Two things matter about team flying - results, and perceptions. Results
because that's how you win the silverware, and perceptions because that
is what drives participation. Or not.
If team flying didn't help, people wouldn't want to do it. If team
flying does help, it is then unfair to those who can't do it or who want
to start off in the sport but don't have a team.
In what other sport, is it OK to play singles on one side of the net and
doubles on the other, and have the doubles players tell you that it
doesn't really help and they only do it for social reasons?
Experience for those with long memories, is that rampant team flying is
at least one of the factors that drives newcomers away. That may be
from a perception that the sport is a series of small closed groups that
no one is allowed to join. It you want to see the Nationals fleet
dwindle again, that's one way to do it.
Cadel Evans didn't win the Tour de France without his team. But notice
that in that sport, everyone is in a team, and the strength of the team
contributes to the strength of the leader, and team members are happy to
(or at least, are paid to) sacrifice their results for the leader and
the team. In gliding, the equivalent would be that certain team members
(let's call them "domestiques") fly off as soon as the gate opens, mark
thermals for the leader, and then just cruise home at the back of the
peleton. I was at a gliding World Comps where that happened - one
pilot having lost a realistic chance of a top result, then actively flew
for the success of the other team member in his class. But in that case
it came from an offer by the second pilot, not a request from the team.
If the team players really want to do this, I have a suggestion. Fly as
a team, declare your intentions, and have each team member score the
LOWEST score achieved by a member of the team on each day - and at the
end of the comp it is the team not the individual that wins. Would you
still want to be in a team under these rules? Alternatively, have a
separate Teams class.
I think that teams should either be mandatory, or banned.
Cheers
/Tim/
/tra dire e fare c'รจ mezzo il mare/
On 8/08/2011 1:22, [email protected] wrote:
Hi Tom,
Good to hear from you. Re your earlier post on Mac and the Diana 2, my
understanding of this situation is that landing problems are about par
for the course! Take-offs too in this ship are also supposed to be
quite interesting, probably for exactly the same reasons you alluded
to. I am somewhat surprised that the production factory is still going
- if indeed it still is! Apart from anything else the owner BB seems
to have (or had? - does the leopard change its spots?), an attitude
problem. I have had some slight dealings with him in the recent past.
My experience was not that his attitude was the problem, but the fact
that the man would mostly not answer any straight question, posed to
him.
Re your response to my latest post - it is an interesting aside. Do
you really expect these two day winners to be on the podium at the end
of the contest? What is your real belief re team flying? If you
think team flying improves the chance of a team member winning, don't
be a wooze - answer my question. Say hi to Kerrie for me. Have fun.
Cheers,
Gary
----- Original Message -----
*From:* tom claffey <mailto:[email protected]>
*To:* Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.
<mailto:[email protected]>
*Sent:* Monday, August 08, 2011 12:06 AM
*Subject:* Re: [Aus-soaring] Team flying - what is it worth?
The two winners at Uvalde yesterday did not team fly! :]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* "[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>"
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>>
*To:* Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.
<[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>>
*Sent:* Sunday, 7 August 2011 11:59 PM
*Subject:* [Aus-soaring] Team flying - what is it worth?
Hallo All,
*_Preamble_*
For years, there has been robust debate in this country, on the
subject of team flying in Australian Competitions. Some pilots are
strongly for it, some strongly against it, and some are
ambivalent. Some pilots have been known to change their viewpoint,
when their own circumstances change!
It is generally acknowledged, that in any modern competition,
where the practice of team flying is allowed, (such as a World
Championship), GOOD team flying is essential if any team wants to
get at least one of their members onto the podium. I have used the
word "GOOD" quite advisably, because, like everything else in
gliding, it takes considerable time and practice to perfect the
necessary skills.
****************************************************************
That is of course the rub. How can this practice be carried out?
This is not the question here, but Allan Barnes, a member of the
DDSC has seriously considered this particular question and offered
some suggestions. In passing, I suggest here, that if the team
changes, then it is probably necessary to return to the basics, at
least in the short term, to develop the essential trust and
rapport that is required in this exercise. I would expect that two
pilots who are experienced team flyers (but not with each other),
can far more quickly become a new team, than a team made up of any
other combination such as: Two pilots who have never team flown at
all; a team of one experienced team flyer, and one pilot who has
never team flown before. A further interesting question is "what
is the ideal team size"? My own suspicion is that to a limited
extent, more is better. In the world of professional bike racing,
the team size is 9 riders. In gliding at World level, I think 3
pilots per class is the official limit, so I suspect that the
possibilities of a team larger than 3 has never been explored! Can
perhaps some research dollars be obtained (to the greater good of
Oz gliding, and indeed World gliding), to explore this subject? I
am certain that there is the odd PhD or two that could be obtained
here, and the pilots in the studies would of course have to
undergo maybe hundreds of hours of team flying in the interest of
this research! What a bugger!
**************************************************************
_*The Question*_
For the sake of this post, assume that we have a team of two
pilots who are competent in team flying. They are pitted
against many individual pilots. As outlined above, we know that
there is an advantage in team flying.
So the question is "what do YOU think is the percentage advantage
of the team flyers over an individual pilot under 'normal'
Australian Summer conditions." As every exam paper demands -
state why you formed this viewpoint.
Regards,
Gary
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