Good post Chip, but it turns out that it's not true that we just send the same pilots over and over again. A few stalwarts (masochists?) like Gary Ittner have done it many times, but you just notice them. Most pilots on US teams have gone to exactly one WGC, and most US team slots have been to pilots who went once. One problem the US team is trying to solve is the consequent loss of knowledge and experience. I'm an example, I went once, learned a lot, but all that experience is lost. Most of the team I went with (Kelly, Tyler, Elliot) went once, only Elliot going again, and that to Uvalde. It cost north of $35,000 and that was 2010.

I wonder if other teams are having this difficulty. Also knowing we're one step behind on the technology side before we show up can't help.

John Cochrane