At 16:41 30 January 2016, Tango Eight wrote:
On Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 10:59:45 AM UTC-5, Bob Pasker wrote:
as a glider pilot with some XC experience, and no contest experience, I
c=
an you what keeps me from contests: there is no 'on ramp'. =20
=20
the only way that I know to participate in contests is to participate
in
=
contests.=20
=20
What we really need is a way for people to learn about contests before
ac=
tually entering one:
=20
1. ground school -- 1 day covering eligibility, rules, launch & land
proc=
edures, strategy & tactics, traffic, equipment, etc
=20
2. flight school -- non-competitive contests in 2-seaters=20
=20
3. newbie buddies -- when you show up at a contest, team up with an
exper=
ienced pilot who will be your mentor for the duration of the contest
=20
Reno Air races has pylon school:
http://airrace.org/event/racing/rookie-s=
chool/
=20
--bob

Hi Bob,

All that has been going on for literal decades in the Eastern US, where
are=
you? (You don't show up on SSA.org)

Every single contest I've flown has had mentors available for the guys
that=
want 'em, even the Nationals.

Some venues are better than others, some years are better than others,
but
=
there are a reasonable number of opportunities here for the guy who is
moti=
vated.

As far as rules complexity goes... that's a red herring. The scoring
rules=
are complex (handicaps, devaluing for incompletions and short tasks,
etc.)=
but the flying rules are simple enough. There's a "competition guide"
whi=
ch covers all you as a pilot need to know to compete without problems or
pe=
nalties, that is very much simpler than the rules themselves.

best regards,

Evan Ludeman / T8

Evan, your argument has a massive hole in it. Ask yourself why, if these
great things have 'been going on for literal decades', there is still a
problem?