Death of the 13.5m class?

Nobody said gliding competitions using the existing format are being completely replaced, we have too many classes diluting the merit of the champions in each class. The top pilots compete in 2 or 3 categories (raising the cost and reducing opportunities for less wealthy pilots). So replacing a not very popular class with something new and actually different is a good thing.

If some people don't want to call it soaring fine, lets call it assisted-soaring. I think this could be a fantastic platform for technology innovation, you still need a machine a pilot, knowledge, skills and strategy (and a bit of luck). If anything, the skillset necessary to win will be broader than it is now.

Of course some rules need to be in place, perhaps limit the weight of batteries or quantity stored energy in such way that it represents lets say max 10% of the energy necessary to complete the task so it still has a something to do with gliding and not electric pylon racing.

I think this could be a tremendous opportunity to revive gliding as a sport, give a green image, sophisticated high tech sport, attract sponsors and hopefully appeal to newer generations of pilots. (Last contest I attended had 45 competitors and only 4 were under 50yo so we need to fill a gap if we want contests in 10-15 years)

My only concern would be an escalation of cost where the $ would give an edge but that is already the case today anyway and it can be controlled by rules.

I give it 10/10

Jacques

Its getting more ridiculous each year! Use a motor=your not soaring, period! Now if you want to start a new form of racing called "L/D assisted power racing" fine but its not soaring and definitely another nail in the coffin of pure sailplane racing.

The dumbing down of the actual piloting/soaring skills needed to fly cross country is apparent. Fear of outlandings, inability to go anywhere unless your flying a 40/1 machine, inability to navigate if a moving map fails, inability to find an energy line or thermal unless you can identify the gaggle using your flarm. It has become ridiculous. I will stick with setting personal cross country and state record goals. I'll land out a bunch (no big deal) and damn well find my own thermals. The racing scene has become financially unobtainable for most and at best has become a contest of who has a maximized wallet and who can maximize their flight computers performance on a given day.

If everyone in the class has an E, I'm OK with it, just don't let that kind of thinking find its way into the real soaring rules.
JJ

Powered flight is not Gliding.

Motor-assisted touring, racing, badge flying, and records are all interesting.

But they all have homes in other FAI Commissions. CASI has rules for airplanes (including electric), and CIMA governs microlights (including electric).. I'm sure that these Commissions work hard to make their sports attractive..

But my sport is Gliding. I want to do the best I can using the energy I find in the atmosphere, and I want to compare my performance with others doing the same thing. The method of my launch and retrieval are not relevant. I want a precise definition of "soaring," and I want fair rules to follow.

IGC should stick to Gliding.

“IGC should stick to Gliding.�

Absolutely! Well said!