End of Season Sunset Warning for SSA-OLC Participants

Paul Remde wrote:

"Andy" wrote in message
oups.com.

Given the uncertainty of the actual official sunset time I repeat my
request that SAA's sunset time be used only to determine the "end of
soaring flight" and not used to determine the validity of the entire
flight.

I must respectfully disagree. If we just use sunset as the end of soaring
flight that gives an unfair advantage to a pilot that is far from home or at
altitude when the sun sets. He/she should have planned ahead and landed on
time.

I think calling sunset the end of soaring flight for the OLC is fine if
the pilot is given a few minutes more to land. If the flight continues
beyond that it could be considered sufficient evidence of poor planning,
or bad faith, and the whole flight automatically disallowed.

"SS + 0:05" might work for everybody in determining when to disqualify
an entire flight, and not require the services of both defense counsel
and a battery of astronomers just to mollify a nanny SSA-OLC.

And who cares how far from home the pilot is? Let him land out and walk
home, as long as the ship touched down within a few minutes of whatever
"FAA Official Sunset" might have been at that place and time. There are
no declarations necessary, nor is OLC an assigned task. Next thing we
know, we'll be needing Official Observers.


Jack