 4:40:49 PM UTC-8, XC wrote:
SNIP I believe this business of being able to see contest numbers and their established climb rates is bad for sailplane racing.


You must have a better Flarm than I do. The climb rates I see on my tactical display are a complete fantasy. The altitude might hint at the climb rate, if watched over several minutes. So let's see, 4 minutes watching to establish the real climb rate, then roll out and head that way say 4 miles away, arriving 7 minutes after the climb started and maybe 3000 ft lower. Chances of finding that same climb? Pretty slim from experience. Pretty slim according to Andy's retrospective analysis.

I'd call myself a "Flarm Observer" more than a "Flarm Follower". I've learned that Flarm Following rarely pays. But like John, I do enjoy seeing what others are up to. Far from ruining the sport, it has made it more enjoyable..

If you want to see what you can do, all alone, picking the best thermals for the day, then OLC is the ideal venue.