Handicap Distance Tasks

On Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at 10:45:06 AM UTC-5, Jim White wrote:
I have been following the arguments about Flarm as well as US task setting
with interest. I do not wish to confuse the picture further but I do want
to point out that Handicap Distance Tasks solve many of the complaints
about standard assigned tasks (including leeching).

With HDTs we recognise the glider's handicap in the task, not in the
scoring. This means that every pilot can fly at the same time of day, in
the same air, for roughly the same time on task.

We have been using HDTs successfully in UK rated competition for two
seasons with great pilot feedback. It needs a bit of software for task
setting and if you want to use See You to score them, there is a second bit
of software that prepares the evidence for this.

Following requests from a couple of US clubs, I have put a lot of effort
into modifying this software to be used with the US handicap system, US
Miles, SSA distance calculation rules, and scoring formulae. I would be
delighted if more of you guys gave it a look.

handicaptask.uk or pm me for more information.

Jim

ps: If you want to modify your own scoring software, I can tell you how.

Any USA Regional contest organizer who would like to try this task format should request a waiver from the US Contest Committee. Typically these types of experiments are encouraged, with the requirement that feedback be carefully collected.

The US Rules Committee would use this data as the first step in any consideration of adding it to the extant task types.

John Godfrey (QT), Rules Committee Chair.