Just to provide a contrasting point of view - perhaps we don't need to 'fix' this until we're really in a position to decide that it is broken (and I don't think, right now, that we are).
We could start by considering what these records exist for, and hence what they are presumably there to inspire (i.e. to inspire others to do more of the same, surely). ... else why bother recording them at all? If this sort of practice is consistent with the current rules, and opens up the potential to push the sport into a new frontier in record-breaking speeds/distances/times, well, I personally reckon 'good on them, and go for it'. Its not as if any of them are doing it for the money. Congratulations to the two pilots concerned for trying (and succeeding) with something new. It certainly reminds me that my own cross country achievements fall very far behind theirs (having allowed other forms of aviation to gain my attention in preference to soaring for the last few years). Hence their efforts tickle at the notion, for me, that maybe I should go out there and try a bit harder myself. Isn't that sort of inspiration going to be a win (for the sport)? To be clear - I do appreciate, and agree, that pair-flying is likely to generate higher performance results than doing it alone. Some other sports consider this a normal part of the process (e.g. team-based competitive cycling). If anything, perhaps this practice may be a rationale for us to keep a 'leader board' of the top 'x' flights in a given record category rather than merely having a single current 'best' on our (electronic) books - precisely because in a pairs-flying exercise, normally the efforts of the '#2" pilot are probably not recorded at all at this point - and its not as if that '#2' pilot didn't (also) 'do the work' to get all the way around the intended flight path. Last thought - with the exception of this remarkable effort in generating the exact same time by both pilots, who is to say how many other existing records were actually based on team-flying practices, but simply not recorded as such (due to a lack of mechanism with which to record it)? If we don't have a way to record that practice, how do we know that this actually *is* the first time this has been done as a part of a record flight claim? That really brings me back to where I began with this set of thoughts - if its not broken, perhaps it isn't actually something we need to fix. More flying better, right? Regards, Simon On 14 Feb 2014, at 12:40 pm, Peter (PCS3) <[email protected]> wrote: > As an non-involved-with-records glider pilot, I would have thought that team > flying should have its own set of records. As flying as a team, especially in > the blue would give them an unfair advantage over a solo pilot . > PeterS > On 12/02/2014 9:47 AM, Pam wrote: >> GFA has received the following record claims for the Australian National >> Standard Class 750km triangle speed record: >> >> >> Category: General >> Class: Standard >> Type of record: 750km triangle speed >> Location: West Wyalong >> Performance: 134.01 kph >> Pilot: Matt gage >> Glider: LS8/15m >> Date: 8/2/2014 >> >> >> Category: General >> Sub-class Standard >> Type of record : Speed over a 750km triangle >> Course/location : West Wyalong Aerodrome, NSW ( Australia ) - TP1`- Conargo >> and return >> Performance : 134.01 km/hr >> Pilot : Allan Barnes >> Glider : LS8/15mRegistration: VH-NSZ >> Date : 08 Feb 2014 >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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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