(ten degrees F this morning. grumble)

I could link a couple of flight logs, created by friends of mine, to stir the pot some more. I'm not going to do this, but I will describe them.

One shows a motor start at a quasi reasonable height AGL... except that there isn't a landable field within even a 60:1 glide slope. This pilot has been flying up and down the this particular valley for over three decades, this wasn't an "oops", it was a decision to fly a dying ridge over a completely unlandable valley in the hopes that it might work and he'd be the hero (else he'd just flip the switch and wait for the noise, which is all the modern ship requires). That was at a regional contest, on a crappy day, not even really worth fighting over (the pure sailplane pilots didn't fight, they made the sensible decision, gave up the task and landed at the airport). The second flight log shows an engine start at 300 agl with no place to crash. Pilot is over an industrial park and the parking lots are full of obstacles. He over flew more or less landable fields at (iirc) 1200 - 1500, just kept going. It was a run of the mill OLC flight, not even an especially good day. Not an oops, another decision. Both of these guys are *vastly* experienced, top notch pilots. Well, except as noted.

However, the advantage to motorgliders in record flying has nothing to do with being able to do stupid stuff like this. The advantage comes from conservation of energy (on the part of the pilot and crew, if any) and potentially enormous savings in time getting reloaded and ready for the next attempt (maybe the following day is a good one too -- it happens).

Furthermore, the scenario I have in mind has nothing to do with finishing off a flight at day's end. We can presume that would-be record setters will have a good enough sense of what they can pull off and enough sense of self preservation to avoid pressing a hopeless mission on a day that just isn't good enough. So the scenario of a pure sailplane pilot running the day to the ragged end and then landing 200 miles from home an hour before sunset isn't a common one at all.

What actually happens is you get blocked by thunderstorms. Or you get wave suppression on a ridge. Or you get squashed on one of the miles long transitions you have to make from ridge to ridge before thermals have started, or you get clobbered on a side jaunt off the ridge system for a triangle task because while the wind is tearing bark off the trees at the top of the mountain, it just isn't a very darned good thermal day in Stuart's Draft, VA (I'm recalling a specific story that some of you will recognize). A chase crew is infeasible for obvious reasons. A pre positioned remote crew isn't feasible, either, since the flight plan often isn't nailed down until the previous evening or even dawn on the day of the flight.

So a sailplane pilot can (and has) ended up in a field hundreds of miles from home, crew and trailer. A motor scooter in same situation can take a short motor run back to the ridge and soar home. That's a matter of convenience in the same sort of way that Gettysburg was a vigorous exchange of views.

No, Mr. Fitch, I don't have any XC time in motor gliders. I don't have anything against them, either, they make lovely toys and if I were as good at making money as many of my friends, I'd probably own one (but I'd keep my ASW-20 too :-)). Your arguments as regards 20 year old technology are just that. There's better out there *now*, never mind the potential for future developments, and the perceived reliability is such that guys evidently think it's good enough to bet life and health on.

I've tried to answer where I think the real advantages are w.r.t. record flying and why the IGC did a disservice to pure glider flyers, record holders and would-be record setters. Our B&R guys were in an awkward spot and the only fault I lay there is that I think they should have sought input from current record holders and active record seekers (mostly the same guys) before changing the rules as they have done.

best,
Evan Ludeman / T8