Hi Bruce, Having used this start gate, and the start box system over many years at comps (mainly inter-service), I was glad to see this dangerous and unproductive practice eliminated. I am amazed that it has crept back into the system. The remote multiple start point system has been totally successful and I see no reason to change from that. The urge to start on an even playing feild should never overide safety issues, and the current system is definately "best practise". My vote is leave the system as is. Regards
----- Original Message ----- From: Bruce Taylor To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2008 9:32 PM Subject: [Aus-soaring] Start procedures Just wondering if there is general knowledge of the new start procedures for Aussie nationals? I first heard of it last w/e at Kingaroy. Seems we will be both height and speed limited - obviously one must not be implemented without the other, and all this with the same style of "beer can" start point, albeit slightly enlarged. I have some serious issues with this idea regarding safety. Having flown with height restrictions at a number of competitions, I have found it a difficult exercise requiring lots of head-down time. I have only flown this rule in conjunction with a start LINE, where everybody must cross in the one direction - not so our new system. The pilot must confirm being below height limit, below ground speed limit and inside start radius while still within the start area. This area naturally has a concentration of glider traffic, which may be arriving/leaving/thermalling in any number of directions. I am not promoting we return to a start line - we abandoned that idea more than a decade ago in the interests of... safety. We have refined the multiple start point system to suit our weather and tasks, and I believe that it has saved lives. I imagine the new procedure was raised to promote the perception of fairness; it may offend competitors to think that someone has climbed to flight levels in shear wave, whilst they are fumbling below cloud base thousands of feet below. I have to say that I myself have benefited from such a situation... just once in nearly 20 years of competition. If this is the problem, all we have to do is ensure that the task setters do not set a first leg that goes downwind. Simple as that. Even if you do start with a height advantage, this will be entirely lost by the time you arrive at the first thermal climb with all those who started much lower, due to your having flown into a much stronger headwind. All experienced nationals pilots I have asked about this matter agree totally. I feel very strongly about this. The new procedure is difficult and dangerous, and I believe it has hit the table with less than the required amount of forethought. BT __________ NOD32 3142 (20080528) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring __________ NOD32 3142 (20080528) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com
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