On Friday, May 24, 2013 12:07:53 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Personally I advocate: 500 / 1 mile guidance (with provision for changes to suit special cases like Minden) and a *modest* penalty for being low, say 10 pts per 100'.... Yes, I know you can hit 500 / 1 mile at 60 kts in an 18m ship and not make the airport at ______ and I'm sorry someone decided to try that. Evan Ludeman / T8 Evan, and everyone else. This rule is not about the finish. Wrap your head around that slowly. This rule has nothing to do with making sure you can make it to the airport after crossing the finish cylinder. The rule is aimed at the guy 10 miles out on MacCready 0 glide plus 50 feet. With your proposal -- 500', 10 points per 100' low -- that pilot looks at his options: pop over the fence, 50 point penalty. Land out he lose 400 points. The rules are giving the pilot a very strong incentive to try it. Low final glides, and heroic pop over the fence stories were once part of gliding lore. As was picking up pieces from the fence and the last few fields. Once again, "guidance" is not "rule." You cannot expect the RC sitting in its glorious splendor to decide the right finish altitude for every contest, every airport, and every weather condition, because the CD and pilots who are there won't be able to think of it! That's what we have CDs and advisers for. The rule sets forth a structure. Pilots, CDs, and advisers can make the finish high or low as needed. A better idea for Mifflin (and Truckee) might be a remote finish on the ridge top. John Cochrane

as long as the remote finish point is within 2 miles of the airport, right? Or is there somewhere else in the rules that I'm not seeing that allows the CD to set a remote finish anywhere they choose?