Leeching scenarios

1) I am in the lead going into the final day. If I start at the same time
as the guy in 2nd place and follow him tightly around the task finishing
within a minute or two, I have won the competition. Oh, but he launched
after me, how do I find him? Flarm will do it.

2) I am in second place going in to the last day and do not want the leader
to find me before the start because if I can get away without being
followed I stand a better chance of taking the pot. Place foil over aerial?
Must have been a malfunction!

3) I am reaching the bottom of my soaring band and need to find a climb. Do
I take the 2kt climb I have found here or fly 3kms ~ 300ft to the 5kt climb
that another glider has just taken at my height? Flarm does it again.

4) I am team flying but no longer need to wait at the top of a thermal for
my partner to say he is ready to leave (in order to stay in touch with each
other) as he can follow comfortably at a distance when he is ready.

5) I am in the glide flying at my chosen glide speed for the 4kt thermal I
am expecting to find. I see on the Flarm display that the thermals ahead
are actually producing 6kts not 4. Stick forward!

6) I am in the glide flying at my chosen glide speed for the 4kt thermal I
am expecting to find. I see on the Flarm display that the thermals ahead
are actually only producing 2kts not 4. Ease up.

7) My partner calls that he is in a 6kt thermal somewhere up ahead. I can't
see him. He could give me a code which I could then decode to identify
where but that takes time and effort for both pilots. A glance at the Flarm
display tells me whether I can risk a glide to join him.

8) I am flying an AAT and have entered the first area. I am considering
turning early because the sky ahead looks poor. Wait, let's check the Flarm
display to see what the other guys are doing ahead and verify that
decision.

9) I am flying an AAT and am on the penultimate leg. The last leg is a
reciprocal to the finish. Knowing whether pilots are fat or struggling on
final glide will help me decide my tactics for the remainder of the flight.
I will check with Flarm!

If you do not consider that Flarm and Flarm leeching can improve a pilots'
result (even the winners) then you are unlikely to be an experienced
competition pilot.

Jim