Analyzing US Competition Flights

On Thursday, March 15, 2012 4:38:04 PM UTC-5, noel.wade wrote:
Eric -

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I *LIKE* that I am not limited
to a 1 mi AT circle. I don't like the idea that some guy can (semi-
randomly) go into that turnpoint and catch the only thermal of the day
that drifts through that small volume if airspace. With a bigger
cylinder, the law of averages gives me better odds of finding a
thermal that's as good as a thermal some other contestant may find in
the same area.

Interesting. I see the same situation in EXACTLY the opposite way: With large area tasks, a guy can semi-randomly catch the only thermal of the day and coast to an easy win; with small turnpoints (and a 1 mile circle is pretty small at 90 knots!) everyone has to solve pretty much the same problems. I don't want the law of averages involved, I want pilot skills involved. Area tasks were developed (and rightly so) to allow tasks in iffy weather - not as a replacement for assigned tasks on good, predictable days. I think many CDs use area tasks because they are a lot easier to call (BTDT). They are a lot better than the detestable one-turnpoint 3 hour MAT! And they are useful when racing handicapped classes. Called intelligently (which is not a 2.5 hour task with two 30mile radius turnpoints 60 miles apart!) they are a lot of fun.

Of course, I've never experienced the "good old days" of racing with
picking my own start times. I've also never had a race without a
1000' finish height, or an open/pure-distance day with overnight
retrieves, or no radios or cell-phones when I land out. ;-P

Ahh, the good old days of formation 50' line finishes over the hangars - at redline, dumping your ballast on the barbecue, pulling up into the line of gliders on downwind (at 500' or so...) to take your turn to land. Now that was FUN! When you got out of your ship you were pumped!

(please, no safety retorts, you guys have won that fight...)

Cheers,

Kirk
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