1000km flights

But I can recall his achievements in long-distance flights in Namibia since 2007 in the OLC. No single one!
I have seen only 3 flights over 1.000 km from Sebastian in this time and these flights were flown in Argentina, in wave condition, in a double-seater with an experienced pilot in the rear seat!

How can he say: "...long tasks over several days inevitably bring exhaustion with them and possibly accidents..."?

Every year hundreds of pilots make thousands of long distance flights in Namibia, flying day by day and the accident rate is close to zero (no single one this year!).

I´m flying there since 1999 and the few accidents I have seen have been caused by unadapted speed in high altitudes (one), by a down-burst during landing in Bitterwasser after a thunderstorm and nearly all he others be physical unadapted people, collapsing in the hot African summer short on the first day after arrival, with jet-lag in their bones. No one by "exhaustion after several long tasks"!

I made 131 thermal-flights over 1.000km and more in the same time (since 2007) and I´m also flying several competitions every year. Believe me, the accident rate in competition is a problem, not the long-distance flights!

No doubt, Sebastian Kawa is one of the worlds best pilots. But his favorite discipline is competition and not every good "sprinter" in our sport is also a "marathon runner"!

Three years ago, we have had the same discussion in "Soaring cafe" (http://soaringcafe.com/2014/12/wishi...thy-safe-2015/) and it is interesting, that mainly people, which are not really competent in flying big tasks are ascribing a lack of safety to our kind of gliding! Why?

I think Sebastian Kawa was referring to the combination of 1000km flights and racing. The African camps (I have not flown in Namibia but have flown from Gariep in South Africa) are very relaxed and laid back. Most gliders are self-launchers or at least fitted with sustainers so long retrieves are not an issue. Everybody assists everybody and pilots set their own tasks according to their mood/attitude/experience for the day. Pilots think nothing of taking days-off and experiencing the wildlife or just relaxing by the pool between flying days. Competitions are a bit different - it's a far more stressful environment. Now combine 1000km tasks into the competitive racing environment - and Sebastian is then correct when he states its a recipe for accidents.

I always thought that physical and mental endurance was a key factor that nationals and Worlds are meant to test? I thought that is exactly what the longer contests are for. Flights of 5 plus hours were common along with a hell of a lot more long days/nights making retreaves. I think the written words of Moffat, Johnson, Butler, Gimmey, and good ole Wally Scott would back me up on this point.

If tests of mental and physical endurance are not a major factor of what contests are all about, and the trend to midigate all the "risk" factors continues, then why not just eliminate the ships all together, set up the contest scenarios on simulators with 3 hour MAT's and see who wins. Geesh, what has happened to our sport.

Exactly! 1.000km in competition is another thing than flying long-range in Africa/Namibia! Thank you for clarification!

On Wednesday, January 3, 2018 at 7:29:03 AM UTC-6, wrote:
I think Sebastian Kawa was referring to the combination of 1000km flights and racing. The African camps (I have not flown in Namibia but have flown from Gariep in South Africa) are very relaxed and laid back. Most gliders are self-launchers or at least fitted with sustainers so long retrieves are not an issue. Everybody assists everybody and pilots set their own tasks according to their mood/attitude/experience for the day. Pilots think nothing of taking days-off and experiencing the wildlife or just relaxing by the pool between flying days. Competitions are a bit different - it's a far more stressful environment. Now combine 1000km tasks into the competitive racing environment - and Sebastian is then correct when he states its a recipe for accidents.

That's exactly what Sebastian was referring to: the competition flying. My remark was a reaction to Jonathan's opinion that 'On a 17,500 foot day, tasks of 3 or 4 hours do not do Nephi justice.' And he is probably right in this specific case, but generally, the golden mean has to be found between number and length of the tasks flown in an area with consistently excellent conditions.
The interview I had is mind can be watched here (for Sebastian's opinion in question please start at 14:00):

https://youtu.be/mH6YVbUotDQ?t=826

Thanks for posting that Kawa interview. Competition dynamics has definitely changed since the days of Moffat and Reichman. Kawa would be considered a pussy if he had to race here during the late 70's lol. Its apparent he prefers short and fast tasks. Those type tasks may play to his particular skill set. In my opinion, that only "tests" one aspect of cross country competative flying. Another aspect is the ability to make critical decisions over an extended period of time and interaction with changing wx conditions along course. Those two aspects only start to come out during longer tasks as well as multiple days of longer tasks.

A decision needs to be made whether competition soaring is meant to be a test of "sprinting" ability or a test of "marathon" ability. Hopefully it will be somewhere in between, but lets not jettison the "marathon" aspects (both mentally and physically) of competative soaring.

At 21:11 04 January 2018, wrote:
Thanks for posting that Kawa interview. Competition dynamics has
definitely=
changed since the days of Moffat and Reichman. Kawa would be
considered a
=
pussy if he had to race here during the late 70's lol. Its apparent
he
pref=
ers short and fast tasks. Those type tasks may play to his
particular
skill=
set. In my opinion, that only "tests" one aspect of cross country
competat=
ive flying. Another aspect is the ability to make critical decisions
over
a=
n extended period of time and interaction with changing wx
conditions
along=
course. Those two aspects only start to come out during longer
tasks as
we=
ll as multiple days of longer tasks.

A decision needs to be made whether competition soaring is
meant to be a
t=
est of "sprinting" ability or a test of "marathon" ability. Hopefully it
wi=
ll be somewhere in between, but lets not jettison the "marathon"
aspects
(b=
oth mentally and physically) of competative soaring.


Are you aware of Kawa's 'non -competitive' exploratory flights - in
the Himalaya and Caucauses and other parts of the world ? i.e.
https://www.alexander-schleicher.de/...wa-fliegt-800-
km-in-der-ukraine/#more-35574.

On Thursday, January 4, 2018 at 3:11:54 PM UTC-6, wrote:
(snip) Its apparent he prefers short and fast tasks. (snip) A decision needs to be made whether competition soaring is meant to be a test of "sprinting" ability or a test of "marathon" ability. Hopefully it will be somewhere in between, but lets not jettison the "marathon" aspects (both mentally and physically) of competative soaring.

Well, he mentions 500-600 km as his estimate for the upper limit. I wouldn't call that 'a short' or 'sprint' task. They are still a diamond worth...

He seemed to do just fine in Uvalde 2012 which did not feature short tasks...

On Thu, 04 Jan 2018 13:11:51 -0800, agcatflyr wrote:

Thanks for posting that Kawa interview. Competition dynamics has
definitely changed since the days of Moffat and Reichman. Kawa would be
considered a pussy if he had to race here during the late 70's lol. Its
apparent he prefers short and fast tasks.

He's also evidently rather good at flying large gliders over and around
very big mountains, as my club found out when he visited last year. He
spent some time in Nepal flying an ASH-25 in the Himalayas from Pokara.
Amongst other things, this included following the Kali Gandaki river
through the mountains to Jomoson, on the Tibetan side the range, and back
again. Thats an out and return of just under 200km and almost of it
unlandable. The Kali Gandaki is the deepest river valley in the world. It
runs between Daulagiri (26,800 ft) and Annapurna I (26,500 ft) with the
river at around 8,500 ft where it passes between the peaks.


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