On Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at 7:57:36 AM UTC-5, wrote:
With all respect to the many insitefull comments posted here, and acknowledging the loss of any loved one is always a tragedy, developing layer upon endless layer of rules will never end the fact that there will always be fatalities in this and every "racing" sport.

Human nature is not going to change, irregardless of legislation. Guys will push to the edge and over whatever "safety" regulation is set. Safety has only been improved in other motor based sports due to new and improved safer structures and engineering, not in new rules.

As for trying to set a hard floor for tasks, I agree with others who have commented here, what a ridiculous concept, put forth by those who have no concept of what it takes to fly ridges! As for low thermalling, whats low for a js1 is not low for a 1-26. What is low for a guy in a new-to-him ship is not low for a guy with 1,000 hours in a certain model. What is low for a guy right over a big landable field with little wind is not the same for a guy over trees in gusty wx. I absolutely can't stand when people attempt to mandate THEIR standards upon others, while missing the point that it is Decision making skills that create or obviate safety. You pick your standards and you live or die by them. I pick my standards and I live or die by them. We ALL live or die by the flight decisions we make irregardless of FAR's or contest rules.

As for GP style racing having an abhorrent safety record or not, that doesn't matter. If you don't like that style of racing, don't participate. But since your not directly involved in that form of racing, don't try to mandate your opinion of what the rules should be on those that participate and enjoy that series. I myself will never have the oportunity to participate in one, but I sure enjoy the GP concept and admire the skills that Kawa and others demonstrate. As for the accident rate being a "black eye" on the public image of soaring, are you kidding? No one cares because no one even knows what we do! We are a miniscule minority within aviation, and not even on the radar! We still are thought to land out cause the "wind quit"!

From my own experience, which includes 40 years or so of competition from regional to WGC, I can relate my observations of my own behavior. I expect I am not much different than most other competitors.
When the event is of high importance and visibility one is more likely to accept higher risk. This can, and sometimes does, mean "temporarily" suspending hard safety boundaries to continue a flight or try to get a big score.
The trap is "temporarily", when repeated, can move toward habitual. We see this all the time with pilots that fly low patterns. They accept a known risk and it becomes their "normal" behavior. Pushing a bit beyond does not trigger alarm bells.
This is quite common in ridge and mountain flying. Acceptance of low energy flying near terrain becomes too easy.
I am an example of that trap. I became "Admiral Nixon" in 1999 by allowing myself to push too far into the boundaries while leading in the 18M nationals and ended up landing in a lake. That was embarrassing, but it could well have been much worse. At the time I had made over 9000 safe flights, yet I allowed myself to be seduced by temptation into breaking my own safety rules.
At the WGC in Musbach I made 3 final glides, one almost 50km, with a total margin above Macready 0 of about 200 feet. There were landable options on all 3 in the last bit before the airport. All of them worked. I never would have made all those that way if I was not in the WGC.
Applying my own experience to what I expect flying in the GP, in the mountains, is like, I can see how many would be likely to take risks they never would flying at home.
I don't see any realistic way to prevent this with rules.
It is mostly about trying to create a culture that makes it OK to quit when things aren't working. Karol has voiced it the best.
Some choose to avoid the trap by not participating. A good choice for them.
I'm glad I get to play this game and hope some introspection can cause some thought among pilots that could prevent the next tragedy. When the risk alarm bell goes off- listen and heed it.
Respectfully
UH