On Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 9:25:12 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Matt Heron,

If safety is your top priority, then MAT's should be your least favorite task. The MAT is the most dangerous task possible. When you have a large group of aircraft flying in random directions back and forth over an area, not under air traffic control directions, you are setting up pilots for having a high chance of a mid air collision. An organized route drastically limits the chances of flying head to head with everyone going on a task (think FAI triangle IE).

Ask any air traffic controller how scary it would be for him to have 50 planes changing course, altitude, speed in a completely unpredictable manner and ask him how confidant he would be in the safety.

Even fly-in's for powered aircraft at Oshkosh or Sun n Fun have arrival and departure routes to fly to limit the chance of a mid air and keep it organized.

Perhaps you've never lost a friend to a mid air collision and know the reality that this is.

Folks we have two sets of rules in every country for soaring. First set of rules is the laws of the land, second set is the FAI competition rules. When we host a world championship here in America, we don't use the cockamamie rules of the SSA, we use FAR's and FAI, in that order. Don't forget that.

If you had a mid air and survived by bailing out. Even a good aviation lawyer could not defend you if you were violating FAR 91.13 "Careless or reckless operation.
(a) Aircraft operations for the purpose of air navigation. No person may operate an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another.".....if you were participating in a MAT.

Even with AAT's and TAT's smart CD's will utilize a steering turnpoint.

MAT's are VERY careless and wreckless.

Hi Wilbur,

I appreciate your passion on the subject. I am always open to being persuaded by facts. Do you have any to back up your claim that MAT's are wreckless? Is there a statistically significant increase in the number of fatalities, mid-airs, or near misses during US sanctioned contests over the last five years VS any other type of task? The data should be available. Convince me. If you can't however, then you should be willing to change YOUR position.

My safety concerns re FAI rules concern low altitude finishes. Are these allowed? I seem to recall a great deal of effort has gone into the SSA rules to make contests safer by changing finish rules.

Matt