Sailplane Classes - a different perspective

Good idea, if you want to limit sailplane racing to people with the
money to buy 4 gliders like you (or maybe that is your goal?). The
problem is that you'd need a different glider for every contest site.
Longer wingspan/lower wingloading in the east with shorter span/higher
loading out west. Thousands of variations in between meaning that
you'd probably need a new glider every year to be competitive based on
expected conditions at the contest site and new developements by
designers within your formula.

Oh yah, you better get a second glider too so you'll be competitve in
that regional back east, and a third glider for Mifflin. Now theres a
tough one, should you go to mifflin with a lead sled expecting 3-4
ridge days or a light wingloading glider expecting weak conditiond.
Oh, and get another one for Tonopah and Uvlade. Your idea turns
gliding competition into a crap shoot of who shows up with the right
glider.

Quote: The bottom line is nearly always "It's the pilot stupid"
And isnt that the point?

So, if these classes were suddenly instituted tomorrow,
would you compete in them?

Bob K.


Well if I suddenly obtained a bunch of spare time in
the summer, and the desire to spend it driving...and
possibly sitting at the airport.

And won the lotto so I could afford a competitive ship
in one of those classes.

And became skilled enough to not finish dead last.

Good idea, if you want to limit sailplane racing to people with the
money to buy 4 gliders like you (or maybe that is your goal?).

yah, and how many sailplane pilots out there have a hard time affording 1 glider?

Brad

In article ,
(Brad) writes:


Good idea, if you want to limit sailplane racing to people with the
money to buy 4 gliders like you (or maybe that is your goal?).

yah, and how many sailplane pilots out there have a hard time affording 1
glider?


How about classes defined by cost? I have some memory of hearing that there
were (are?) auto racing classes defined this way. To keep out cheating the
cars are always "for sale" at the maximum allowable class cost.

Steve

Earlier, Stewart Kissel
wrote:

...And became skilled enough to not finish dead last.

Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it. One year at the Air Sailing
I finished the contest with 15 points, and that was with launching
every day save one. I swear, that last was so dead I was expecting to
see the CSI team and a bunch of yellow crime scene tape at the awards
dinner. I still had a pretty good time.

The thing that got me onto the grid in the first place was realizing
that it didn't really matter if I had a hot ship or understood the
rules completely or comprehended all the subtleties of 1000-point POST
scoring. What was important was that I fly safely and have a good time
while I figured it out on a one-week soaring-only vacation. After
about the third contest I was out there playing it with the big boys
and girls, and it didn't cost me no five-eigths mil, neither. I just
run what I brung as hard as I felt safe.

Thanks, and best regards to all

Bob K.
http://www.hpaircraft.com

Pat Russell wrote:
Now I want to suggest that, in my humble opinion, the way the
classes are currently set up by the SSA don't make any sense.


In fact the classes are set up by FAI. If the SSA did it, they
would probably make even less sense.

In fact, the USA classes are set by the SSA. We can have any kind of
classes that we want. For the last few decades, the SSA has chosen FAI
classes (with a wing-loaing modification for the Standard class), plus
it's own invention, the very popular Sports Class. A little more
respect, please!

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

OscarCVox wrote:

Why does the US have different classes to the rest of the world? OK I know
std, 15m and Open are all the same, but US has a Sport class wheras the rest of
the world has the Club class. I dont believe that there is a 18m class in the
US either. Please correct me if I am wrong.

There is an 18 meter class in the USA, the FAI 18 meter. The 18 Meter
Nationals will be at Montague, California, in 2005. I don't know of any
Regional 18 M class being scheduled.


--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Eric Greenwell wrote:
There is an 18 meter class in the USA, the FAI 18 meter. The 18 Meter
Nationals will be at Montague, California, in 2005. I don't know of any
Regional 18 M class being scheduled.

We had a successful (7 total, 4 motorgliders) 18M class in the Region 11
FAI contest at Minden last year, and we'll likely do it again next year.

Marc

Funny attitude.
How the hell would you know if you had learnt anything?
Whats your "pass grade" so you would know you would not finish dead last?
I entered contests in a poorly performing glider. Makes you work harder to
get around and you learn alot faster then if you have a higher glide angle.


"Stewart Kissel" wrote in
message ...

So, if these classes were suddenly instituted tomorrow,
would you compete in them?

Bob K.


Well if I suddenly obtained a bunch of spare time in
the summer, and the desire to spend it driving...and
possibly sitting at the airport.

And won the lotto so I could afford a competitive ship
in one of those classes.

And became skilled enough to not finish dead last.