MATs

Tom,

The "winner?" in an OLC, HAT (one or zero turn MAT) is the one who made the best weather guess (while flying well) about where the soaring conditions will be best for that afternoon. This is a fact. Luck and weather forecasting "skill" is a major, major part of that result. US Tasks have clearly become much more about "weather guessing" while managing expensive flight computers to manage numerous FREE turn point combinations and minimum time finish requirements.

AST, AT. I think people get it. Give me a break!

Finally, there are no FAI classes in the USA. Except for 15/18 (pure) our classes are basically all flavors of US Sports class with a slightly narrowed handicap range. Sadly, this also includes the US "Club?" class now that the glider list (and handicap range) has been modified from the FAI prescribed glider list against the wishes of many US Club Class pilots. Look at the recently "renamed" FAI HANDICAP CLASS at the Pan American Championship coming up this April in Benton. That was originally named the FAI Pam Am CLUB CLASS. But "US insistence" on changing the allowed gliders, handicap range (and other rules) from standard FAI ultimately resulted in FAI requiring the word FAI CLUB be removed and replaced with the name FAI HANDICAP! That isn't really even an FAI event either! This is a classic example of US thinking.

The US rules (and tasks) are entirely different than FAI in almost every conceivable way. Why do we even call any of the US classed FAI? FAI 15? FAI 18? In the US? Please! Why is that word FAI inserted? Its laughable. There is nothing FAI about US soaring or the classes or the tasks we complete in. Who are we trying to kid?

Now there is a lot of OLC (weather guessing) in US tasking. Ill give you that.

Only 4 AT's in 2014, trending to zero.................