On Dec 17, 7:39*pm, hotelalpha wrote:
It could also produce unsafe flying, massive pilot confusion, and a
steep decline in participation. Who wants to go back to mass landouts,
starts up in the clouds or at VNE, finishes 1 inch over the barbed
wire fence, and scoring formulas that make a necessity out of 2 hours
of start gate roulette, then sticking with a big gaggle and all
landing out together? What fun.

World rules are a great idea for a US team camp/contest, not for US
nationals struggling to attract pilots, 99% of which are there for fun
not to prepare for the worlds.

John Cochrane

Aren't you being a bit dramatic?

I experienced none of this at Prievidza 2010 WGC. *In fact I found
rules simpler and format easier than here in the US. *There was one
day with mass landouts due to weather (it happens here in the US too)
otherwise 11 days with almost everyone making it back. I think you
might be confusing rules vs contest management.

Sean Franke

IMO not even a little. The following accident is a direct result of a
rules system that provides huge point incentive to make it back to the
airport rather than land 1km short - with disastrous consequences.
This is an excerpt from the IGC 2011 President's Report. The entire
report is worth reading as to pilot behavior at WGCs.

snip
accident occurred at the WGC in Hungary where a glider on approach to
landing collided with a truck passing along the road adjacent to the
end of the runway. The glider pilot was uninjured despite the glider
being destroyed in the subsequent uncontrollable landing, but
regretfully the truck driver suffered severe facial injuries when the
wing tip struck him. I understand that surgeons have been able to
restore sight in one of his eyes.
snip

Entire report:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...0LDOL-Cv08q40Q