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The "contest corner" is back -- I'll be writing more regularly for
Soaring once again. For all those hard-core fans who can't wait for the print version, they will be up on my webpage. A new article on MAT tasking is up now, http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john...Papers/#corner John Cochrane |
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On Dec 22, 6:10*pm, John Cochrane
wrote: The "contest corner" is back -- I'll be writing more regularly for Soaring once again. For all those hard-core fans who can't wait for the print version, they will be up on my webpage. A new article on MAT tasking is up now, http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john...Papers/#corner John Cochrane Good article. The last MAT I flew was like that -- 2008 Sports Class at Perry. We had 3 turnpoints assigned with 1.5 hr min (it was a late starting day). Most of the finishers were able to make all three plus one. One finisher made just the first TP and returned, to beat minimum distance by 500 feet. A few even landed out. All in all it was a really fun flight; I saw lots of other gliders on course all the way around. -- Matt |
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On Dec 22, 4:10*pm, John Cochrane
wrote: The "contest corner" is back -- I'll be writing more regularly for Soaring once again. For all those hard-core fans who can't wait for the print version, they will be up on my webpage. A new article on MAT tasking is up now, http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john...Papers/#corner John Cochrane Great article John, thanks. As one of the guys who really does look forward to the mano y mano racing style of an AT, but alas, we’re lucky if one AT is called during any give contest. Yes, I too find myself guilty of very quietly groaning under my breath (you can’t let the other pilots know) when a MAT with one assign TP is called. So I do hope the 2010 CDs are listening (I know Coggins is) at least where FAI classes are concerned, the “long MAT” suggestion sounds like a great idea! I eagerly look forward reading many more of your very entertaining and informative articles. 21 |
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On Dec 23, 12:32*pm, Rick Culbertson wrote:
Yes, I too find myself guilty of very quietly groaning under my breath (you can’t let the other pilots know) when a MAT with one assign TP is called. They know now Rick - they're watching you. ;-) In all honesty I kind of like the MAT with no assigned turns (I like variety so it's not to the exclusion of the AST or any other task). I enjoy predicting the weather on the fly. The problem on really dodgy days is that it can totally scramble the standings because things get UN-predictable. These days tend to favor the bold - the pilot who decides to "get out of Dodge" and racks up some miles going to some far corner of the task area following the best weather. Some of my most enjoyable contest flights have been these types. Here's another idea: A MAT with a couple of turns at the start and a couple of turns at the end to line everybody up again. Maybe 1/2 to 2/3 of the nominal task is assigned. Call it the "donut hole MAT", or the "leech scraper MAT". You're not head's down with the computer all day but you do have to make one significant weather call in the middle of the flight and you break up the gaggles. The slowest pilots in the pack might make no additional turns. You wouldn't want to make the final couple of legs too long because it would make estimating arrival time hard, but long enough that they weren't just final glide. 9B |
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Hi Andy,
When I take my turn in the barrel and CD a contest, I never assign a final turn. Why? Because I won't call a MAT in the first place unless conditions are unpredictable to the point I can't say for sure just where to send them. I always try to assign the first point so that everybody must start making decisions at the same place. Only at 3:00 PM will I call a MAT with no mandatory turns, but to make them all hit a final turn or two, late in the day with no idea what the conditions will be is something I don't like. The final point in a TAT is bad enough under unpredictable conditions, but at least you have a large hunk of sky to get in that last fix before heading home. I have seen MAT's with 2 first turns assigned and the pilot must decide which one to use before calling his own. Bad idea. Choose right and your a hero, choose wrong and you could end up being a zero. I do like calling a whole bunch of turns, so many that some wont be able to do them all and will be forced to quit and head home when their time's up. Call it JJ's AT, a way to call an assigned task in sports class. Happy, Happy JJ Andy wrote: On Dec 23, 12:32*pm, Rick Culbertson wrote: Yes, I too find myself guilty of very quietly groaning under my breath (you can’t let the other pilots know) when a MAT with one assign TP is called. They know now Rick - they're watching you. ;-) In all honesty I kind of like the MAT with no assigned turns (I like variety so it's not to the exclusion of the AST or any other task). I enjoy predicting the weather on the fly. The problem on really dodgy days is that it can totally scramble the standings because things get UN-predictable. These days tend to favor the bold - the pilot who decides to "get out of Dodge" and racks up some miles going to some far corner of the task area following the best weather. Some of my most enjoyable contest flights have been these types. Here's another idea: A MAT with a couple of turns at the start and a couple of turns at the end to line everybody up again. Maybe 1/2 to 2/3 of the nominal task is assigned. Call it the "donut hole MAT", or the "leech scraper MAT". You're not head's down with the computer all day but you do have to make one significant weather call in the middle of the flight and you break up the gaggles. The slowest pilots in the pack might make no additional turns. You wouldn't want to make the final couple of legs too long because it would make estimating arrival time hard, but long enough that they weren't just final glide. 9B |
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We had a MAT with a final turn called last year at Bermuda High. It
was a weak day, and the terrain between the field and the last turnpoint was not very landable. Turned out to be a bit hair-raising. TA |
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One good use for final turn is a "steering" turn to make sure everyone
approaches the airport from the same direction. This is particularly useful if there is a finish line rather than cylinder. That use worked well at Uvalde in 08. (I'd also like to see upwind final legs, so we don't have rolling finishes head on to flying finishes.) Frank's post suggests another use. It would be a good way to make sure everyone approaches the airport from the "landable" side. Many airports are next to towns. Putting in a required last point on the other side from the town would save us scary low glides over buildings. I'm glad to see we're getting creative! John Cochrane BB |
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JJ Sinclair wrote:
I do like calling a whole bunch of turns, so many that some wont be able to do them all and will be forced to quit and head home when their time's up. Call it JJ's AT, a way to call an assigned task in sports class. Happy, Happy JJ I don't fly contests anymore, but I would have enjoyed Sports Class a lot more with JJ running it! I preferred AT much more than the Sports Class "do your own thing" task, because DYOT is what I did when I wasn't flying a contest. I liked contest flying much more when the AT was the standard, because it was _different_ from my usual flying. Why put up with the hassle and cost of a contest to do exactly what I always do? Eventually (after 28 years), I quit contest flying because it was interfering with my soaring. -- Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA * Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly |
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On Dec 26, 7:16*am, JJ Sinclair wrote:
Hi Andy, When I take my turn in the barrel and CD a contest, I never assign a final turn. Why? Because I won't call a MAT in the first place unless conditions are unpredictable to the point I can't say for sure just where to send them. I always try to assign the first point so that everybody must start making decisions at the same place. Only at 3:00 PM will I call a MAT with no mandatory turns, but to make them all hit a final turn or two, late in the day with no idea what the conditions will be is something I don't like. The final point in a TAT is bad enough under unpredictable conditions, but at least you have a large hunk of sky to get in that last fix before heading home. I have seen MAT's with 2 first turns assigned and the pilot must decide which one to use before calling his own. Bad idea. Choose right and your a hero, choose wrong *and you could end up being a zero. I do like calling a whole bunch of turns, so many that some wont be able to do them all and will be forced to quit and head home when their time's up. Call it JJ's AT, a way to *call an assigned task in sports class. Happy, Happy JJ HoHoHo to you too JJ. I've seen the MAT used this way only once and it worked well. In my opinion it requires the same kind of weather as an AST - that is, fairly predictable. I wouldn't be inclined to assign a lot of turnpoints on a day with a lot of OD forecast, for instance. I do think you could assign a "donut hole" MAT on a day with good conditions and decent cu as thermal markers - the opposite of a leeching day (no cu). That way you put pilots' weather-judging skills to the test. For better or worse the MAT has been reduced to the "crap shoot" task when the weather is really dodgy, which I think is quite often the only reasonable call - as you point out. I'm just wondering whether we could find interesting ways to use the MAT on good days too - and maybe remake its reputation a bit. Is there anyone else out there who actually likes the idea of picking turnpoints? I think there is quite a bit of skill in choosing where to go. Do people think that's not racing? Maybe I'm all alone on this one... 9B |
#10
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On Dec 22, 6:10*pm, John Cochrane
wrote: The "contest corner" is back -- I'll be writing more regularly for Soaring once again. For all those hard-core fans who can't wait for the print version, they will be up on my webpage. A new article on MAT tasking is up now, http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john...Papers/#corner John Cochrane Thanks John for the article. Better yet: Bring back Free Distance ! OK, OK, I'll settle for Cat's Cradle. I'm off to watch my new copy of Sunship Game now. See ya, Dave "YO electric" |
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