What are your thoughts about the Parallel Glider Race

On Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 9:52:24 PM UTC-7, JS wrote:
Camel tow?
Jim


Oh Jim.

At least I got a clear understanding of the various preferences of pilots WRT what constitutes glider racing.

Good to know.

9B

On Thu, 01 Oct 2015 04:16:46 -0700, GB wrote:

Unfortunately it comes down to this or no gliders at the air games.
Dunno which is worse. What the 'competition' looks like:
https://youtu.be/Gx5NirtGfQ0?t=1m9s A low pass race of some sort would
be more entertaining.

Agreed. I get to see exactly this type of flight every calm winter day.
The only difference is that the gliders are being winched rather than
aero towed. Its OK if you're in the glider, but rivals paint drying as a
spectator sport unless somebody is being taught to deal with cable breaks.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

On Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 5:42:07 PM UTC+3, Sean Fidler wrote:
I think this concept would still be quite fun to watch for an experienced glider pilot. I would love to watch or compete! To spectators, I think it would be very exciting as they can understand the concept of a short race and the visuals are impressive. Nothing about gliders is more impressive to newbies than high speed low passes and a zoom to land. To spectators, this competition format will look, quite simply, like this below. Once they see that exciting part of the sport, they might, just maybe...., become a bit interested in the rest of it!?

http://youtu.be/DxbyDwe1_tk

Well, maybe, *if* they start the race with MC=5 or more of height. That would make the turns more interesting too (and precision more important). But will they?

Could be made interesting with real time tracking (very short intervals) plus live video feed transmitting on the internet??

Pretty women are always nice to have at sporting events and always seem to find their way on camera ;-). I'm sure this event will not be different!

My whole point on this thread has been that this is "just" about the low pass and the zoom. That is simply a nice by product of a true (absolute terms, maximum energy management) glider "race" finish. Of course, this event seems to be primarily focused on simulating a short, final glide only, RACE!

It features:

1) a parallel race course on either side of a runway and in full view of the crowd
2) a regatta start - count down to the start line opening
3) a hard charging final glide "race" around several turn markers (2-3 minutes?) and, finally
4) a real finish line, directly in front of the crowd, where the sailplanes finish low and then zoom up and land.

This sounds pretty cool to me actually.

The first competitor across the line (right in front of the crowd) wins (imagine that!). They really have not much on the website to define the rules or structure so we are really making guesses.

Above is my guess and I think it will be fun and interesting to the crowd if they can keep the heats moving and have each race start within minutes of the finish.

Maybe I'll run one of these in Ionia next year too ;-)!

Sincerely,

Sean

On 10/2/2015 5:36 AM, Muttley wrote:
Could be made interesting with real time tracking (very short intervals)
plus live video feed transmitting on the internet??

Flashes me back to some time in the 1990s, this does, when a late night
channel surf stumbled me upon the very first manufactured for TV "sporting
event" of my experience ("American Gladiators?"). My reaction then was an
admixture of disbelief and "You gotta be kidding me!" scornful mental
derision, only heightened by the presence of former Super Bowl winning
quarterback/American Icon/mainstream ESPN aports analyst Joe Thiesmann as
"analyst." The show's very presence seemed something bored or desperate people
with too much money and time might generate, the participants likely gathered
from a beach somewhere induced by promises of a free meal or two, "TV fame"
and "a new experience." In short, it ranked right down there with "TV's Most
Forgettable" in my view.

The World Air Games seems a child of the same sort of adults, but this time
having none of the newness and excitement among spectators as existed (say)
prior to WW-I when somewhat similar stadium air events were common. That's not
to suggest participants or viewers or even paying sponsors haven't been/can't
be found, but such events' presence seems to me a reverse of the time-tested
TV/sports paradigm of participants/critical mass first, TV exposure to follow.
Writing as "a lifelong Aviation Nut," The World Air Games strikes me as a
display of marketing in the absence of pre-existing substance if you will...

When that TV (the only one I ever purchased) died a few years later, I didn't
replace it.

Bob W.

Good grief! I almost swallowed my coffee cup! :-D

On 10/1/2015 10:52 PM, JS wrote:
Camel tow?
Jim

On Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 9:24:13 PM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
Now if you could get robotic jockeys to tow gliders aloft with camels, thats something to watch.

Matt H

--
Dan, 5J

How many tow planes will be needed? Two (maybe three) for each "lane"
so that the next heat will be climbing behind the scenes as the current
heat is running? Six competitors, twelve (eighteen) tow planes!
Logistics, people, logistics... How about a six drum winch launching
all competitors simultaneously? Now I'd pay money for that! Surviving
glider wins!

On 10/2/2015 7:51 AM, Sean Fidler wrote:
Pretty women are always nice to have at sporting events and always seem to find their way on camera ;-). I'm sure this event will not be different!

My whole point on this thread has been that this is "just" about the low pass and the zoom. That is simply a nice by product of a true (absolute terms, maximum energy management) glider "race" finish. Of course, this event seems to be primarily focused on simulating a short, final glide only, RACE!

It features:

1) a parallel race course on either side of a runway and in full view of the crowd
2) a regatta start - count down to the start line opening
3) a hard charging final glide "race" around several turn markers (2-3 minutes?) and, finally
4) a real finish line, directly in front of the crowd, where the sailplanes finish low and then zoom up and land.

This sounds pretty cool to me actually.

The first competitor across the line (right in front of the crowd) wins (imagine that!). They really have not much on the website to define the rules or structure so we are really making guesses.

Above is my guess and I think it will be fun and interesting to the crowd if they can keep the heats moving and have each race start within minutes of the finish.

Maybe I'll run one of these in Ionia next year too ;-)!

Sincerely,

Sean

--
Dan, 5J

On Friday, October 2, 2015 at 9:51:13 AM UTC-4, Sean Fidler wrote:
Pretty women are always nice to have at sporting events and always seem to find their way on camera ;-). I'm sure this event will not be different!

My whole point on this thread has been that this is "just" about the low pass and the zoom. That is simply a nice by product of a true (absolute terms, maximum energy management) glider "race" finish. Of course, this event seems to be primarily focused on simulating a short, final glide only, RACE!

It features:

1) a parallel race course on either side of a runway and in full view of the crowd
2) a regatta start - count down to the start line opening
3) a hard charging final glide "race" around several turn markers (2-3 minutes?) and, finally
4) a real finish line, directly in front of the crowd, where the sailplanes finish low and then zoom up and land.

This sounds pretty cool to me actually.

The first competitor across the line (right in front of the crowd) wins (imagine that!). They really have not much on the website to define the rules or structure so we are really making guesses.

Above is my guess and I think it will be fun and interesting to the crowd if they can keep the heats moving and have each race start within minutes of the finish.

Maybe I'll run one of these in Ionia next year too ;-)!

Sincerely,

Sean

Unless there is a specified finish speed and height the optimum finish is straight in with no pull up or pattern.
If done over unlandable area, it would be interesting. Otherwise not so much.
Seems to be more about measuring willingness to take risk.
UH

Maybe we can just shove the gliders off the side of mountains like these knuckleheads at the "Wingsuit Racing League!"

https://www.facebook.com/WorldWingsuitLeague

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...ie0nUOxX1yHPeK