Excellent thoughts Harry. I am a very indifferent competition pilot but I have been in a few comps.
My appreciation is that the worst danger in the comps I have been in involve gaggles before the start. Second danger area is the finish. As you say" The major circumstance where midair collisions occur is in or when a glider is joining a thermal. Statistically you can build a pyramid starting with the number of times a glider joins another or a group thermalling" I am very happy with separated start points which are cylinders. Despite the apparent dangers of gliders converging on the cylinder. that has never happened in my experience. I liked some of your other ideas. I also like a finish line some distance from the airfield so pilots can collect themselves to concentrate on the landing. Peter Champness On Thu, Feb 13, 2014 at 3:38 PM, Harry <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi All, > > These notes may be of interest, > > Having a background of flying competitions for over 20years, being > coordinator of the National Pilots Safety Committee and being involved in a > midair in which I was hit from behind by a following glider and only just > opening my parachute in time, maybe these comments may have some value. > > Over the period 1988 to 1999, national multiclass competitions mid air > collisions resulted in 2 fatal mid airs, several pilots just opening their > parachutes just in time, 5 gliders destroyed, as well as other mid airs > where the damage did not result in loss of control. A number of pilots gave > up flying competitions. One in ten of the pilots who flew National > multiclass competitions during that period was involved in a mid air > collision. The number of competitors during that period substantially > reduced. > > By way of comparison the very popular national club class competitions > which used an optional turn point tasking system, did not, to my memory, > have a single mid air accident. The tasking system used resulted in very > little gaggling. > > The National Pilots Safety Committee was formed to research these > accidents and to suggest ways of preventing them. Changes made, Largely as > a result of the Committees efforts included. Assigned start points to > reduce gaggles, mandatory frequencies, mandatory safety briefings including > providing extensive notes to pilots and Assigned Area Tasks particularly > for use on difficult days. Suggestions for task setters included avoiding > out and return situations, Having an included angle of no less than 30 > degrees between legs and setting tasks which avoided all classes coming > home together at about the same time over a long leg. > > Some care is needed when applying these recommendations. As an example, > assigned start points, usually in three groups of three, should be within > about 40 degrees of right angles to the most common first legs. This > ensures pilots go straight on track and not cruise through other start > points after starting themselves. > > Surely it is not a coincidence that since these changes were introduced > mid air accidents have virtually ceased and the number of pilots flying > competitions has increased? We now have Flarms which are a benefit but > cannot by itself explain the improvement. The major circumstance where > midair collisions occur is in or when a glider is joining a thermal. > Statistically you can build a pyramid starting with the number of times a > glider joins another or a group thermalling. The next line is when a less > than optimum but not immediately dangerous situation occurs, then a highly > dangerous situation and at the top of the pyramid an actual midair. By > training we can reduce the progression but there is always a correlation. > The more times gliders join a turning glider, the more accidents at the > top of the pyramid. > > Accidents when gliders are following the same track or cross each others > path as can occur in an AAT are extremely rare and a circumstance where > Flarms are particularly effective. > For these reasons it is very concerning that some pilots are advocating > and consideration is being given to returning to conditions which obtained > during the years when we had an epidemic of accidents. Start lines result > in pilots starting together and gaggling is far worse, particularly on blue > days, just as occurred years ago with unallocated start points I > understand that some pilots like to fly as a team or a pair. Not sure that > the silent majority are happy when our best pilots, perhaps hoping or > training for international team selection , fly as a pair. The advantages > of pair or team flying are such that when the best pilots do it, not much > chance for the rest. It may well be GFA policy to encourage pair flying by > using start lines but I hope they are aware of the potential risks. > > Having safe competitions must be our first priority. > > Harry Medlicott > > *From:* rolf a. buelter <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Sunday, February 02, 2014 2:45 PM > *To:* aus soaring <[email protected]> > *Subject:* Re: [Aus-soaring] The nationals: a proposal > > 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 > > ------------------------------ > _______________________________________________ > 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 >
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