Hi Gary & Mike D As promised I have asked the Handicap Committee to review your comments regarding the current handicaps.
Firstly, Re Mike Durrant’s comments, the handicap Committee takes handicap complaints seriously, they assess the gliders performance and polar carefully and usually err in favour of the complainant. It was a surprise to the committee to hear that there is a problem with the Jantar 19 and they have committed to review all of these older open class sports handicaps for the next season. This should ideally address any issues with the Nimbus 2 that Robert Hart raised also. Secondly with regard to Gary Stevens’ comments, the Committee wants it to be known categorically that they address all pilot requests without bias. ( One of the committee members in fact, I couldn’t improve the ASW20B handicap, even though he believed it needed adjusting, until he had sold his own ASW20B to avoid this implication of bias). The handicap review took into account ALL submissions made by pilots and reviewed ALL the aircraft on the MultiClass and Club and Sports Class Handicap Lists. This was a comprehensive review which went back to absolute basics of the handicaps and rebuilt them from the ground up. The technical data, international experience and handicaps, aircraft age, differences in technology, and local soaring conditions were all taken into account. The results of the review are encompassed in the current handicaps now published on the GFA website. Best regards, ROSS From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ross McLean Sent: Wednesday, 17 August 2011 10:44 PM To: 'Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.' Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Handicaps Hi Gary & Mike D Thanks for your emails, very much appreciated. I have referred them to the Handicap Committee for discussion and will respond back to this forum with their thoughts and comments asap. As Bruce is still returning from Uvalde (with a very heavy 18m 1st Place winner’s trophy) it may take a few days but I will get back to you. ROSS From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, 17 August 2011 8:50 PM To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.; 'tom claffey' Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Handicaps Hi Ross, I understand that the HC was reviewing handicaps, mainly to update and/or correct anomalies resulting from incorrect original input data, new data, manufacturer's changes to designs, and such like, rather than making radical changes. In a volunteer organisation, it is not surprising that such anomalies can and do occur, and indeed you and your Committee (and those that have gone before you), have generally done a good job under sometimes (no doubt), trying circumstances. I applaud your recent earlier request to aircraft owners to contact you, in the case of seemingly erroneous handicaps. You, and fellow committee members are not mind readers, after all! Can you/Will you/Are you now in a position, to give us a detailed update, on all the glider types considered in the review, and the changes (if any), that the Committee decided to instigate, as a result of the review? If the review still has some way to go, when do you expect the Committee's findings and decisions to be made known? I do appreciate that a written report to the Australian Gliding Fraternity may involve some/a lot of work on your part, but I think that in the past, the reasons for some (no doubt necessary), changes have not been explained - either adequately, or at all, and led in some quarters, to ongoing resentment to seemingly biased decisions, by the Committee. {Is it possible that Nigel is possibly suggesting this - tongue in cheek of course! .....Gasp!} In this day and age transparency is everything. I await your response with interest. Gary ----- Original Message ----- From: Ross McLean <mailto:[email protected]> To: 'tom claffey' <mailto:[email protected]> ; 'Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.' <mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 6:45 PM Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Aus-soaring Digest, Vol 95, Issue 49 Hi Tom You are correct and no it hasn’t changed. The Handicap committee members have currently: · One JS1 – previously LS8, ASW 22, Ventus 2CX, ASW 19b. In all of which he has won National Competitions. Just won the 18m pre-Worlds in an ASG29. (I think it is the pilot not the a/c) · One ASG29 - previously an ASW20 and a long history before that · One LS4 · And one member has a fleet of 11 aircraft including Discus, Discus 2, Ventus b 16.6, Duo Discus and Nimbus 4DM I think there is enough cross manufacturer experience in that committee to be able to produce a well balanced and knowledgable result. Cheers, ROSS From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of tom claffey Sent: Wednesday, 17 August 2011 1:45 PM To: [email protected]; Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Aus-soaring Digest, Vol 95, Issue 49 Really? I thought the handicap committee had an LS4, a JS1 and an ASG29, has it changed? Tom _____ From: Nigel Andrews <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, 17 August 2011 1:32 PM Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Aus-soaring Digest, Vol 95, Issue 49 What, no comment on adjusting the handicap to make it worthwhile for those who don't have an ASG29 or JS1 to come to a comp and compete in their Ventus's? I am sure the ASG29 owners would expect the same when the next generation of 18 metre overtake them. Funny thing is the handicap committee has two ASG owners. Leave it as it is and just have the same guys trying to beat each other. Nigel Andrews _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring _____ _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
_______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
