Reducing collision hazard at contests

3. Change the scoring formula so that fencing risks becomes a less of a winning strategy. Today you get no reward for being the lone finisher and are heavily penalized for being the lone outlander. The scoring formula heavily incentivizes sticking to the gaggle. There are plenty of ways to change this.

Here's one of them:
https://www.fai.org/sites/default/fi...r_1_p rop.pdf

Thanks for the many considered responses here that came from competition pilots. It is good to know that the US proposal to FAI was accepted. After reading the material that Ron Gleason linked, it’s pretty obvious that the US improved scoring method will reduce the gaggle incentive that is so evident at the WGC level. This is sure to improve the WGC mid-air statistics over the long run and make for a better contest for the other reasons cited as well.

The suggestion of my original post would likely go much further to reduce gaggling and improve safety yet there were quite a few concerns expressed - a couple of which I think are valid.

The suggestion #2 made by Alex in his May 16 comment, is quite an excellent idea. I now would lend my support to that idea as the best solution -- better really than my own suggestion at the top of the thread.

After thinking about it, I would suggest a small change to Alex’s #2 proposal. Alex said that each contestant picks his own three secret start times for each day. That would be itself something of a burdensome process and could lead to collusion scenarios among contestants. Here would be my alternative suggestion wherein the contest sets everyone’s start times:

At the beginning of the contest, each contestant is given a list of unique secret start times, one for each contest day. Each such start time is a randomly generated number between 0 and 19. This sheet of start times is analogous to the the sheet of grid positions that we are typically given at the start of contests except that it is custom created for each contestant and is delivered in secret (probably sent to contestants by email). The number for each day is your modulo-20 start time. An example: For day 1, my secret number is 7. That means that my start will be scored as 12:07 or 12:27 or 12:47 or 13:07 or …. Let’s say that the gate opens on day 1 at 12:15, I can start immediately at 12:15 which would be wasting 8 minutes or I could hold off until one of my later start times. This system will most surely spread the field. It will reduce gaggle tendency, reduce start time roulette and reduce leeching. Safety will be improved quite a bit.

As a small further refinement, a massage of the random numbers could ensure even better spreading so that for a field of less than 21 contestants, no two contestants get the same secret number and for a field between 21 and 41, no more than two pilots get the same time assignment, etc.

This might lead to some interesting, and I think harmless, pre-launch interaction among contestants. Those who are most concerned about leeching will surely want to keep their secret number secret. Those lower on the score sheet might choose to publish their start time with the hope of finding out in advance who they will be starting with for the day and perhaps getting a little advantage in arranging to fly together before the start.

Can contest pilots get behind this type of approach?

On Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 4:47:53 PM UTC-7, Steve Koerner wrote:
Thanks for the many considered responses here that came from competition pilots. It is good to know that the US proposal to FAI was accepted. After reading the material that Ron Gleason linked, it’s pretty obvious that the US improved scoring method will reduce the gaggle incentive that is so evident at the WGC level. This is sure to improve the WGC mid-air statistics over the long run and make for a better contest for the other reasons cited as well.

The suggestion of my original post would likely go much further to reduce gaggling and improve safety yet there were quite a few concerns expressed - a couple of which I think are valid.

The suggestion #2 made by Alex in his May 16 comment, is quite an excellent idea. I now would lend my support to that idea as the best solution -- better really than my own suggestion at the top of the thread.

After thinking about it, I would suggest a small change to Alex’s #2 proposal. Alex said that each contestant picks his own three secret start times for each day. That would be itself something of a burdensome process and could lead to collusion scenarios among contestants. Here would be my alternative suggestion wherein the contest sets everyone’s start times:

At the beginning of the contest, each contestant is given a list of unique secret start times, one for each contest day. Each such start time is a randomly generated number between 0 and 19. This sheet of start times is analogous to the the sheet of grid positions that we are typically given at the start of contests except that it is custom created for each contestant and is delivered in secret (probably sent to contestants by email). The number for each day is your modulo-20 start time. An example: For day 1, my secret number is 7. That means that my start will be scored as 12:07 or 12:27 or 12:47 or 13:07 or …. Let’s say that the gate opens on day 1 at 12:15, I can start immediately at 12:15 which would be wasting 8 minutes or I could hold off until one of my later start times. This system will most surely spread the field. It will reduce gaggle tendency, reduce start time roulette and reduce leeching. Safety will be improved quite a bit.

As a small further refinement, a massage of the random numbers could ensure even better spreading so that for a field of less than 21 contestants, no two contestants get the same secret number and for a field between 21 and 41, no more than two pilots get the same time assignment, etc.

This might lead to some interesting, and I think harmless, pre-launch interaction among contestants. Those who are most concerned about leeching will surely want to keep their secret number secret. Those lower on the score sheet might choose to publish their start time with the hope of finding out in advance who they will be starting with for the day and perhaps getting a little advantage in arranging to fly together before the start.

Can contest pilots get behind this type of approach?

I like your idea Steve. Lets try it at a regional.

On Sunday, 20 May 2018 02:47:53 UTC+3, Steve Koerner wrote:
Thanks for the many considered responses here that came from competition pilots. It is good to know that the US proposal to FAI was accepted. After reading the material that Ron Gleason linked, it’s pretty obvious that the US improved scoring method will reduce the gaggle incentive that is so evident at the WGC level.

IGC gave another year for US proposal because US delegates wanted to iron out problems with devaluation scheme. It was not accepted, that will take another 2 years minimum.

After discussing proposal with WGC pilots we concluded that new formula will change nothing and incentive to fly solo is just not there.