Visulalizing the Finish Cylinder

Wish I had time to keep wrangling this one with you, but work keeps
getting in the way. Anyway, we are both indulging a little hyperbole to
suit our arguments. That said, others are trying to measure the pros
and cons of each. If I could boil my argument down to a single phrase,
it would be "don't put so much trust in the cylinder." It has problems
too.

There are cleary scenarios where the cylinder is a better choice. There
are also scenarios where the finish line is preferred. Mixing them
makes sense. But in both cases we need to put some language on paper
and make pilots read it, understand it, and follow a set of procedures
that reduce the risks inherent in each. For example, when and how to
call approach to the cylinder. ("OC, 4 miles" --from the cylinder, not
the center point-- "from the SSE at 1700 msl and 130 knots")
Translated: I'm high, I'm fast. If you are inching your way to the
cylinder just high enough to nick 500 agl, you might want to give me a
heads up.

Hooking the finish gate. This seems to be the overriding concern of
most people responding. I can understand this. This is so easily solved
that it surprises me it's a problem. Tell Charlie not to admonish
pilots for asking for gate direction confirmation. It's just too
important to make into a "Why don't you guys read the task sheet"
exercise. Set a steering turnpoint as suggested and require a radio
call as you approach it. Penalize any pilot flying through the gate the
wrong way 1000 points for unsafe flying. (World Champions are keenly
attuned to protecting their points.) Or, ROTATE THE GATE!!! This is so
simple, I'm surprised no one has considered it. Make the airport
boundaries the endpoints of the finish line, and set the gate
perpendicular to the final leg of each task. (This solves JJs problem
of all pilots racing to the nearest point on the gate as all points on
a rotating gate are pretty much the same distance from the last
turnpoint.) Use a cylinder for pilot option MATs and a line for ASTs
and TATs. And establish adequate procedures... radio and airmanship for
each.

No doubt about it, head ons are scary. Odd we haven't heard anyone say
"I don't want to do this anymore because I'm afraid I'll stall spin at
some point after the finish." This is the most common accident
associated with the gate. And it never appears to be the result of near
misses. I'll also point out that no one, absolutely no one has
suggested we ban SE ridge missions at Mifflin. More head on traffic
there in an hour than you're likely to see in a lifetime anywhere else
(well, I guess the Whites and St. Auban are right up there as well).

JJ, I like the finish gate for all the reasons I've stated. I enjoy
applying the required skills and enjoy doing it with others. If we can
make it better and safer, I'm all for it. I'll ask you to take the next
step with the cylinder... stop talking density and start drafting some
regs that give me and others the sense that we're not going to get
mowed down during the finish implosion. Remember, everyone is
navigating to the same point. And the mechanics of the finish require
us to be more heads down than we would like. I'm coming to Montague
next year for the Nats, and if you are the CD, I want to be sure that
everyone understands how we're going to maintain safe separation as we
approach the cylinder, some of us at warp speed after a good thermal at
Callaghan, others contour flying Gunsight at best L/D.

OK, now I really gotta go.


wrote:
My, My Oscar Charlie, Don't know where to start with all that?
Explain
to me again how spreading out the finishers over a 30 degree arc
gives
more crowding than funneling them through the nearest corner of the
finish line?

When using the finish line the CD changes the finish direction in
accordance with each day's task; this leads to "doing it like
yesterday" and has often been the reason someone finishes in the
wrong
direction. I consider this the most dangerous situation in soaring.
Can't happen with the cylinder.

How about my favorite maneuver, hooking the gate. Don't need that
with
the cylinder, do we? You gave us a distorted view of an AST finish,
bet
you don't want to talk about a MAT, now do you? The cylinder provides
360 degrees of finish airspace for the MAT. Your finish
line.........................well, you get the message, or do you?
:) JJ