Participation

I'm not in the game so maybe this isn't an issue but my guess is races are too long. Fit everything in a week. Have Mon. be the practice day, race ends on Fri. Two days to drive in, two days to drive home. Of course you would lose more contests to weather and maybe luck makes a bigger contribution then consistency, but if a race can be done in one week of vacation time the value/time spent changes.
On Thursday, June 14, 2012 7:30:37 PM UTC-4, John Cochrane wrote:
My website has a copy of the article "The National Contest
Participation Dilemma" that appeared in this month's Soaring. I put
together a lot of numbers on contest participation, and tried to get
at some causes.

A few surprises: lots of new pilots show up, but they don't stick.
Pilots do not like to drive long distances. There are lots of contest-
capable gliders out there.

The article is meant to stir up discussion on what we should do,
including east/west nationals, mixed handicapped classes, picking team
members from outside "their" class, or (not in the article because I
hadn't heard of the idea at the time) having just one big nationals
with many small classes and multiple super-regional qualifiers.

Direct link
http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john...ticipation.pdf

Webpage
http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john...index.htm#misc

John Cochrane

On Friday, June 15, 2012 8:13:10 AM UTC-5, wrote:
I'm not in the game so maybe this isn't an issue but my guess is races are too long. Fit everything in a week. Have Mon. be the practice day, race ends on Fri. Two days to drive in, two days to drive home. Of course you would lose more contests to weather and maybe luck makes a bigger contribution then consistency, but if a race can be done in one week of vacation time the value/time spent changes.

That is a really good point. Last year Region 10 worked well for that. First practice day was Sunday. Race was Tuesday - Saturday. Of course the weather was good so that helped. Anyone within a one day drive only had to take a week off work. I don't mind using vacation time to go soaring but I really don't like taking vacation time to drive. Anything more than 12 or 14 hrs on the road from home adds 2 more days of vacation required to attend.

I agree.

There are some contests that are well attended year after year (sold
out) such as "The Seniors," and a few regionals. It may be possible to
have a similar format with a "Class" or "Classes" mixed in and
appropriate trophies awarded.

Regional / National contest with Sports, Standard Class and/or 15 M
would fit fine. Even the 18M and Open Class could participate with
seperate, but similar tasking.

Some contests are too popular to allow such a mix. Such as The
Seniors, and Perry

Tom Knauff

On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 09:37:02 -0500, Tony wrote:

On Friday, June 15, 2012 8:13:10 AM UTC-5, wrote:
I'm not in the game so maybe this isn't an issue but my guess is races
are too long. Fit everything in a week. Have Mon. be the practice
day, race ends on Fri. Two days to drive in, two days to drive home.
Of course you would lose more contests to weather and maybe luck makes
a bigger contribution then consistency, but if a race can be done in
one week of vacation time the value/time spent changes.

That is a really good point. Last year Region 10 worked well for that.
First practice day was Sunday. Race was Tuesday - Saturday. Of course
the weather was good so that helped. Anyone within a one day drive only
had to take a week off work. I don't mind using vacation time to go
soaring but I really don't like taking vacation time to drive. Anything
more than 12 or 14 hrs on the road from home adds 2 more days of
vacation required to attend.

I second Tony's re-affirmation of Gregg's point that scheduling is a big
factor. I also flew the Region 10 for the last two years and the timing
is just right to fit into a single week off work (maybe leaving a bit
early on Friday, but...). This makes a huge difference versus having to
be gone for 1.5-2 weeks (or more).

Somebody mentioned the GTA races and I think there is a similar "league"
in Arizona that runs numerous weekend races as opposed to one marathon
race. Obviously, this is somewhat less practical for a Nationals but a
regionals run across two long weekends, for example, might work.

--
Stefan Murry

I would never drive 2 days each way for possible 5 days of flying
(including practice day). My criteria: reasonable distance, chance for
good weather (based on location) and reasonable length of the contest,
no less than 6 flying days plus a practice day. For example drive up
on Saturday, Sunday practice, Mon-Sat contest , Sunday back home
(exactly like Perry).

On Jun 15, 9:13*am, wrote:
I'm not in the game so maybe this isn't an issue but my guess is races are too long. *Fit everything in a week. *Have Mon. be the practice day, race ends on Fri. Two days to drive in, two days to drive home. *Of course you would lose more contests to weather and maybe luck makes a bigger contribution then consistency, but if a race can be done in one week of vacation time the value/time spent changes.







On Thursday, June 14, 2012 7:30:37 PM UTC-4, John Cochrane wrote:
My website has a copy of the article "The National Contest
Participation Dilemma" that appeared in this month's Soaring. I put
together a lot of numbers on contest participation, and tried to get
at some causes.

A few surprises: lots of new pilots show up, but they don't stick.
Pilots do not like to drive long distances. There are lots of contest-
capable gliders out there.

The article is meant to stir up discussion on what we should do,
including east/west nationals, mixed handicapped classes, picking team
members from outside "their" class, or (not in the article because I
hadn't heard of the idea at the time) having just one big nationals
with many small classes and multiple super-regional qualifiers.

Direct link
http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john...ocs/participat...

Webpage
http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john...index.htm#misc

John Cochrane

I am also a x-c wannabe at the moment, but second the shorter contests
suggestion. I have four weeks of vacation per year. More than most
americans. There is no way I'm going to devote two of them to driving
to and attending one contest, let alone more.

Closer, shorter, and then I'll be interested.

Closer, shorter, and then I'll be interested.

That's one reason you start with local regionals... or just fun flying
encampments (which are easier to reschedule if mother nature has other
ideas).

I support the current trend towards 6 and 7 day regional contests and
I'm okay with 10 day Nats. No way in hell do I want to fly *less* for
the same drive time and travel cost.

Evan Ludeman / T8

On Jun 15, 9:01*pm, Evan Ludeman wrote:
Closer, shorter, and then I'll be interested.

That's one reason you start with local regionals... or just fun flying
encampments (which are easier to reschedule if mother nature has other
ideas).

I support the current trend towards 6 and 7 day regional contests and
I'm okay with 10 day Nats. *No way in hell do I want to fly *less* for
the same drive time and travel cost.

Evan Ludeman / T8

I second that. Short contest means a lot of hassle and possibly no
flying at all.

Maybe in the east Nationals need to be 10 days long to accomodate the greater likelihood of rain days. In the west, 7 days would be plenty by my accounting. Shorter contests would help me make the choice to attend.

Shouldn't the rules provide flexibility so the duration can be sensibly chosen by locale? Something like: 7 days in the West, 8 days for Hobbs and Uvalde, 10 days in the East.