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Some limits are necessary
It was a well written and thought provoking article by John. Thanks.
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that we have limited technology from the very beginning of this sport. I could beat all the competition if they would only let me fly with an operating engine. In trout fishing, it would be much more productive to use a spot light at night, a gill net, or even dynamite. But someone was wise enough to say that wouldn't be sporting. It was not an irrational fear but a legitimate concern for the sport they loved. This is a sport too and we should not feel bad about placing some limit on what resources are allowed. Now bass fisherman use fish finders and big motors so that becomes another sport entirely. So there are arbitrary guidelines that we must think about and establish. It seems logical to me to disallow information compiled by others and transmitted to the glider. If this were true weather information compiled by professionals or computer equipped crew would be out of bounds. Instead the pilot would have to continue to demonstrate their ability to read the weather in the air. Another limit could restrain the transmission and subsequent reception of energy to artificially enhance the pilot’s vision. This would rule out on-board radar and thermal detection. Exceptions could be made for items that enhance safety like radio transceivers (of course) and flarm. With thermal detectors we'll see the use of autopilots and software to center thermals automatically and to calculate the best energy line. Yes, it is in the works. Two people talked to me last year to see if I thought it would be possible for use in drones. Perhaps this should be placed out of bounds for our sport for it would vastly decrease the amount of pilot skill necessary to complete a task. These are just examples of how limits could be thoughtfully imposed. Other lines could be drawn. My point is that the idea of no limits is not consistent with the history or spirit of the sport and leads to more homogenous pilot performance and a less interesting flying experience. XC |
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