True, following the lift lines will get you more time, distance, and
speed and it proves that you can go where the lift is. But badges prove
that you can plan in advance and execute a flight per that plan under a
stringent set of rules regardless of where the lift is.

You want to toot your own horn? Go fly under the cloud street. You
want the respect of your peers? Prove that you can follow in the steps
of the greats of soaring. Sure it's work but nothing worthwhile is easy.

Dan

On 3/31/2015 9:55 PM, Ramy wrote:
Terry,

Although technically your flight was not qualified according to the rules, you obviously had a better flight than the minimum requirements.
So if you are not satisfied with the complex strict rules, as I would be, just use OLC.
The badges were invented well before OLC as the only way one could have measured their progress. I believe now with OLC and the likes (Crosscountry.aero, skylines) badges are mostly obsolete and you can easily track, measure and document your progress with OLC. And if you still want to pre declare your tasks, you can do so with OLC BHC.

Ramy

--
Dan Marotta