SSA-OLC Generation 2.0

This is cross posted from the SSA Home News & Information General
News, It is specific to the US, but generally applicable as well. The
original post is avaliable at:

http://www.ssa.org/society/ListNewsA...Dtl.asp?id=492

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear OLC participants,

On Monday October 9th, the aerokurier Online Contest 2006 year will
end. From Tuesday October 10th, flight claims will be scored in the OLC
2007. The start of the new competition year will also mark the release
of OLC generation 2.0!

Here's a sneak peak at the new user interface:

http://www.ssa.org/newsimages/index_2.0_061003.jpg

The complete architecture of the OLC program and the user interface
have been changed in OLC generation 2.0. The change-over to a modern
system was necessary, because the old program could not keep up with
the explosive growth of the OLC. To make OLC generation 2.0 the best it
could be, a software engineering firm was brought in to help with their
special know-how.

One of the big changes for 2007 is a much simpler flight claim process.
This will really help the OLC continue to grow by making flight claims
almost effortless. Your takeoff airfield will be automatically selected
from the IGC file, and there is no need to enter the region. You won't
have to wait for your browser to load and parse the entire drop-down
list of 13,000 US airfields; the most likely airfield will be selected,
and only a small number of alternates are loaded if needed. Also, start
and end times are automatically selected, and the turnpoint
optimization is completely automatic as well.

The new OLC generation 2.0 has been completely redesigned to be more
user friendly. Hopefully the transition will be smooth, with minimal
problems. If you do have difficulties with the new interface, don't
worry. The submission deadlines for flight claims with technical
difficulties will be waived, as long as the problem is reported by
email before the 2400 Tuesday deadline. The submission deadline is now
2400 local time on Tuesday, instead of 2400Z, to give US pilots more
time to submit their claims.

Some of the many helpful suggestions received have been implemented in
the new OLC generation 2.0. Some more will be implemented later in the
year.Please understand that it was not possible to implement them all,
but your input is still appreciated, so keep the suggestions coming.
Not all functions of the new OLC generation 2.0 will be enabled on the
initial roll out, and will instead be phased in over time, so please be
patient.

Remember that you will need to update your pilot registration
information for 2007, but you can do it after you make your first
claim. Please check your registration email address, so we can contact
you if you have a problem with a claim. Make sure you chose the correct
club affiliation, so you can participate in the IGC-OLC World League
2007. While you are at it, help sign up a friend as well!

If you prefer to use flight analysis software to make automatic claims,
note that you will need to install a patch to make claims to the OLC
2007. Check your software vendor's web site for the OLC update. Make
sure you also download and use the most up-to-date analysis software
version available. You should also check with your logger vendor to
make sure you have the latest revision of the internal firmware and
download software to avoid unnecessary logger validation problems.

The OLC is still the worlds largest decentralized soaring contest, and
continues to grow thanks to your support. Please help up make it even
bigger and better in 2007!

Doug Haluza
SSA-OLC Admin

I have the good luck to fly in the UK, and we have our own excellent ladder,
the BGA National Ladder http://www.bgaladder.co.uk/ . Most pilots in the
UK post to this and not to the OLC.

The BGA ladder rule as to time of posting is as follows:

" 13. Details of each flight must be submitted, either online by the
pilot or via the Club Ladder Steward, within 14 days of the flight taking
place. Full details of flights, including GPS Logger evidence when
available, must be submitted to the National Ladder Steward within 14 days
of being requested. A 10% penalty will be imposed for late entries."

This seems to work well, I am not aware of any complaints.

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.).
Remove "ic" to reply.


"Doug Haluza" wrote in message
ups.com...

This is cross posted from the SSA Home News & Information General
News, It is specific to the US, but generally applicable as well. The
original post is available at:

http://www.ssa.org/society/ListNewsA...Dtl.asp?id=492

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear OLC participants,

On Monday October 9th, the aerokurier Online Contest 2006 year will
end. From Tuesday October 10th, flight claims will be scored in the OLC
2007. The start of the new competition year will also mark the release
of OLC generation 2.0!

Here's a sneak peak at the new user interface:

http://www.ssa.org/newsimages/index_2.0_061003.jpg

The complete architecture of the OLC program and the user interface
have been changed in OLC generation 2.0. The change-over to a modern
system was necessary, because the old program could not keep up with
the explosive growth of the OLC. To make OLC generation 2.0 the best it
could be, a software engineering firm was brought in to help with their
special know-how.

One of the big changes for 2007 is a much simpler flight claim process.
This will really help the OLC continue to grow by making flight claims
almost effortless. Your takeoff airfield will be automatically selected
from the IGC file, and there is no need to enter the region. You won't
have to wait for your browser to load and parse the entire drop-down
list of 13,000 US airfields; the most likely airfield will be selected,
and only a small number of alternates are loaded if needed. Also, start
and end times are automatically selected, and the turnpoint
optimization is completely automatic as well.

The new OLC generation 2.0 has been completely redesigned to be more
user friendly. Hopefully the transition will be smooth, with minimal
problems. If you do have difficulties with the new interface, don't
worry. The submission deadlines for flight claims with technical
difficulties will be waived, as long as the problem is reported by
email before the 2400 Tuesday deadline. The submission deadline is now
2400 local time on Tuesday, instead of 2400Z, to give US pilots more
time to submit their claims.

Some of the many helpful suggestions received have been implemented in
the new OLC generation 2.0. Some more will be implemented later in the
year.Please understand that it was not possible to implement them all,
but your input is still appreciated, so keep the suggestions coming.
Not all functions of the new OLC generation 2.0 will be enabled on the
initial roll out, and will instead be phased in over time, so please be
patient.

Remember that you will need to update your pilot registration
information for 2007, but you can do it after you make your first
claim. Please check your registration email address, so we can contact
you if you have a problem with a claim. Make sure you chose the correct
club affiliation, so you can participate in the IGC-OLC World League
2007. While you are at it, help sign up a friend as well!

If you prefer to use flight analysis software to make automatic claims,
note that you will need to install a patch to make claims to the OLC
2007. Check your software vendor's web site for the OLC update. Make
sure you also download and use the most up-to-date analysis software
version available. You should also check with your logger vendor to
make sure you have the latest revision of the internal firmware and
download software to avoid unnecessary logger validation problems.

The OLC is still the worlds largest decentralized soaring contest, and
continues to grow thanks to your support. Please help up make it even
bigger and better in 2007!

Doug Haluza
SSA-OLC Admin

The following notice has also been posted to the OLC 2007 site:

Thuesday October 10, 2006

Dear glider pilots,

With the recent growth of the OLC it became necessary to rework the
current design of the software used. With the start of the new OLC
season we introduce the OLC-Generation 2.0. OLC-Generation 2.0 is a
total new system and vastly different from the current OLC Software.
For those of you interested in the technical terms, OLC 2.0 uses
technologies like Spring Framework with JSP, Servlet, Hybernate, Java
Beans, Spring Web Flow. Another key signature is the modular structure
of the whole system.

The main work for the new OLC 2.0 Software has been done by 5 volunteer
programmers who all have their normal jobs in the IT sector. In
addition to this we have been able to assure the support of a software
engineering bureau which we see as important to give the OLC Software
further stability.

The OLC 2.0 is now a more professional and reliable system, running
almost independent from the intervention of the members of the OLC
team.

The current functionality of the OLC will be the same and the migration
to OLC 2.0 will be step by step. Thank you for you patience with any
potential problems during this transition.
As always we welcome your feedback in regards of errors or functional
problems. Please email your feedback to:

The OLC team is looking forward to the successful implementation of the
new OLC Software.

Your OLC/Segelflugszene team

One of the goals of the OLC is to be a real-time information system, so
pilots are encouraged to post their flights as soon as possible. We
like to be able to see what other pilots did on a given day that same
night. It's really exciting to see what people did at other nearby
airfields while your flight experience is still current.

Hopefully the new OLC Generation 2.0 interface will make it easy for
British pilots to post to both the OLC and the BGA ladder. The two
systems can be complementary, and it's unfortunate that the UK is
underrepresented in the OLC, and not participating at all in the
IGC-OLC World League.

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.). wrote:
I have the good luck to fly in the UK, and we have our own excellent ladder,
the BGA National Ladder http://www.bgaladder.co.uk/ . Most pilots in the
UK post to this and not to the OLC.

The BGA ladder rule as to time of posting is as follows:

" 13. Details of each flight must be submitted, either online by the
pilot or via the Club Ladder Steward, within 14 days of the flight taking
place. Full details of flights, including GPS Logger evidence when
available, must be submitted to the National Ladder Steward within 14 days
of being requested. A 10% penalty will be imposed for late entries."

This seems to work well, I am not aware of any complaints.

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.).
Remove "ic" to reply.

Doug Haluza wrote:
One of the goals of the OLC is to be a real-time information system, so
pilots are encouraged to post their flights as soon as possible. We
like to be able to see what other pilots did on a given day that same
night. It's really exciting to see what people did at other nearby
airfields while your flight experience is still current.

Will the new OLC remove the capcha that's currently required to download
an IGC file (including my own!)?

Jeremy

The capcha (random text) entry was not needed to download a file on the
beta version I tested. There are no flights posted yet on the release
version which just went up, so I can't test it now, but I expect that
it will be possible to download files without capcha for now.

Jeremy Zawodny wrote:
Doug Haluza wrote:
One of the goals of the OLC is to be a real-time information system, so
pilots are encouraged to post their flights as soon as possible. We
like to be able to see what other pilots did on a given day that same
night. It's really exciting to see what people did at other nearby
airfields while your flight experience is still current.

Will the new OLC remove the capcha that's currently required to download
an IGC file (including my own!)?

Jeremy

Doug Haluza wrote:
One of the goals of the OLC is to be a real-time information system, so
pilots are encouraged to post their flights as soon as possible. We
like to be able to see what other pilots did on a given day that same
night. It's really exciting to see what people did at other nearby
airfields while your flight experience is still current.

Well then if that is a goal you have a bad failure. If I fly on
Wednesday I have until the following Tuesday to submit the flight. If
I make a long flight on Tuesday and have a long retrieve I cannot make
it back to an internet connection in a remote area by midnight. Sounds
hypothetical? Nope has happened to me in Marfa.

The Tuesday deadline it downright stupid and unproductive. Why not
have a 72 hour limit or at least 24 hours after landing? It is dumb
that the deadline is different for every day of the week with the
current system.

The OLC team says that the Tuesday deadline is required for them to get
published in local news outlets - that is not relevent for us. Why
penalize pilots who fly in the remote areas where soaring is the best
and the internet connections are hardest to get?

Chris

chris wrote:
..

Well then if that is a goal you have a bad failure. If I fly on
Wednesday I have until the following Tuesday to submit the flight. If
I make a long flight on Tuesday and have a long retrieve I cannot make
it back to an internet connection in a remote area by midnight. Sounds
hypothetical? Nope has happened to me in Marfa.

A flight made on Tuesday has 7 days to be posted - the next Tuesday. The
rule is easily misinterpreted, as I did, until it was pointed out to me.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

"Transponders in Sailplanes" on the Soaring Safety Foundation website
www.soaringsafety.org/prevention/articles.html

"A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

At present, if you fly on Saturday, you have until Tuesday evening to
get the flight posted. That is 3 days. I have not heard anyone
complain that (1) 3 days is not enough time to post, or (2) that 3 days
is too long to wait to see all the flights for a day. My conclusion: 3
days is just about ideal, so why not allow 3 days for all flights,
regardless of the day of the week?

I think the OLC people may not realize just how remote you are when you
are flying at, say, Tonopah in Nevada. If you are camping out at the
airport while there, you have no access to any internet connection
unless you have a friend staying at a motel in town (5 to 10 miles
away). Posting a Monday flight by Tuesday evening can be nearly
impossible -- especially if you land out in a remote valley at the end
of a 50 mile dirt road, and the nearest farmhouse is 30 miles away.
Even under those circumstances, however, you probably will be back to
civilization within the next 3 days.

In a related OLC matter, the new OLC interface has been online at times
today (click 2007 on the 2006 page). I notice that the US version is
written in German; it has no breakdown of flights by week or US region;
and almost a quarter of the screen is taken up by OLC news in German
(maybe they could put the advertising there, freeing up space at the top
of the page for flight info). Earlier today there were some links that
didn't go anywhere -- either they have been fixed or I can't find them
now.

Perhaps OLC should use the old interface until the new one is perfected?
I can't think of any reason why the new interface needs to be
implemented on the first day of the new OLC year (tomorrow).


chris wrote:
Doug Haluza wrote:
One of the goals of the OLC is to be a real-time information system, so
pilots are encouraged to post their flights as soon as possible. We
like to be able to see what other pilots did on a given day that same
night. It's really exciting to see what people did at other nearby
airfields while your flight experience is still current.

Well then if that is a goal you have a bad failure. If I fly on
Wednesday I have until the following Tuesday to submit the flight. If
I make a long flight on Tuesday and have a long retrieve I cannot make
it back to an internet connection in a remote area by midnight. Sounds
hypothetical? Nope has happened to me in Marfa.

The Tuesday deadline it downright stupid and unproductive. Why not
have a 72 hour limit or at least 24 hours after landing? It is dumb
that the deadline is different for every day of the week with the
current system.

The OLC team says that the Tuesday deadline is required for them to get
published in local news outlets - that is not relevent for us. Why
penalize pilots who fly in the remote areas where soaring is the best
and the internet connections are hardest to get?

Chris

Greg Arnold wrote:

I think the OLC people may not realize just how remote you are when you
are flying at, say, Tonopah in Nevada. If you are camping out at the
airport while there, you have no access to any internet connection
unless you have a friend staying at a motel in town (5 to 10 miles
away).

While I think the 3 day idea is reasonable, Internet access at Tonapah
may be easier than you think. Last time I was there, the airport office
had a phone, so you could use dialup access. It's available free or very
cheaply (I had one for $5/month, used to have a free one) for low usage
people.

I recently dropped the dialup because open (no password) wireless
signals are available at so many motels, restaurants, fast food places,
coffee houses, book stores, city librarys, and even rest areas, that
dialup doesn't seem worthwhile any more. Just parking outside the
motel/whatever in the motorhome or car with your laptop for a few
minutes will put your flight on the OLC - no need for friends in a
motel! When we use motels, we do favor the motel chains whose wireless
we used while in the motorhome.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

"Transponders in Sailplanes" on the Soaring Safety Foundation website
www.soaringsafety.org/prevention/articles.html

"A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org