On Feb 17, 2:28*pm, Sean Fidler wrote:
Tom,

I like the movie "The Legend of Bagger Vance" as much as anyone. *That scene (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhnZzNWAwSM) where Bobby Jones gives himself a penalty is recreated there. *It is a great moment in sport for sure. *I think many pilots in soaring have the same sportsman attitude and would do the same if they did something illegally such as broke cloud base with or without an AH.




Sean, thanks for the link, thats neat. I read some book about Jones
maybe 45 to 50 years ago.



Im not exactly sure what you are implying with the email in general to be honest. *Let me say this.




Sean, to be sure, I am not implying anything. I speak as one, not for
others, as I have learned they wish to speak for themselves.



I have no intention of cheating or being a bad sport. *I dont intend to be a pain in the ass here. *I simply wish to argue for a more righteous and simple path in general. *I just find the gyro rule inconsistent, very difficult to enforce and strongly question that it is fundamentally safer to mercilessly ban any and all gyro's (smart phones, PNA's, etc) than to just go ahead and allow them.



Sean,
I am willing to go to any length to help you on the above. In order
for me to do this, please produce a letter from your local FAA GADO
office inwhich shows that they give approval of using any of these
devices for inadverently entering IMC conditions during an SSA
contest. Also, a letter from your insurer showing the same. After said
letters are recieved, I will do what I can to be of help. I understand
that for you, my level and my fellow entrants level of Sportsmanship
is something you choose not to follow and you seek a change so some of
the others will not infringe upon the rules. This is fine with me. I
will choose to believe differently. My fellow racers race without
infrigement on our rules and with the highest levels of sportsmanship
they can attain. You can rest assured that the top of our list, our US
Team members, both current and past National Champions, have always
displayed and given honor to our sport. I feel this towards ALL
entrants. Rest assured that at any past World Soaring Championship,
our flag has been carried with respect, flown with honor and proudly
displayed for all to see. No need to ever worry here.

I really dont feel that I have alot of contest knowledge. *If that is what you are implying I agree with you 100%. *I dont. *I have a fair bit of CC soaring experience. I just really enjoy the sport of soaring, its people and the challenges it offers me at this point. *It is a distinct passion. *I also care about safety and understand the dangers of flying. *I hope to be participating in the sport of soaring for some time. *Trying to improve and learn.

As I pilot, an HONEST pilot, I dont like it that I cant have a gyro in my cockpit in contests. *The idea of installing, uninstalling and screwing around with yet another problem is generally not attractive to me. *I dont want this rule to be changed in order to cheat. *I want this rule to be changed mainly out of the hope to be safe. *I think it is possible that one day I may find myself in a cloud without any reference. *Shame on me, but I think it will happen one day. *Again, perhaps I am naive in my belief that this would help me fly straight and level out of IMC if I ever should need it...but gyro's certainly help me in other aircraft when in the clouds.


Sean,
Thank you again for coming forward on the above issue. I, as you,
along with every person I know, will always choose safety first. We
have learned that this road is best to go down. Your thoughts about
someday, after reading stories of such happenings of cloud suction and
your not seeing any avoidable way of inadverently going IMC, as
wanting to carry a AH or gyro during SSA contests. I understand it as
a pain for some, yet others not. Again, let me be of help. Please,
please for those inocence bystanders, request a letter from your local
FAA GADO office giving you a preclearance to do any inadverent cloud
climb someday, somewhere. Please on the first practice day, ask the
CD for time to talk with the other entrants and inform them that you
might be doing an inadverent cloud climb, as you do not understand how
to avoid possible IMC conditions. As you state, your honest, as I
believe you are, but this thought is in your mind, so let me be of
help to you. Please go and get these letters, as its a good starting
solution to this problem.

I personally am amazed that people (Euro's, etc) have learned to
cloud fly effectively in a contest environment. *I can honestly say
that I would NEVER attempt it. *Its illegal, crazy, endangers other
pilots (power and glider) and would forever destroy the personal
reputation of any pilot who is caught doing so. *Its sad that that is
apparently not true of all pilots.


Sean, since you now state ""you would never attempt it"" , ""its
crazy"" it ""endangers other pilot"" then you have learned somehow,
someway, to aviod inadverently going IMC and mantaining VFR conditions
during SSA contests. Also, as the FAR's require, I may ad. I am so
happy for me and you. Dang golly.

SEAN, no need to now go do all that work of getting letters and stuff.
Wow, praise GOD, wait till Hank reads this, another miracle has
happened on RAS. Sean has learned to avoid going into cloud by maybe
using safe and sound judgement, understanding the operation capablitiy
of his glider, heck, whatever, its just good, good, good.
Hope is good, miracles do happen. Thank you, thank you.

I appreciate it that you took the time to write your thoughts.

Fly safe.

Best,

Sean

Sean,

I have met you and know your father. I do think the best of your
family. With over 27,000 hrs., over 200 passing their licensing test,
countless solo's, to many dang years of contest flying, bothering to
many CD's,(love bugging John Good, fun, fun, fun), Kicking KS's ass
along with the rest.

Remember this.

I will go to any length to be of service to you.

Thermal tight, Soar high, Fly safe.


Thomas Kelley #711.