Seniors Contest

Ok, but then we resign ourselves to the fact that we will be picking
gliders out of the trees about once every two years, and mourning the
loss of one or two pilots per decade. That doesn't seem to bother you.

OK I see you're resorting to personal insults now John. That's what happens
sometimes when a persons arguement fails on it's own merits.

Truth be known I'm a conservative racing pilot that takes few chances.
You've flown with me in Uvalde and as I remember you took more chances than
I did. You are absolutely wrong re the finish gate and have no data to
prove me otherwise. I have not ever felt the finish gate to be a threat.
It sometimes begins to sound like you all want protection from yourselves
i.e. you MUST fly dangerously if not prevented from doing so by the rules.

I'm all for educating and training pilots to be aware of the threats they
might encounter at ALL levels not just the finish gate. I am NOT for a
subgroup of people wishing to basically install rubber baby buggy bumpers
into all of the racing rules. It's a dead horse beating.

Casey

"Kilo Charlie" wrote in message
news:nyqYd.42760$FM3.22504@fed1read02...
Ok, but then we resign ourselves to the fact that we will be picking
gliders out of the trees about once every two years, and mourning the
loss of one or two pilots per decade. That doesn't seem to bother you.

OK I see you're resorting to personal insults now John. That's what
happens
sometimes when a persons arguement fails on it's own merits.

Truth be known I'm a conservative racing pilot that takes few chances.
You've flown with me in Uvalde and as I remember you took more chances
than
I did. You are absolutely wrong re the finish gate and have no data to
prove me otherwise. I have not ever felt the finish gate to be a threat.
It sometimes begins to sound like you all want protection from yourselves
i.e. you MUST fly dangerously if not prevented from doing so by the rules.

I'm all for educating and training pilots to be aware of the threats they
might encounter at ALL levels not just the finish gate. I am NOT for a
subgroup of people wishing to basically install rubber baby buggy bumpers
into all of the racing rules. It's a dead horse beating.

Casey



I agree with Casey. Contests are getting bor-ring.

I feel like a rant.

Go read Sterling Starr's reminiscing about the 1966 US Nationals at Reno,
Nevada in the latest Soaring Magazine. I was there too. Those guys knew
what soaring competition was all about.

These days, you guys don't want to risk a land out or fly long tasks and you
don't want low finishes.

You sound like a bunch of wusses.

Why not stop calling what you do a contest and call it what it has become -
just a rally. If the soaring rules committee ran the Indy 500, the drivers
would be wearing pink bunny suits and driving pedal cars.

Get real. If you want to race, then RACE. Sure, there'll be some risks.
If the kitchen's too hot for you, get out.

This ELT rule is the last straw. Maybe if I could borrow a PLB to put in my
parachute it would be OK but build it into the glider? No way. ELT's have
been used in GenAv for decades and 99% of all activation's have been hard
landings with no damage.

How much hassle is it going to be when a pothole activates the damn thing in
the trailer? I can see it now, a glider trailer humming down the interstate
with a swarm of CAP planes overhead trying to triangulate on the thing.

Sheesh! What's become of us?

End rant.

Bill Daniels

Bill Daniels wrote:

This ELT rule is the last straw. Maybe if I could borrow a PLB to put in my
parachute it would be OK but build it into the glider? No way. ELT's have
been used in GenAv for decades and 99% of all activation's have been hard
landings with no damage.

It doesn't appear that it's near this bad for gliders. I don't know why
it's different, but maybe it's the ELT being mounted close to the gear,
and the shorter gear of the gliders keeps the forward forces from a hard
landing low enough to avoid setting it off.


How much hassle is it going to be when a pothole activates the damn thing in
the trailer? I can see it now, a glider trailer humming down the interstate
with a swarm of CAP planes overhead trying to triangulate on the thing.

Not a problem in metal trailers, of course. Personally, I've trailered
an ELT equipped glider as far as Alaska and San Diego (over the years,
about 40,000 miles) and it's never activated. I think the trailers ride
smoothly enough, so even behind a motorhome with a harsh suspension it's
not a problem.

Even so, I think requiring an ELT should be up to the contest organizers.


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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA