US Contest Rules Proposed Changes for 2006

Bruce wrote:
wrote:
Mr. Dean's comments on British tasking are thought provoking. Quite a
few days I competed in the U.S. last year were retasked in the air,
usually by changing among A, B and C but sometimes by modifying one of
the pre-called tasks and occasionally by throwing them all out the
window. At least in the eastern U.S., it seems rare that we launch with
any great certainty that the current task will prevail when the start
finally opens. Most of us think that's a good thing. But are we missing
something?

Does this mean U.S. CDs don't do as good a job of setting the original
tasks as do their British counterparts? Are British pilots condemned to
fly hopelessly ambitious (or undercalled) tasks more often than we are?
Does the U.S. practice result in more flyable days for the same chancy
weather? Is consistent British success at the Worlds partly due to
their pilots being forced to compete in more uncertain weather with a
beneficial effect on their proficiency?

This is a point made quite forcibly by George Moffatt in Winning II. It also
applies to us spoiled brats from Southern Hemisphere places that consider a 2kt
day as "not worth the effort".

Contests are often won on the weak days. We tend to call off flying in exactly
the conditions we should be learning in, or make our tasks too easy to really
stretch us...


This newsgroup has been WAY too quiet this winter.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"


Inserting comment:
I see most task changes in the air as intended to use the most soarable
quadrant, or at least to avoid one that is developing into one where it
is or has been not soarable.
In the "old days"( less than 10 yr ago) we would commonly be sent on a
suicide mission with thunderstorm on the first or second leg already in
view because "the task is set".
I see the newer way of doing things to be much safer given the improved
opportunity to avoid dangerous weather and higher completion rates
meaning less equipment at risk landing out.
My personal view is that these benefits far out weigh the issues
related to task entry/ change in the air.
UH


--
Bruce Greeff
Std Cirrus #57
I'm no-T at the address above.