On Thursday, September 20, 2012 8:15:04 PM UTC-4, Andrzej Kobus wrote:
On Sep 20, 7:07*pm, John Cochrane wrote: Hi John I'm not sure where a start height limit and 2 minutes under before start originated - we've been doing it in UK for years now. Good! Now let's persuade the IGC, which banned this for Uvalde. Huge gaggles in the clouds at Szeged was idiotic. In UK it's conventional to brief 2 (at least) tasks in view of the variation in possible weather, and then notify the task to be flown 10 minutes before first launch if it isn't the primary task. This is also by far the most common situation in the US. Task changes in the air are avoided if at all possible. They are a last ditch tool for a CD to remedy a looming disaster, but CDs are strongly advised against it if at all possible. Still, it's nice to avoid the disaster... Our contests try to launch everyone in 1 hour, and wait 15 minutes before gate open. We also require 15 minutes between task change and launch. So, the decision to open the task is at least 1:30 after the last chance to change the task on the ground. Often, weather ucertainty means that the start is delayed further. So it's easy to have two hours pass. The weather can change a lot in two hours! What do you do if a pilots' radio goes unserviceable transmit and he can't be raised to confirm a change - cancel the day? It happens rarely. Once to me when I was leading the contest on the last day. Fortunately I heard the task change, rocked my wings in response to radio call and it was passed on. If you can't hear either, then you can't hear when the start gate is opened. I don't know of a case of that happening yet. But it is the pilot's responsibility to have a radio. If the roll call goes through, and the pilot can't be raised on multiple tries, tough for him. We're not going to send the whole fleet into the storm because of that. I don't claim our way is perfect, but we do listen to alternative views and are prepared to adopt good ideas. Hey, come on over and fly one of our comps, see how the other half live. I'll take you up on that! John, actually I participated in a contest were 2 days in a row new tasks were given in the air and not because of thunderstorms. This rule just enables a not so smart CD to be really stupid just because he is also lazy. Luckily 90% of contests do not have tasks set while pilots are in the air, but when I see one done again that might be a reason for me to quick contest flying. If you ask me if I want to stay alive or lose a day I would say I want to stay alive! This rule has no place in our competitions. We can program many tasks into our computers. Have 5 dump tasks but do not force people to put heads into the instruments in such high glider density area as start cylinder. John, your safety approach is not consistent. On one side you say we need minimum finish height because we can't trust pilots not to put themselves in dangerous situations but on the other hand you give a CD a way to put all pilots in a dangerous situation.

It is becoming very common to have alternate tasks available and published in advance so they can be pre programmed by the pilots. These were available in many of the contests I flew this year.
The characterization of CD's as stupid and lazy does not match with what I observe.
Maybe some of the rock ******* ought to step up and wear the CD hat, it might be enlightening. It's easy to be an arm chair expert on RAS, but tougher in the real world. I speak from the experience of someone who has, in the last 2 years, been a CD and has acted as task advisor to the CD 4 times.
That said, the quality of weather information, and the experience and knowledge to interpret that information, is a big variable.
The good CD's recognize this and use their advisors to make prudent changes that make a fairer and safer race and one that is more rewarding to the pilots.
I lived through the period when these changes were not available and recall several flights, carefully planned by experienced CD's and weathermen, that sent the entire fleet off doomed to a land out in thunderstorms, sometime visible before the task even opened.
We've moved beyond this and we are better for it.
I've read of days where the Brits landed the fleet, rebriefed, and then went again. I'm pretty sure that is very rare.
I am convinced that, properly administered, the system we use in the US is a net positive on safety and is better than that commonly used in other places.
F2 will likely use this as an example of digging my heels in. I'll disagree in advance and simply ask the critics to take time to understand our reasoning.
UH