Before I bother Uncle Hank, I have a question for the racing sages on
RAS:

Does anyone else think the practice of changing tasks after launch is a
bit dangerous? At the last regional I was in there were several days
that the task was significantly changed after the start of the launch -
different turnpoints, different type of task (AST to AAT), different
task times. And of course, the change was not announced until
everybody was airborne and gaggled up in somewhat weak conditions. So
now you have 30 - odd gliders, milling around in close proximity, and
trying to write down a new task, then having to enter it into their
flight computer and/or PDA. Whoo boy, that's a lot of fun!

Now I understand the need occasionally to change a task at the last
moment (I've CD'd local contests..), but I thought that was what the
AAT was for - to be used if the weather was iffy.

But here is my gentle suggestion for CD's out there - if you think you
might need to change the task at the last moment, come up with
alternate A, B, and C tasks before takeoff so the pilots already have
the task in the cockpit when the change is announced (and can preload
several tasks in some of the computers). A less ideal option is to
make the original task one that can be easily changed inflight (MAT
with deletable turnpoints, or different size AAT areas, for example).

A nice advantage of changing to an already selected and distributed
task is that the task change can be announced as soon as it is made -
"15 meter, change to the B task", repeated as required to cover gliders
in the process of launching, then confirmed with a roll call after the
last launch.

Comments?

KIrk
66