On Thu, 12 May 2011 12:18:29 -0700 (PDT), John Cochrane
wrote:

"The Future of rules and classes." This one is published (in German)
in this month's Segelfliegen. If you don't speak German (like me),
here's the English version


I agree with you. There are differences between the US and EU
situations, and even inside Europe many instances are different in
some countries or groups of countries. Some parts of your analysis may
be a little US-biased.


There are a few points I'd like to discuss in your very interesting
paper:

the World Class - I am pretty sure there has been a marketing study,
on behalf of the IGC by an US University. The conclusion predicted a
market in the thousands of gliders of the (then) proposed World Class.
That must have been a major issue in the approval of the Class by the
IGC delegates.
I have the impression that the current decision (the 13,5m Class) is
already taken, and going to get only minor adjustments so your
comments may have no chance to be seriously examined.
The idea is probably something like "the World Class is dead, some
gliders are there, we have received some proposals, there are also
some new light gliders without a niche for competition.. let's give it
a try".

the Finish height - I am a strong believer in the need to separate the
competitive stress of the final glide, from the survival stress of the
actual landing. Nevertheless, when we tried it, we got a few very bad
remarks. Indifferent was instead the word for the majority (something
like, "it works but we don't need it").
There seems to be room for mistakes and new accidents:
a) the pilot on a marginal final glide to the "hi-finish" will watch
the altimeter, pull progressively back on the stick, then stall/spin
on the finish line (happened),
b) the pilot comes in fast, then pulls-up to the finish alt. creating
danger for the followers (happened),
c) the pilot makes it to the airfield with no speed points, then
complaining for weeks about him "completing" the task under "natural"
rules but failing to comply with the "arbitrary" rule (happened).
d) the pilot's attention is moved mainly to the altimeter in the last
few seconds (happens to me).

aldo cernezzi
(competition pilot)
www.voloavela.it