Seniors USA 2009 Start and Finish notes..... # 711 reporting

On Mar 17, 12:35*pm, Curt wrote:
On Mar 17, 9:09*am, wrote:
.
. Well, we all were warned its best to slow down before
crossing into the cylinder at least 10 seconds before you get their
and don't count on your altimeter to read correctly at the end of the
day.

.
.

Thermal tight, Soar high, Fly safe. #711 reporting.

I expect to hear/see a LOT of comments on this practice being
encouraged. *Isn't this the most dangerous aspect of using a Finish
Cylinder? ... pilots focusing on the "top" of the invisible cylinder
wall and pulling up in front fo other finishers who are trying to see
the same invisible wall "top"? ... using different altimeter
readings? ...using relatively coarse GPS location and readout
delays? ... at ~ 200fps?

Disclaimer - If the above stated warning from contest officials was
recommending that pilots "slow down" not by changing their glideslope
(pulling up) but by deploying airbrakes to give their altimeters time
to catch up, .. then I retract my comment

Curt "still slightly favoring a Finsh Line" Lewis - 95

Maybe we should require that you be 100 kts and above the minimum
finish height for two minutes prior to finish. [Sarcasm intended]

I'd suggest that a gentle pull up is preferable to pulling the
brakes. It's easier to see from behind, easier to predict what you're
going to do next (easier to gauge the energy state of a glider pulling
up than one with its brakes open) and it doesn't pin your head to the
canopy.

What you hope is that the guy following you is flying sensibly. My
common sense approach to finishing is to visually acquire
any traffic that's called in ahead of you (4 miles out). If you can't
ID the traffic, maintain a reasonable cruise speed (staying higher
than you might otherwise) and keep looking. Do that and you shouldn't
have a conflict. If you suspect you might have a conflict, well, get
on the radio.

Being 20 seconds slow (due to finishing high) costs you 2 points.
Cheap insurance.

I really miss those old finish gate runs. That was a lot of fun.

Evan Ludeman / T8