Thermal right, land left

Interesting discussion this World Class / PW5 thing!
Problem as I see it is:
1) the vast majority of people can only afford one
glider (if that).
2) Competion pilots only spend a small amount of their
total gliding time actually competeing in official
comps.
3) Most of us like to spend our XC time flying with
others around the same task, whether for company or
sport.

So for the comp pilot who fits in with 1, 2 and 3 which
most I believe do, the choice of machine is dictated
by the performance of their peer groups gliders (not
necessarily ego's)

So, If I wanted to fly world class for 2 weeks a year
I would have to buy a PW5 rather than say an ASW20
and accept that I would loose out on a large amount
of fun for the other 50 weeks of the year.

I also can't help feeling we already have single design
comps! Look at the entries in any Stardard, 15mtr,
18mtr Nationals and whilst the badges may be different
on the gliders, the relative performance isn't.

Now for real fun we ought to take all national champions
from all countries and all classes. Put them in PW5's
and let them fight it out for a single, true World
Champion. That would be a comp to watch!

David H

So, If I wanted to fly world class for 2 weeks a year
I would have to buy a PW5 rather than say an ASW20
and accept that I would loose out on a large amount
of fun for the other 50 weeks of the year.

Guess you havent heard of hiring huh :-)


Now for real fun we ought to take all national champions
from all countries and all classes. Put them in PW5's
and let them fight it out for a single, true World
Champion. That would be a comp to watch!

Its sorta been done.
The first World Class Worlds in Turkey.....
Included a number of National champs as well as world champs!


43 pilots from 23 nations - among them two women - competed in the
contest.
Among the competitors were very experienced pilots - e.g. three former
World Champions -but also pilots with lesser experience. Astonishingly
the former World Champions ended on the places 8, 13 and 14.

........
http://members.lycos.co.uk/steve_smyk/ go to 1st World
Championship for results

So now perhaps you might understand while the "eletist" element dont
like PW5s.
They got their ASS KICKED by real pilots who were not relying on the
gliders performance to do the work :-)

Have seen the same reaction amongst other so called "Gun" pilots who
get wacked at PW5 level. ie its a crap aircraft etc etc.

As always "Dear Reader" you will probably feed your own prejudices :-)

I guess the result had nothing to do with team flying?
Just luck that the first two pilots where the French team?
It proves that its hard to compete against a well organised team with alot
of resources.
Isn't that going against the World Class ethos. That the best man wins?


"Going fer it" wrote in message
om...
So, If I wanted to fly world class for 2 weeks a year
I would have to buy a PW5 rather than say an ASW20
and accept that I would loose out on a large amount
of fun for the other 50 weeks of the year.

Guess you havent heard of hiring huh :-)


Now for real fun we ought to take all national champions
from all countries and all classes. Put them in PW5's
and let them fight it out for a single, true World
Champion. That would be a comp to watch!

Its sorta been done.
The first World Class Worlds in Turkey.....
Included a number of National champs as well as world champs!


43 pilots from 23 nations - among them two women - competed in the
contest.
Among the competitors were very experienced pilots - e.g. three former
World Champions -but also pilots with lesser experience. Astonishingly
the former World Champions ended on the places 8, 13 and 14.

.......
http://members.lycos.co.uk/steve_smyk/ go to 1st World
Championship for results

So now perhaps you might understand while the "eletist" element dont
like PW5s.
They got their ASS KICKED by real pilots who were not relying on the
gliders performance to do the work :-)

Have seen the same reaction amongst other so called "Gun" pilots who
get wacked at PW5 level. ie its a crap aircraft etc etc.

As always "Dear Reader" you will probably feed your own prejudices :-)

(Going fer it) wrote in message . com...
So, If I wanted to fly world class for 2 weeks a year
I would have to buy a PW5 rather than say an ASW20
and accept that I would loose out on a large amount
of fun for the other 50 weeks of the year.

Guess you havent heard of hiring huh :-)



Have you ever hired a glider for World or Continental Campionships?
It's probably cheaper to buy a glider and sell it again afterwards.
Only difficulty here is the long wait for a new glider...

Now for real fun we ought to take all national champions
from all countries and all classes. Put them in PW5's
and let them fight it out for a single, true World
Champion. That would be a comp to watch!

Its sorta been done.
The first World Class Worlds in Turkey.....
Included a number of National champs as well as world champs!




43 pilots from 23 nations - among them two women - competed in the
contest.
Among the competitors were very experienced pilots - e.g. three former
World Champions -but also pilots with lesser experience. Astonishingly
the former World Champions ended on the places 8, 13 and 14.



Some former World Champions finished far worse at the wgc last year in
Poland. In proper elitist gliders...
If you had ever competed at World or European Campionships you would
know that most people finishing in the top 10 are also capable of
winning.

.......
http://members.lycos.co.uk/steve_smyk/ go to 1st World
Championship for results

So now perhaps you might understand while the "eletist" element dont
like PW5s.
They got their ASS KICKED by real pilots who were not relying on the
gliders performance to do the work :-)

Have seen the same reaction amongst other so called "Gun" pilots who
get wacked at PW5 level. ie its a crap aircraft etc etc.


I can't quite follow your argument.
You only mention the world champions. But look at the others, too:
1st and 2nd place by a strong french team, both have competed at world
championships before or are strong competitors at French national
level.
also places 5 and 7 are frequent wgc competitors.
At the 2nd WC-wgc winner and runner-up swapped places. 3rd was
Sebastian Kawa, himself not a no-name either.
At the 3rd WC-wgc Darroze won (he came 2nd at the 2003 wgc Standard
Class), Kawa 2nd.

On 3/16/04 6:06 AM, in article ,
"David Hodgson" wrote:

...we ought to take all national champions ...and... [p]ut them in
PW5's and let them fight it out for a single, true World Champion.

That things like that have not been done is one reason that the WC concept
has not been successful: a more important factor, I believe, than the choice
of a particular design.


Jack