How to be a Task-setter / CD

Noel, good topic, and understanding weather is a great start.

Definitely go read the SRA guide that UH referenced.

As the scorer at Region 9 Parowan this year I got to sit in on all of
the task committee's meetings (we shared the same office). Setting
tasks for sports class (meaning broad spectrum glider performance) was
always their biggest challenge.

For the FAI classes, where the gliders all had pretty much the same
performance, it was usually a simple matter of deciding how long the
task would be (based on launch time and expected weather), then
finding the set of turnpoints that would keep the pilots in the best
weather while covering the desired distance.

That would be for an assigned task, of course, which would be used
(usually) when the weather forecast was considered reliable.

For iffy forecasts a TAT would (usually) be assigned, where the
minimum and maximum possible distances would be such that a pilot
could fly the minimum time (usually 3 hours) and complete the task at
anywhere from 50 to 110 mph.

Setting tasks is educational and fun, and you should volunteer to do
this whenever you get the chance!

~ted/2NO