One other idea that I personally love is a 25-75 km from start "bonus points steering turn" (say 50 points for the first pilot, 30 for second, 20 third and so on). Something the gaggle will have to "let go" to play the typical 20-30 minute behind the early starters game.

I like this idea too, but would use a radius along track from the centre of the start line (better for AATs which would allow the pilot to choose a better energy line).

Why not some concrete, comprehensive safety rules? For example: a pilot who gets within 100 feet of another gets a penalty. This seems reasonable, no? If being in a close gaggle meant several 10 point penalties, the gaggles would be dangerous for points! Hmmm?

I like this idea a lot. Listening to the radio feed, I hear a lot of "contest id whatever just passed me 20 ft away". I don't see any specific penalty in the SC3A for flying too closely, so to the causal reader, it appears that IGC is not concerned that in two WGC that I have followed closely (at Uvalde, watching Benalla) there have been four mid-airs, with four gliders lost and four damaged, and two pilots injured enough for hospitalization.

I don't see much difference between a hazardous manuevre during a finish which gets: "Finish: hazardous maneuver 25 pts, n x 25 pts, Disqualification" and one in a gaggle, although I agree the ground is not forgiving.

Why no specific penalty for flying too close in a gaggle?


Some number crunchers here did some interesting analysis on which pilots (in each class) were flying in closest proximity to others. This produced a bar chart which was displayed on the big theatre screen at the pilots meeting for ALL to see. It appeared to be fairly accurate (happily, I was among the lowest "closeness" in 18m) in my opinion from what I had witnessed. Peer pressure like this is fine but without actual penalties, gaggles will remain aggressive as it is a skill to use others visually as our vario and try to gain competitors in all gaggle thermals. This effort to climb better than others in the gaggle is what makes them risky.

What a great idea - not difficult to do, with IGC files. Define a distance which is unsafe, and gives point penalties which either:
- grow rapidly to discourage close flying; or
- if you are high pilot on the graph, you sit the next flying day - a soaring "time out". Make it carry into the Championship from the practice days as well. Multiple mid-airs at WGCs shouldn't be common. Leaving it to peer pressure has not worked.

Looks like no fly today here.

Bummer but I'll get a lot more sleep tonight in Canada as a result!