500 foot rule and pilot opinion poll

Ok, this rule may address one senario, but may create another one that
is just as bad or worse.


Let say I am 3 miles out a 700 feet in calm air. Since where i fly we
have a 2 mile long runway and the finish cyilnder is typically
centered on the center of the runway the end of the runway is only 2
miles away. However I just miss the 500 foot finish at 2 miles out
(or am not sure if I hit it) At that point I hit a weak thermal (Which
can happen quite often at low altitudes) I am only 400 ft, but if I
can work this thermal to gain only 100 feet it is worth the 400 point
differnence between being scored only distance as opposed to speed.
(that is if I understand the rules correctly) Now you have a glider
thermalling between 400-600 feet AGL with other gliders finishing at
the 500ft level.
I think this is a much more enticing carrot for the competitive pilot
than trying to decide wheather or not to land in a field 2 miles short
of the finish. In my senero the choice is thermal at low altitude and
risk a mid air with other finishing gliders which most experinced
pilots might be willing to try espeically for just 100 or 50 ft gain
of altitude. In the original senerio the risk is if I don't make the
airport, I may damage an aircraft landing short and be out of the
contest all together as well as for the rest of the season. I think
the current rules are acutally safer than the propose rule for this
reason, as the consequences of a bad decision are much worse.

Brian Case
CFIIG/ASEL

In article ,
says...
Let say I am 3 miles out a 700 feet in calm air. Since where i fly we
have a 2 mile long runway and the finish cyilnder is typically
centered on the center of the runway the end of the runway is only 2
miles away. However I just miss the 500 foot finish at 2 miles out
(or am not sure if I hit it) At that point I hit a weak thermal (Which
can happen quite often at low altitudes) I am only 400 ft, but if I
can work this thermal to gain only 100 feet it is worth the 400 point
differnence between being scored only distance as opposed to speed.
(that is if I understand the rules correctly) Now you have a glider
thermalling between 400-600 feet AGL with other gliders finishing at
the 500ft level.

As I understand the rule, it's not just a matter of popping above the
500' agl floor of the cylinder. You'd have to thermal up, go back to
the outside of the 2 mile cylinder, and fly from there to the 1 mile
cylinder while staying above 500' agl. In the the situation you
describe, would you still be likely to try that weak thermal, or would
you just go ahead and land?

--
!Replace DECIMAL.POINT in my e-mail address with just a . to reply
directly

Eric Greenwell
Richland, WA (USA)

Eric Greenwell wrote in message ...

As I understand the rule, it's not just a matter of popping above the
500' agl floor of the cylinder. You'd have to thermal up, go back to
the outside of the 2 mile cylinder, and fly from there to the 1 mile
cylinder while staying above 500' agl. In the the situation you
describe, would you still be likely to try that weak thermal, or would
you just go ahead and land?

Bad rules proposal!

As they do out on course, pilots will stop trying to get somewhere,
and start trying to get back up to avoid losing their speed points at
some personally determined altitude.

That includes the pilots that could be making a safe, routine rolling
finish for speed points under the present rules!

Some pilots will fly safely whatever the rules. Other pilots will
break their gliders trying to get home just for the convenience (and
safety) of avoiding a field landing. If you think that pilots will
stop trying to finish and outland safely if they have no shot at
getting points, you haven't thought much about the long history of
guest pilots breaking their gliders at contests.

Jonathan Gere

Personally, I would go ahead and land. Most likely it would only mean
the difference between last place and next to last place for me
anyway.

No matter where you put the limit, the greater the point penalty for
missing it the more likely the competitive pilots might be to try and
climb back up to it. Especially since if they are only going to get
distance points if they don't make it work they have nearly all day to
try to get back up to the finish, since their speed won't count unless
the do make it to the finish.


Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

Eric Greenwell wrote in message ...
In article ,
says...
Let say I am 3 miles out a 700 feet in calm air. Since where i fly we
have a 2 mile long runway and the finish cyilnder is typically
centered on the center of the runway the end of the runway is only 2
miles away. However I just miss the 500 foot finish at 2 miles out
(or am not sure if I hit it) At that point I hit a weak thermal (Which
can happen quite often at low altitudes) I am only 400 ft, but if I
can work this thermal to gain only 100 feet it is worth the 400 point
differnence between being scored only distance as opposed to speed.
(that is if I understand the rules correctly) Now you have a glider
thermalling between 400-600 feet AGL with other gliders finishing at
the 500ft level.

As I understand the rule, it's not just a matter of popping above the
500' agl floor of the cylinder. You'd have to thermal up, go back to
the outside of the 2 mile cylinder, and fly from there to the 1 mile
cylinder while staying above 500' agl. In the the situation you
describe, would you still be likely to try that weak thermal, or would
you just go ahead and land?