2005 SSA Handicaps Posted

"Marcel Duenner" wrote in message
om...
That is exactly what the handicap factors are based on: It takes in to
account the performance of the glider type, flown alone, in
homogeneous weather. Your 1.-4. simply can't be compensated
mathematically.

Exactly my point! But what is my another point is that in competition the
current (at least German/European) handicap system underhandicaps in the
competitions.

And they are used in those.

Another point still: the handicaps account for water ballast, but in club
class the ballast (at least here) is not allowed.

But..as this is without end... let's love with what we have.

hannu

US rules had "windicapping" as part of the rules a few years ago. This
was based upon logic that wind is the largest variable that a single
handicap number can't deal with.
It was in place for a couple years and never really got used, so it was
dropped. It definitely slows down the whole scoring process and would
make the scoring program much more complex.
It is of some significance that in order to get the scoring program
guys to do this we would likely have to get them very drunk for a very
long time.
UH
SSA Rules Subcommittee Chair

We have tried it all over the past 30 years, wind-capping,
weight-capping, day-capping, sight-capping, pilot-capping. The only
thing that stuck was day-capping, we now call that day-devaluation
based on the number of finishers. Playing with the numbers on a daily
basis leaves the pilots with the feeling that the whole thing is quite
liquid. Just bitch enough and you can get someone to change things to
help your score. Wind-capping was the worst, what wind, at what
altitude, in what valley, at what time of day?????

I'm thinking about writing the history of handicap racing in the US.
Who remembers the red and green books? Scratch task distance divided by
your handicap to determine the minimum distance triangle you must fly
out of the red book? Want to carry water, add 5% to your numbers, but
you must pay for it all week long.

wrote:

US rules had "windicapping" as part of the rules a few years ago. This
was based upon logic that wind is the largest variable that a single
handicap number can't deal with.
It was in place for a couple years and never really got used, so it was
dropped. It definitely slows down the whole scoring process and would
make the scoring program much more complex.
It is of some significance that in order to get the scoring program
guys to do this we would likely have to get them very drunk for a very
long time.
UH
SSA Rules Subcommittee Chair
IMVHO the reason windicapping was not used was due to flawed implementation.
A PST first turnpoint could have been disallowed as less than the minimum
distance when windicapping was applied. The pilot while in flight would
have no easy way of discerning this. In fact, while scoring Region 9 a few
years ago I had to toss windicapping for exactly this reason.

Frank Whiteley

Earlier, wrote:

Who remembers the red and green books?

Sorta off topic, but who remembers those awful speed-limited gates with
a pyramid sight, a finish gate and a speed gate? I worked one or two of
those at Minden in, what was it, early 1980s?

What with wind, altitude, and CAS/TAS/IAS conversions, it was a mess.
It seemed that nobody was sorry to see them eliminated.

Bob K.

but when the CD calls a 250 mile AST
on a strong summer day, I'm in trouble

I do this all the time, a 38:1 ship on a "Good Day" should easily be
able to do a 250 AST. I have done it (or close to it)many times in my
HP16 which is probably closer to 36:1.

In 15 meter someone if a better ship has to make a mistake (usually a
serious one as far is speed) for me to keep up with them. Handicapped
it can be a close race.

Brian Case
HP16T N16VP V6

GPS has sure solved a lot of problems with start and
finish gates. Remember trying to figure your start
time interval for the shortest first leg? You had to
make the STI match a first turn point that you weren't
real sure you would be using. Oh, yes, it was the distance
to the first turn divided by your HCF. Fun days, lots
of head-down in the cockpit stuff. I do believe picking
a triangle that was at least your minimum distance
was a real challenge. Now days we just follow the clouds
and or other sailplanes into one turn area and then
another, let the computer tell us when to head for
home. Where's the challenge?
JJ
Sorta off topic, but who remembers those awful speed-limited
gates with
a pyramid sight, a finish gate and a speed gate? I
worked one or two of
those at Minden in, what was it, early 1980s?

What with wind, altitude, and CAS/TAS/IAS conversions,
it was a mess.
It seemed that nobody was sorry to see them eliminated.

Bob K.

Yeah, some of the mechanics are easier ... but trying to beat DJ on any
given contest day will still keep you occupied. :-)

KK

A good PILOT on a "Good Day", of course, but I've only flown over 250
miles once in my life, and that was a downwind dash on a GREAT day!

I'll be able to use my handicap to compete with the faster slippers
when I get better at getting high early (as in in the start cylinder)
and starting just ahead of the pack instead of just after. It's always
been bad news when I started after the pack on long ASTs (which hasn't
been by choice) -- I hear them calling in their finishes when I'm still
45 to an hour out and it's demoralizing!

But the learning is fun.

ted/2NO

wrote in message
oups.com...
A good PILOT on a "Good Day", of course, but I've only flown over 250
miles once in my life, and that was a downwind dash on a GREAT day!

I'll be able to use my handicap to compete with the faster slippers
when I get better at getting high early (as in in the start cylinder)
and starting just ahead of the pack instead of just after. It's always
been bad news when I started after the pack on long ASTs (which hasn't
been by choice) -- I hear them calling in their finishes when I'm still
45 to an hour out and it's demoralizing!

But the learning is fun.

Welcome to the club! Though 45 mins might make me quite happy

hannu