What are your thoughts about the Parallel Glider Race

On Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 7:56:04 PM UTC-4, Casey Cox wrote:
https://www.wagdubai.ae/gliding.php

A similar tactic was tried a number of years ago by the hang gliding community... "speed gliding". One of the reasons given for it was that it would be more spectator friendly. I never really agreed with that sentiment - seems as though it gets just as 'tired' for casual spectators after the initial curiosity wears off. As a hang glider pilot, it has it's thrill, but 'let me see how quickly I can get back on the ground', just seems to defeat the purpose of the sport.

I'm not saying I like this format as much as SGP with regatta starts, pure assigned tasks and a real race finish. However, the earlier reference to this new events reliance on glide computers is quite silly. I think my statements are accurate. Timed tasks with choices (the vast majority of US contest tasking) are by far the heaviest on glide computer importance and skill managing it in complex scenarios.

Back to the Abu Dhabi thing. I think being the absolute most efficient pilot at starting and final glide is an extremely interesting skill. Match racing is a cool thing as well. Look at Red Bull air races for example (time trials really). Gets a little boring even though the flying is amazing. How cool would it be to see 2 gliders fly around a similar course on either side of the runway? The energy management, flying the glider in the smoothest manner, perfect lines, etc would make all the difference. Pilots would, in fact, probably not have time to look inside the cockpit. I think this could be very interesting and fun to watch considering that the crowds can see the whole thing play out. I for one think an event focused on lots of short races focused on extreme final glide skills would be pretty fun to compete in, every once in awhile. This is not a replacement of traditional soaring of course. It's a highlight of perhaps the most exciting (from a spectator perspective) part of Sailplane Grand Prix. A close finish. The big challenge of this would be setting a course where they are not redlining...but I'm sure they are aware of this concern.

Anything is better than a timed 1 turn MAT or a 25-mile radius TAT all summer. It would be a nice change. Imagine sailplane final glide racing on TV! Cool! Give it a chance. Sure, it's not perfect, but they are trying! It's not hurting you that they are trying something new...is it?

On Wed, 30 Sep 2015 20:11:26 -0700, dbdev wrote:

On Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 7:56:04 PM UTC-4, Casey Cox wrote:
https://www.wagdubai.ae/gliding.php

A similar tactic was tried a number of years ago by the hang gliding
community... "speed gliding". One of the reasons given for it was that
it would be more spectator friendly. I never really agreed with that
sentiment - seems as though it gets just as 'tired' for casual
spectators after the initial curiosity wears off. As a hang glider
pilot, it has it's thrill, but 'let me see how quickly I can get back on
the ground', just seems to defeat the purpose of the sport.

Seems to me that the nearest existing event format to this to this would
be the F3B speed task. F3B is an RC glider competition class and the
speed task being to fly a 4 lap distance (4x150m) in the shortest
possible time. BTW, that's flown off a winch, but with only one pilot on
the course at a time.


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

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.

On Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 11:25:33 PM UTC-4, Sean Fidler wrote:
I'm not saying I like this format as much as SGP with regatta starts, pure assigned tasks and a real race finish. However, the earlier reference to this new events reliance on glide computers is quite silly. I think my statements are accurate. Timed tasks with choices (the vast majority of US contest tasking) are by far the heaviest on glide computer importance and skill managing it in complex scenarios.

Back to the Abu Dhabi thing. I think being the absolute most efficient pilot at starting and final glide is an extremely interesting skill. Match racing is a cool thing as well. Look at Red Bull air races for example (time trials really). Gets a little boring even though the flying is amazing. How cool would it be to see 2 gliders fly around a similar course on either side of the runway? The energy management, flying the glider in the smoothest manner, perfect lines, etc would make all the difference. Pilots would, in fact, probably not have time to look inside the cockpit. I think this could be very interesting and fun to watch considering that the crowds can see the whole thing play out. I for one think an event focused on lots of short races focused on extreme final glide skills would be pretty fun to compete in, every once in awhile. This is not a replacement of traditional soaring of course. It's a highlight of perhaps the most exciting (from a spectator perspective) part of Sailplane Grand Prix. A close finish. The big challenge of this would be setting a course where they are not redlining...but I'm sure they are aware of this concern.

Anything is better than a timed 1 turn MAT or a 25-mile radius TAT all summer. It would be a nice change. Imagine sailplane final glide racing on TV! Cool! Give it a chance. Sure, it's not perfect, but they are trying! It's not hurting you that they are trying something new...is it?

Compared to Red Bull air racing this will be a total snore fest.
UH

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

On Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 9:42:07 AM UTC-5, 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!?

Fun to watch, sure - except in the US where all the safety nazis jump on you for "dangerous, unnecessary showing off"!

But how it is a competition? Who can make the fastest low pass? The lowest? The fewest PIOs? If they want to show off the state of the art in sailplanes, then sure, tow some up to 2000' above the crowd and let the pilot show off his glider with whatever maneuvers he wants and let the crowd decide when he lands - like ice dancing - that would add the element of spectator participation!

Then offer rides to pretty women - it's even more fun from the inside:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5Ok23JposE

Kirk
66

At 16:58 01 October 2015, kirk.stant wrote:
Why not add some excitement for the crowd and the pilots. Simultaneous
release at a specified altitude with the task being to break (using nose
spikes)
multi colored helium balloons tethered with light weight cotton thread.
Vary balloon altitudes and lateral spacing to require some aggressive
maneuvering then to the wow factor by requiring that a specific colored
balloon must be broken with the glider inverted. The glider with 100%
balloons broken (or more likely most balloons broken) and first thru the
finish gate the winner.

Precision accuracy with aggressive maneuvering and energy management to
boot, now that would be a crowd pleasing competition. Yes it's not xc but
even I would tune in to watch the event.

Since the gliders are not following the same course (opposite side of runway) spectators will have no idea who is winning until they turn final. I think even glider pilots will be bored with this.

Now if you could get robotic jockeys to tow gliders aloft with camels, thats something to watch.

Matt H

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