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Old March 9th 18, 02:06 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Andrzej Kobus
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Default 18m Nationals weight restriction at Seminole

I just found out that due to a short runway at Seminole a decision was made to restrict the weight of each glider to 1150 lb. Supposedly the decision was made after consultation with pilots, not sure with whom. I would love to know who thought that it was a great idea. This leaves gliders with higher wing area (mostly self launchers) at disadvantage. E.g. ASH-31 Mi would have to fly with lower wing loading by 1.1 lb/sq foot comparing to ASG-29. It puzzles me greatly who made this decision and why. A much more reasonable solution would have been to limit the wing loading for each glider. That is how it is done in a Grand Prix event. In my opinion it is the only fair way to limit weight at such a low, for 18 m class, weight range. I don't think an organizer should be able to limit weight effectively creating a different class. I decided to withdraw from the competition. It is one more reason contest participation is dropping.