SSA Contest Committee Announcement on COVID-19 and 2020 Contest Schedule

[Andy Blackburn[_3_]]

US Contest Pilots,

The SSA Contest Committee has issued guidance to contest organizers with regard to COVID-19. It is available to all interested parties on SSA.org at the following link:

https://www.ssa.org/files/member/Guidance%20to%202020%20SSA%20Contest%20Organizers. pdf

These are challenging times. The situation remains very dynamic with large and growing numbers infected people along with expanding restrictions on movement and gatherings that extend into the summer. The Contest Committee is working with organizers - especially for National Championships - to manage the situation. As decisions are made we will make further announcements on SSA.org and on this forum.

For the Contest Committee,
Andy Blackburn
9B

[John Godfrey (QT)[_2_]]

On Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 1:59:25 PM UTC-4, Andy Blackburn wrote:
> US Contest Pilots,
>
> The SSA Contest Committee has issued guidance to contest organizers with regard to COVID-19. It is available to all interested parties on SSA.org at the following link:
>
> https://www.ssa.org/files/member/Guidance%20to%202020%20SSA%20Contest%20Organizers. pdf
>
> These are challenging times. The situation remains very dynamic with large and growing numbers infected people along with expanding restrictions on movement and gatherings that extend into the summer. The Contest Committee is working with organizers - especially for National Championships - to manage the situation. As decisions are made we will make further announcements on SSA.org and on this forum.
>
> For the Contest Committee,
> Andy Blackburn
> 9B

Key takeaway:

The Contest Committee will announce on April 15th whether we will be cancelling all FAI Nationals for the 2020 season. Because of its later start date, we will wait until May 15th to decide whether Sports Class Nationals will be held.

[John Godfrey (QT)[_2_]]

On Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 1:59:25 PM UTC-4, Andy Blackburn wrote:
> US Contest Pilots,
>
> The SSA Contest Committee has issued guidance to contest organizers with regard to COVID-19. It is available to all interested parties on SSA.org at the following link:
>
> https://www.ssa.org/files/member/Guidance%20to%202020%20SSA%20Contest%20Organizers. pdf
>
> These are challenging times. The situation remains very dynamic with large and growing numbers infected people along with expanding restrictions on movement and gatherings that extend into the summer. The Contest Committee is working with organizers - especially for National Championships - to manage the situation. As decisions are made we will make further announcements on SSA.org and on this forum.
>
> For the Contest Committee,
> Andy Blackburn
> 9B

Key takeaway:

"The Contest Committee will announce on April 15th whether we will be cancelling all FAI Nationals for the 2020 season. Because of its later start date, we will wait until May 15th to decide whether Sports Class Nationals will be held.
"

[2G]

On Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 11:11:28 AM UTC-7, John Godfrey (QT) wrote:
> On Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 1:59:25 PM UTC-4, Andy Blackburn wrote:
> > US Contest Pilots,
> >
> > The SSA Contest Committee has issued guidance to contest organizers with regard to COVID-19. It is available to all interested parties on SSA.org at the following link:
> >
> > https://www.ssa.org/files/member/Guidance%20to%202020%20SSA%20Contest%20Organizers. pdf
> >
> > These are challenging times. The situation remains very dynamic with large and growing numbers infected people along with expanding restrictions on movement and gatherings that extend into the summer. The Contest Committee is working with organizers - especially for National Championships - to manage the situation. As decisions are made we will make further announcements on SSA.org and on this forum.
> >
> > For the Contest Committee,
> > Andy Blackburn
> > 9B
>
> Key takeaway:
>
> "The Contest Committee will announce on April 15th whether we will be cancelling all FAI Nationals for the 2020 season. Because of its later start date, we will wait until May 15th to decide whether Sports Class Nationals will be held.
> "

Then you might as well assume that the contest season will be cancelled because the data on deaths will, hopefully, peak on April 15.

The Auxiliary-powered Sailplane Assoc. (ASA) will make a final decision concerning this year's Parowan motorglider meet on June 1. It has a scheduled June 16 start date.

Tom
ASA Board Member

[[email protected]]

I am sure the 1-26 association and Tony Condon will be coming up with an update regarding our championship scheduled mid June in Kansas as well.
Dan

[Tony[_5_]]

It's 8 AM. The forecast says maybe maybe sunlight at 2:30. Some people want to cancel the day. I say why not wait until 1:30 and see if the forecast is coming true?

[[email protected]]

I like that phylosophy

[John Godfrey (QT)[_2_]]

On Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 9:05:48 PM UTC-4, Tony wrote:
> It's 8 AM. The forecast says maybe maybe sunlight at 2:30. Some people want to cancel the day. I say why not wait until 1:30 and see if the forecast is coming true?

The logic is good, but the modeling is a bit off. I think it is more like: its 8am, radar shows that it will rain heavily from 9 to about 12, with possible clearing at 2:30. Should you encourage 30 people to drive 3 hours each to the airport to be ready to assemble at 1pm?

[Bojack J4]

U guys need a glance into the ICU to see people fighting for their last breaths on ventillators before thinking about playing with your toy airplanes in large, interstate national gatherings.
Wimbledon cancelled.
NBA cancelled
Olympics cancelled
SSA sanctioned contests??? Go for it!!!

[[email protected]]

On Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 10:02:06 PM UTC-4, Bojack J4 wrote:
> U guys need a glance into the ICU to see people fighting for their last breaths on ventillators before thinking about playing with your toy airplanes in large, interstate national gatherings.
> Wimbledon cancelled.
> NBA cancelled
> Olympics cancelled
> SSA sanctioned contests??? Go for it!!!

I had planned to fly two nationals this year plus a couple of regionals. I'm almost 69 years old (young for the soaring crowd) and in great health but who knows how much longer I can do this? I want to fly.

But I'm sitting on the ground right now not because I can't get a tow. Or because I'm fearful of being exposed (I still go to the grocery store occasionally and I ran 10+ miles over the weekend and encountered--at a distance--a number of people in the area). It's because of the small chance that, whether on the highway to or from, or at the airport, or in flight, or on a retrieve from landing out something could happen that would send me to the ER.

The odds are minuscule (of needing ER care, not of my landing out). But if I were involved in an accident, I wouldn't be able to justify my refusing to stay at home for a few weeks or even months because I wanted to pursue my hobby, albeit one that has been central in my life for 55 years.

Others are making different calls, and that's fine, I guess. I'm not even sure my position is entirely logical. After all, I could get hit by a car while running and need care, although at least here where I live the local hospital has a sign on the door warning that anyone with C19 symptoms will be turned away. I assume that's to reserve their facility for non-Coronavirus-related emergencies and procedures, the latter of which have been cancelled at most places in the area.

But across the river in NYC where my daughters live, bodies are piling up in refrigerated trucks. Down in Florida where my elderly parents live, I know that if Covid-19 breaks out in their assisted living facility, I've likely already seen them for the last time.

So, yeah, I'm good with waiting a reasonable amount of time to see if a miracle cure appears and not just the death rate but the load on our healthcare system drops dramatically. The proposed plan sounds workable.

It's just a game.

Chip Bearden
JB

[[email protected][_2_]]

Easy John boy.....you see a lot of drama while others are simply talking about a maybe, or a perhaps. A desire to press on with hope or positive thinking helps balance the pondering mind. The inevitable is and always shall be. So let it play out.
Someone is always going to be on a ventilator, fighting for their life. We honor them by living.
R

[Bojack J4]

Letting it play out....with a view from the other side of the tennis court, which seems to be ignored by the soaring contest crowd.

There are always people dying on ventillators??? Whaaa?
Do you have a television H?

[John Godfrey (QT)[_2_]]

On Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 10:54:46 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> Easy John boy.....you see a lot of drama while others are simply talking about a maybe, or a perhaps. A desire to press on with hope or positive thinking helps balance the pondering mind. The inevitable is and always shall be. So let it play out.
> Someone is always going to be on a ventilator, fighting for their life. We honor them by living.
> R

R, I don't know what credible source is talking about "maybe" or "perhaps" at this point. Barring literally a miracle, the math is simple and clear, and the methodology of computing the numbers well settled. We are about to go though a period where the ability to care for very sick people will fall short of capacity. IMO we should all be trying to spend that time in ways that minimize the chance of adding any load to the system.

[[email protected]]

The only way you can assure yourself that you won't possibly "add to the load" on the medical system is to kill yourself and eliminate the possibility.

[[email protected]]

Do you have a television H?

Watching television is your problem. Go visit the hospitals they are empty.. Emptier than usual all the minor crank folks and elective surgery stuff isn't going on. This is a nothing burger and if we quit flying feminine hysteric values wins. And for the record I do not do what the NBA does they are a rather poor role model, c'mon don't you have a tv?

[Duster[_2_]]

On Thursday, April 2, 2020 at 8:36:24 AM UTC-5, wrote:
> Do you have a television H?
This is a nothing burger and if we quit flying feminine hysteric values wins. And for the record I do not do what the NBA does they are a rather poor role model, c'mon don't you have a tv?

I'm not the blog police, but please knock off the misogynistic comments. There have been other potentially offensive posts on RAS that have no place here. Need I point out that a US woman won the WWGC this past year? The last time a US male won was before my 30 year old kids were born.

[[email protected]]

On Thursday, April 2, 2020 at 9:36:24 AM UTC-4, wrote:
> Do you have a television H?
>
> Watching television is your problem. Go visit the hospitals they are empty. Emptier than usual all the minor crank folks and elective surgery stuff isn't going on. This is a nothing burger and if we quit flying feminine hysteric values wins. And for the record I do not do what the NBA does they are a rather poor role model, c'mon don't you have a tv?

Go hang out on the beach with an approaching hurricane, and tell us how nice the weather is there and that there is no need to worry.

[[email protected]]

Duster, wonder of wonders, a WOMAN won the World Woman’s Glider contest. Gee ignorance is rampant, maybe the china virus affects intellect as an unreported side affect.

A big congradulation to Sarah and the team, job very well done!!! I know the french gals were stalking back there, but as is all things “french” they fade when the pressure is applied lol

[Tango Eight]

Some wag once said that "War is God's way of teaching Americans geography."

And so this epidemic will be what teaches about exponential math.

Any beer brewer understands what is happening and what is about to happen. It's the same math.

T8