500 foot rule and pilot opinion poll

Ok, this rule may address one senario, but may create another one that
is just as bad or worse.


Let say I am 3 miles out a 700 feet in calm air. Since where i fly we
have a 2 mile long runway and the finish cyilnder is typically
centered on the center of the runway the end of the runway is only 2
miles away. However I just miss the 500 foot finish at 2 miles out
(or am not sure if I hit it) At that point I hit a weak thermal (Which
can happen quite often at low altitudes) I am only 400 ft, but if I
can work this thermal to gain only 100 feet it is worth the 400 point
differnence between being scored only distance as opposed to speed.
(that is if I understand the rules correctly) Now you have a glider
thermalling between 400-600 feet AGL with other gliders finishing at
the 500ft level.
I think this is a much more enticing carrot for the competitive pilot
than trying to decide wheather or not to land in a field 2 miles short
of the finish. In my senero the choice is thermal at low altitude and
risk a mid air with other finishing gliders which most experinced
pilots might be willing to try espeically for just 100 or 50 ft gain
of altitude. In the original senerio the risk is if I don't make the
airport, I may damage an aircraft landing short and be out of the
contest all together as well as for the rest of the season. I think
the current rules are acutally safer than the propose rule for this
reason, as the consequences of a bad decision are much worse.

Brian Case
CFIIG/ASEL