What are your thoughts about the Parallel Glider Race

https://www.wagdubai.ae/gliding.php

Sounds like great fun for the pilots and the crowd. How novel! ;-)

Good for them in trying to innovate and bring gliding into the view of the public.

Sean
7T

What do I know? When they first came out, I thought that the Ipad, Twitter, and Facebook would be total busts.

On Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 5:17:15 PM UTC-7, Sean Fidler wrote:
Sounds like great fun for the pilots and the crowd. How novel! ;-)

Good for them in trying to innovate and bring gliding into the view of the public.

Sean
7T

It's the ultimate evolution of soaring - no messing with thermal, wave or ridge lift - just cut right to the chase - final glide races. Pilot with the most accurate glide computer wins.

Is the course short enough that the crowd can see anything?

I'm curious - I'll watch one at least. Sounds kind of like NASCAR.

9B

Oh goody! Kinda like soapbox derby. Everyone starts at the same height
and the first one across the line wins! How exciting!!! Gotta have the
best computer, as well! My opinion is that this will do nothing to grow
the sport as it's not much to do with soaring. Thrill seekers will want
to do a fast downhill run from release to landing and will move on to
the next thrill. Competitors will be happy to have their names in print
and their pictures on TV. Lots of folks watch horse races, but few buy
horses and learn to ride.

Yeah, yeah... I know - the crowd needs something to look at. Old
curmudgeon that I am, I'll stick to flying alone or with one other pilot
far away from anyone.

On 9/29/2015 10:15 PM, Andy Blackburn wrote:
On Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 5:17:15 PM UTC-7, Sean Fidler wrote:
Sounds like great fun for the pilots and the crowd. How novel! ;-)

Good for them in trying to innovate and bring gliding into the view of the public.

Sean
7T
It's the ultimate evolution of soaring - no messing with thermal, wave or ridge lift - just cut right to the chase - final glide races. Pilot with the most accurate glide computer wins.

Is the course short enough that the crowd can see anything?

I'm curious - I'll watch one at least. Sounds kind of like NASCAR.

9B

--
Dan, 5J

Trust me, you need a lot more advanced flight computer (and programming & management skills) to compete effectively in our "US special" and infamous 1 turn HAT task! A long MAT is incredibly complex as you have to decide how to run out the clock near the end and that 10% of the task completely erases the best pilots flying up to that point in many cases! And even more computer power and skill to manage our "run of the mill, 25 mile radiused 3 turn, TAT!"

Timed tasks are incredibly complex both strategically and tactically and force pilots to heavily rely on computers to make critical decisions (when to turn).

Racing (Sailplane Grand Prix) tasks are incredibly simple. First one to complete the RACE COURSE wins. No computer necessary. In fact, any GPS (even one from 2005, with only a few numerical readouts, available on ebay for $10) would fully suffice.

You guys jump on this new event and try to tear it apart because you need a "better glide computer?" Are you kidding me? You cannot see the forest for the trees gentlemen. I'm shaking my head, again.

Sean
7T

On Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 10:43:11 AM UTC-5, Sean Fidler wrote:
Trust me, you need a lot more advanced flight computer (and programming & management skills) to compete effectively in our "US special" and infamous 1 turn HAT task! A long MAT is incredibly complex as you have to decide how to run out the clock near the end and that 10% of the task completely erases the best pilots flying up to that point in many cases! And even more computer power and skill to manage our "run of the mill, 25 mile radiused 3 turn, TAT!"

Timed tasks are incredibly complex both strategically and tactically and force pilots to heavily rely on computers to make critical decisions (when to turn).

Racing (Sailplane Grand Prix) tasks are incredibly simple. First one to complete the RACE COURSE wins. No computer necessary. In fact, any GPS (even one from 2005, with only a few numerical readouts, available on ebay for $10) would fully suffice.

You guys jump on this new event and try to tear it apart because you need a "better glide computer?" Are you kidding me? You cannot see the forest for the trees gentlemen. I'm shaking my head, again.

Sean
7T

WTF Sean? Did you even read what this "contest" is all about? Like Dan said - this is a "soapbox derby" GLIDING race, not a SOARING race! The web site even says there is no soarable conditions in Dubai in the timeframe of the games!

This is just a way to show off some pretty gliders in front of the crowds - too bad they don't include some required loops on the way - and a triple low pass "limbo" finish - that would at least add some energy management skills to the mix.

This will probably boil down to who can hold the most accurate computed final glide speed to exactly hit the finish line with NO extra energy! Wow, how exciting! Now, if they put the finish on a beach, and towed the gliders out over the water to their start point (at L/D max distance for the altitude) - that might really be exciting!

Kirk
66

On Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 5:56:04 PM UTC-6, Casey Cox wrote:
https://www.wagdubai.ae/gliding.php

Hmm, I think this is backwards. Make the finish line a gate at altitude and the one who gets there first wins.

Some cultural background will put this idea into perspective.

A big sport in Saudi Arabia is camel racing. In the old days, the Sauds used 9 year old jockeys, who do their tiny size, got great speed. When this practice was outlawed, the Sauds switched to RC robotic camels jockeys. The operator rides in an SUV alongside the race track and operates the robotic jockey.

On Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 12:49:55 PM UTC-5, kirk.stant wrote:
Now, if they put the finish on a beach, and towed the gliders out over the
water to their start point (at L/D max distance for the altitude) - that might really be exciting!

Kirk
66

Slight change to your idea, Kirk. Let them use MC=1 for figuring the altitude, and see who gets there first. That will be just as much a challenge of "who can hold speed the best" and will have less risk to the gliders getting all wet. Might even add some strategy of "Do I dive, use ground effect, then pull up over the finish line?" Sort of like that last pit stop in NASCAR. Two tires, or four?

Steve Leonard
VJS