On Tuesday, December 29, 2015 at 10:54:41 PM UTC-5, XC wrote:
On Tuesday, December 29, 2015 at 10:01:03 PM UTC-5, Andy Blackburn wrote:
On Tuesday, December 29, 2015 at 4:40:49 PM UTC-8, XC wrote:

Biggest loser, though, is the sport of soaring. We lose our heros. These are the great personalities that make this sport attractive young pilots. This sport was built by bold pilots who did great things, who consistently demonstrated an uncanny knack for finding thermals when no one else could.

I have to say when I read this it sounded like a description of Ramy flying OLC from Monterrey to Truckee and back or Gordo and Jim Payne doing crazy distance flights in the wave.

Racing is really about tactical optimization under uncertainty, which is why you find so much gaggling and other tactical behavior - quite a different sport from OLC altogether. Flarm adds some dynamism to the pure tactical game of yore by spreading out the field. It's not clear that wanting to use Flarm tactically is much more than an emotional security blanket. It may in fact result in more spreading out of the field, more independent action and more heroic flying.

Funny how things go full circle sometimes.

9B

A sailplane contest should determine who is the best glider pilot. In fact that is the first rule in the rule book. We all know what skills it takes whether pure cross country, badges, OLC, or competition. That's why in the past contest winners were also record holders.

The rules should reward those who possess these better soaring skills. Now we are getting into this BS that a glider contest is about something else, a new set of skills. Further proof that we have a fuzzy picture of what our sport is about.

If we can't even get together on what our sport is about, how can we expect bright young people to be sold on it.

XC

I concur with XC. You guys that support Flarm for safety reasons is fine, but how about looking outside the old fashioned way and make your own decisions. My current career position has me looking inside the cockpit a large percentage of the time, technology is great, but is really limits pilot awareness especially outside the cockpit. You can keep your contests, and I'll be looking outside when I'm flying my glider for fun...