History Question About U.S. Tasking

Chip:
I agree with your comments and observations. But on the issue of crews we should also remember the importance of crewing as a learning experience for the younger pilots. There is no better introduction to competition soaring (and for that matter learning efficient XC soaring) than crewing for someone at a serious contest. I started gliding in '73 but didn't really get bitten by the bug until I crewed for Vic Peres' 604 at the '75 Open Class Nationals. That led to a lifelong infatuation with flying and racing big gliders. I still use a crew when I can - but I have sometimes shared a crew with other pilots which actually works pretty well too. But all of the crews have told me how much they learned going to the pilot's meetings, planning the task & start times, and debriefing the flight after. That's worth all the books you can buy.
ROY

Roy I can surely second your observation of the learning factor of crewing. I crewed for my bro at regionals and natuonals for four years. I picked up many good points. I didnot get to seriously race till just this last year (kids-work-divorce etc lol). The stuff I learned twenty years ago paid off big time this year.

I also go crewless much of the time, but when I have a crew I feel much more confident in stretching knowing my crew is gonna be there. This last summer having my son crew for me was a very imp part of my doing so well. We had a very high powered communication system as well as a homebrew tracking system utilizing 2meter amateur radio repeaters. This allowed me to take chances flying a very low performance machine, that I could not safely take if I was crewless.

I'm not crewless by choice! My sister, Diane, drove over from Oxford, OH several days during the Std. Class Nats at Caesar Creek this summer and it was great. As you say, it makes me feel freer to push a little harder. Plus it's just more fun.

I was crewing with my family from about age 10 or 11 and made the transition to flying my first contest at age 17 much easier.

My wife and daughters crewed for me for many years. The last time was in 2010, when my daughter, Tina, rode out to Hobbs with me for the Std. Nats. The contest was a bust (rain) but it ranks high on my list of priceless experiences as a parent. She wrote her successful college Common App essay on rising to the challenge of running her first wing there. And she was a much more confident, mature young woman (16) when she came back from that contest, where she not only played a significant role on the launch crew but assisted when we had car problems on the way out and recruited more than one driver for our retrieve vehicle when I landed out. I even taught her how to drive--in the full-size van--on Hobb's amazing ramp in the rain and how to hook up and maneuver the trailer around the airport.

There are all kinds of good things about crewing--under the right circumstances. But--nearly every school was in already in session during the postponed Std./Sports Class Nats in August. The same was true for my last regional, at Fairfield, PA a week ago. I could afford to take 3 weeks of vacation to cover those but I don't expect many others to get excited about that. Crewing should be a nice option, not essentially mandatory if you're serious about competing.

So--I'll fly under whatever Rules the group thinks best. But if the end result is more landouts, I predict we'll lose a few pilots here and there who reminisce fondly about the old days but don't want to actually revisit them..

Chip Bearden
JB