Make Sailplane Racing Great Again

Before sailplane racing can be great it must first be decent and viable. Great is a long way off. Great is the result. By focusing on the result will not achieve the goal. A goal is attained when we have a process and take an honest look at our assets and liabilities and are open to solution.

Does the sailplane community have a consensus definition of what a great contest is? There are probably as many unique answers as people responding. What might be a better questions is what are the components of a great contest? These can be real or fantastic wishes.

It is helpful to know why people fly contests too. Camaraderie; bragging rights; change of scenery; whatever they might wish.

Why do we hold contests? This matters too. The SSA was formed to hold a National contest to choose a National Champion; do we still need to do this and do we really care if we have a Champion. Team selections; do we need contests to do this and are contests the best way to prepare a team for international competition?


Does the contest model need to change? Maybe gathering in one place to fly and heading out OLC style to rack up as many miles as we can is the way to go; maybe not. Again, what are we trying to accomplish with a contest. Maybe this won’t prepare the US for international comps but do we really care and if not, why bend the contest model for potentially 10.000 pilots to suit the ambitions of ten?

The sailplane community must also become supportive of each other. As a group we can be pretty negative and are quick to point out the weak points of a glider, class, rule, etc.. Many ideas which are new and presented here are quickly ****ed upon. Denigrating or dismissing someone’s enthusiasm is a sure way to chase them off. Most of the negativity on this forum pertains to contests. If I was a new and interested contest pilot, reading this forum would help me decide to spend my time and money somewhere else.

Who are contests trying to attract? Pilots are an aging population and if we want to attract a younger generation having the FOGs make the rules and formats might be attractive to the old guys but not the twenty and thirty somethings.

Maybe the Junior Champions should be chosen with Condor. Put is online as viewer entertainment and we can all watch. E sport viewing is the fastest growing and most profitable sector of the entertainment industry. Find a sponsor and put up prize money and have a big time with it.

Maybe anyone, pilots and non-pilots, can enter and racing can take place at any time. The tasks and weather are pre determined and it can be flown whenever the pilot wishes. The weather will be fair, the gliders will be fair, the pilots can be comfortable and even stop the flight to eat, sleep, or use the bathroom.

Sailplane racing and even soaring as recreation might just be another niche activity.

I wish you the best of luck and skill in achieving your goal.