Several times this season (18 meter nationals for example) I experienced the following US Rules starting procedure...

1) 10 - 15 gliders thermalling together 500 feet above maximum start height.. Watching each other looking for the best time to start. This requires significant time on the "PDA" analyzing our positions within the cylinder, preparing our stop watch and watching our altimeter preparing for THE US RULES PROCEDURE. Gliders are all over the place, entering this gaggle, leaving, pulling spoilers and descending, etc........

2) THE US RULES STARTING PROCEDU Spoilers out, a pack of 10 - 15 gliders begin their decent below the max starting height, preparing to start my watch to time my 2 minute period required to be below the MSH. Speeds increase to well over 100 knots.

3) Descending below the MSH, I start my watch. Now I am forced to check it fairly often. Meanwhile 10 - 15 gliders are WOUND UP to 140 knots and banking 70 degrees, watching their watches for 2 minutes to pass, watching their PDA's (for their location in the cylinder) and desperately watching their altimeters to ensure they do not accidentally climb above MSH.

There is a fairly urgent need to start with the pack, so you concentrate heavily on not making a mistake with altitude and forcing another 2 min period of waiting watching the pack fly off....eyes are in the cockpit a large amount of this time........

4) While focused on instruments, 10-15 gliders are WOUND UP, flying a circle in close proximity, and as 2 min expires for some at different times, they level off and blast out on course, sometimes suddenly and causing near misses and surprise in other pilots.

This is a highly dangerous process that I think should deleted from the sport. This is far more dangerous than finish height, normal thermalling or cruising in a large pack.

In short, absurd. It was alot of fun, but from a rules perspective, head down flying in this manner is not safe. It is highly charged and invites disaster.

Nibble on that for awhile and let me know if you have experienced this procedure. Please be honest!

Sean
F2