As comp pilot permission of team flying will be a disincentive. Would not prevent me to come but together with other factors make it less likely. As GFA member I would not welcome to subsidise towing cost for comp pilots, including myself. Rgds - Rolf > From: [email protected] > Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2014 10:43:35 +1000 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [Aus-soaring] The nationals: a proposal > > G'day All, > > What do you think of the below? > > Keen to hear from those who aren't going for team selection, would you still > turn up to the team selection years (or to the nationals that allowed pair > flying every other year)? > > Also from non-comp pilots, how would you feel about the GFA spending money on > the tug ferry fees? > > & from people who are generally in the organisation of comps, would this be > better or worse for you or your club? > > What are other advantages & disadvantages that I've forgotten about? Or > points I've made, but over looked or got incorrect? > > Other? > > > Cheers, > WPP > > > > As you're all aware, gliding in Australia is oversubscribed with > competitions, as well as the team selection process being far to onerous. I > have a simple solution to all this. > > At the recent Waikerie Club & Sports Class Nationals, it was seen that it's > easily possible & safe to task wet & dry gliders together - using start lines. > > I propose that we hold one nationals every biannual year, which will house > all classes - except 20m class. Run using the GFA national rules as it is now. > > I propose we combine STD & 15m class together & run a '15m performance' > class, then award the highest placed STD & Racing class glider/pilot as the > national champion - for history sake. Why run it as a combined class? It's > not as much fun flying against 7 other competitors, when you could be > challenging yourself against 30 plus others! > > The same could be said for 18m & Open Class, combine them (as they often are) > as an 'Open' Class. The only difference here, the 18m gliders/pilots would > have to declare what class they were going for the national champion title in. > > Alternatively, have the 18m & Open Class separate - & only combine them > should the Open entries be not enough to make its own class outright. Again > though, is competing against 7 other gliders that much fun? > > Club would be run as it is now. Simple. > > How many competitors would this attract at a site? Probably 80-90 odd > gliders. That's crazy I hear you say. Not really, in years gone past they > used to get those numbers (& more!) & managed. > > Gliding is shrinking. The only clubs that are running nationals now are big > clubs, & are all at sites where they can handle such numbers. So the site > isn't the issue. > > The tugs are an issue. Or are they? Simple solution. If GFA want to see their > sport & population grow, they'll put their money where their mouth is! Pay at > least 2/3's of the tug ferry costs for the competitors. Done. It'd be no > different to what it is now in SA where we have to pay large tug levies. > > This idea/proposal. Run it every biannual year, with every other year running > as a team selection competition, let's call it the 'open' comp for now. This > 'Open' comp would be run exactly as the nationals is, except 'pair' flying > would be allowed. > > Note! I didn't say team flying, team flying to me could result with multiple > gliders flying around in a 6 ship gaggle every day to improve their chances > of winning. So only pairs would be allowed, teams would be extremely frowned > upon. > > Note! If & when a solo pilot wins the 'Open' comp - they'd still be eligible > to make the team. Though I'll leave the team selection guidelines to the ITC > in this proposal. > > Would the people still turn up to this 'Open' comp if they're not interested > in team selection? I think so. As it's still an organised 2wk gliding event > to go flying with their mates. Maybe more would turn up than normal, as > they'd be able to fly alongside their 'pair' flying mate - & not get shot > down as they would now! > > Alternatively. Run a nationals every year, however only every other year will > be used for selection - & this particular year, 'pair' flying would be > allowed. Easy. > > Why leave 20m class out? We want this class to grow. It wouldn't grow as fast > as it could if it were included at the nats/open comp. Just run it at a State > champs every year, with only the team selection year as the one that counts. > > > Advantages of having only one big 2wk competition a year... > * It's only 2wks out of your precious 4wks a year annual leave. > * Only one lot of organisation people get put out every year. Clubs & the > organisation less likely to get burnt out. > * State comps, regattas & coaching events will grow: as people will have an > extra 2wks a year to spend how ever they choose. > * If you're only after team selection, then in the 'off' years, the pilot > could go to the European Gliding Championships, or other European nationals > to get vital experience in helping AUS become a world leader in gliding. > * More people in towns. Greater support from councils. Greater chance of > major sponsorship (GFA should pay for a dedicated sponsorship & advertiser of > the event - leaving this up to clubs is never going to work, as it hasn't up > to now. Ultimately we don't know what we're doing, & we just don't have the > man power or time to do it now). Greater exposure for gliding in general. > * Potentially attract more international competitors due to the amount of > numbers & likely better competition in each class. Which as a result will > make our pilots better. We could advertise it like the 'World Cup' that the > paragliders have. Advertisers & media can spin up & promote it! > * God forbid, pilots could spend their other 2wks a year having a regular > holiday with their family or friends!! > > > Disadvantages... > * It's a risk to try it, due unknown amount of competitors that would turn > up. I think, what we're doing now isn't working (for AUS international > results), why not try something new! WA State comps saw great success with > numbers growing once they combined into one big class (Don Woodward said he > 'raced' one other competitor in 15m class one year before they changed the > format, that's definitely no fun!). > * Tugs. This can be fixed if GFA put their hand into their pockets to help > their/our sport grow. > > > Regards, > Adam Woolley > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list > [email protected] > To check or change subscription details, visit: > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
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