How to be a Task-setter / CD

[noel.wade]

OK, I may be digging my own grave with this one (I'm anticipating a
dogpile of worn-out contest volunteers)...

But I have to ask: Are there any published books or articles on how
to be a CD or how to learn to be a task-setter? Is it purely an
"apprenticeship" method of learning, or are there materials out there
to learn from?

I have many more thoughts about the other topics I've recently started
on RAS, but my curiosity is being piqued (especially with regards to a
"best of" local/casual race series). Back when I was doing Autocross
racing, I became very involved in race-course design and setup. I've
become one of my local club's main weather forecasters, and the
thought of using that knowledge to set tasks for competitive flying
intrigues me. I need to compete a bit with my sailplane before I try
to actually organize something - but I love to "study up" in advance
of any new challenge. If I wanted to start figuring out how to set
tasks and do that jazz in 2009 or 2010, where would I start or what
could I study now?

Of course, in autocrossing you can design the course and still
participate in the event - I don't know how it is with Sailplane
races...

Any thoughts or tips?

Thanks for all the info and feeback so far, folks!

--Noel

[[email protected]]

On Sep 25, 4:57*pm, "noel.wade" > wrote:
> OK, I may be digging my own grave with this one (I'm anticipating a
> dogpile of worn-out contest volunteers)...
>
> But I have to ask: *Are there any published books or articles on how
> to be a CD or how to learn to be a task-setter? *Is it purely an
> "apprenticeship" method of learning, or are there materials out there
> to learn from?
>
> I have many more thoughts about the other topics I've recently started
> on RAS, but my curiosity is being piqued (especially with regards to a
> "best of" local/casual race series). *Back when I was doing Autocross
> racing, I became very involved in race-course design and setup. *I've
> become one of my local club's main weather forecasters, and the
> thought of using that knowledge to set tasks for competitive flying
> intrigues me. *I need to compete a bit with my sailplane before I try
> to actually organize something - but I love to "study up" in advance
> of any new challenge. *If I wanted to start figuring out how to set
> tasks and do that jazz in 2009 or 2010, where would I start or what
> could I study now?
>
> Of course, in autocrossing you can design the course and still
> participate in the event - I don't know how it is with Sailplane
> races...
>
> Any thoughts or tips?
>
> Thanks for all the info and feeback so far, folks!
>
> --Noel

Look on the SRA site for the SRA guide to competition flying. A lot
about how to fly the contest.
Look at appendix A of the competition rules for guidelines and
clarifications related to rules, administration, and tasking.
UH

[Tuno]

Noel, good topic, and understanding weather is a great start.

Definitely go read the SRA guide that UH referenced.

As the scorer at Region 9 Parowan this year I got to sit in on all of
the task committee's meetings (we shared the same office). Setting
tasks for sports class (meaning broad spectrum glider performance) was
always their biggest challenge.

For the FAI classes, where the gliders all had pretty much the same
performance, it was usually a simple matter of deciding how long the
task would be (based on launch time and expected weather), then
finding the set of turnpoints that would keep the pilots in the best
weather while covering the desired distance.

That would be for an assigned task, of course, which would be used
(usually) when the weather forecast was considered reliable.

For iffy forecasts a TAT would (usually) be assigned, where the
minimum and maximum possible distances would be such that a pilot
could fly the minimum time (usually 3 hours) and complete the task at
anywhere from 50 to 110 mph.

Setting tasks is educational and fun, and you should volunteer to do
this whenever you get the chance!

~ted/2NO

[Mike the Strike]

On Sep 25, 2:57 pm, Tuno > wrote:
> Noel, good topic, and understanding weather is a great start.
>
> Definitely go read the SRA guide that UH referenced.
>
> As the scorer at Region 9 Parowan this year I got to sit in on all of
> the task committee's meetings (we shared the same office). Setting
> tasks for sports class (meaning broad spectrum glider performance) was
> always their biggest challenge.
>
> For the FAI classes, where the gliders all had pretty much the same
> performance, it was usually a simple matter of deciding how long the
> task would be (based on launch time and expected weather), then
> finding the set of turnpoints that would keep the pilots in the best
> weather while covering the desired distance.
>
> That would be for an assigned task, of course, which would be used
> (usually) when the weather forecast was considered reliable.
>
> For iffy forecasts a TAT would (usually) be assigned, where the
> minimum and maximum possible distances would be such that a pilot
> could fly the minimum time (usually 3 hours) and complete the task at
> anywhere from 50 to 110 mph.
>
> Setting tasks is educational and fun, and you should volunteer to do
> this whenever you get the chance!
>
> ~ted/2NO

And at least one of the task-setters is a competitor who actually has
to fly the task.

That's another good rule - never set a task you wouldn't fly yourself!

Mike

[noel.wade]

OK, thanks for the tips... but are tasks set by simply looking at the
weather predictions and picking a few reachable waypoints, or do
people get creative / devious with it?

Back in auto-racing, we'd try to design courses that challenged people
and made them think, or make tough choices (like providing a slalom
section that required the driver to sacrifice speed if they took a
certain line, or require them to think ahead and exit the previous
corner in a non-standard way in order to set up for the optimal slalom
route, etc).

I would think you could do the same thing when setting soaring tasks.
For example, picking a pair of turnpoints that require the pilot to
make a choice between flying along a ridge at an angle to the course-
line (and then "jumping over" to the turnpoint), or sticking to the
course-line and using thermal lift only. Or setting turnpoints at
opposite ends of a big lake - requiring the pilots to make a judgement
about the winds and airmasses to figure out the best side of the lake
to fly along. Or if the competition area has a plateau or expanse of
land at a higher altitude, place a turnpoint not far from the ridge or
hill that forms an "edge" of this raised terrain and make sure the
course-line has the pilots trying to decide wether to soar over the
raised terrain, the lower terrain, or the series of hills/ridges that
separate them.

Obviously you don't want to make the tasks too hard, but aren't tough
decisions part of the fun (& the challenge) of soaring?

Learning how and when to place these "traps" or decision-points within
a larger task has got to require some careful judgement and experience
on the part of the task-setter(s). So how does one go about acquiring
that judgement and skill?

--Noel

[[email protected]]

On Sep 26, 5:39�pm, "noel.wade" > wrote:
> OK, thanks for the tips... �but are tasks set by simply looking at the
> weather predictions and picking a few reachable waypoints, or do
> people get creative / devious with it?
>
> Back in auto-racing, we'd try to design courses that challenged people
> and made them think, or make tough choices (like providing a slalom
> section that required the driver to sacrifice speed if they took a
> certain line, or require them to think ahead and exit the previous
> corner in a non-standard way in order to set up for the optimal slalom
> route, etc).
>
> I would think you could do the same thing when setting soaring tasks.
> For example, picking a pair of turnpoints that require the pilot to
> make a choice between flying along a ridge at an angle to the course-
> line (and then "jumping over" to the turnpoint), or sticking to the
> course-line and using thermal lift only. �Or setting turnpoints at
> opposite ends of a big lake - requiring the pilots to make a judgement
> about the winds and airmasses to figure out the best side of the lake
> to fly along. �Or if the competition area has a plateau or expanse of
> land at a higher altitude, place a turnpoint not far from the ridge or
> hill that forms an "edge" of this raised terrain and make sure the
> course-line has the pilots trying to decide wether to soar over the
> raised terrain, the lower terrain, or the series of hills/ridges that
> separate them.
>
> Obviously you don't want to make the tasks too hard, but aren't tough
> decisions part of the fun (& the challenge) of soaring?
>
> Learning how and when to place these "traps" or decision-points within
> a larger task has got to require some careful judgement and experience
> on the part of the task-setter(s). �So how does one go about acquiring
> that judgement and skill?
>
> --Noel

By going to contest's is how one acquires judgement and skill,
along with many hours of practice. Our numbers are small, maybe 600
or so seeded pilots in the USA. Thats why we travel to get to a
contest, regional or national, because it takes many people, alot of
time, to put on a contest. Our numbers are small, but our contest
managers hearts are large as they also share our passion for our
sport.
For your first contest, every regional will welcome you. Heck,
over the years, I even know folks who have gotten into Nationals who
weren't on the seediing list. You'll get a mentor garunteed, and if
you need help, their will be others who will gladly step in. So this
winter, kick back, don't worry about the CD stuff or all these other
matters, you might burnout before next season, and we do wish you to
come on out.
Its alot easier than most think, but acquiring skill and
judgement does take time. Moffat took 10 years to win his first
National Championship and the winner of our 15 Meter National
Championship this year, who's one of the finest examples of a National
Champion that any sport can have, well, lets just say it took him more
than one season.
So, hope to see you next year, I and others will be at the 18
Meter Nationals, just drop by and say "Hi".

Thermal tight, Soar high, Fly safe, # 711. http://711reporting.blogspot.com/