John,

You do have a tough job as a leader within the US RC at times. I respect that. Despite your considerable and noble effort, there is a large problem with the way US soaring rules are managed within the SSA at present. I would also guess that you do this job because you love it and are passionate about it. You probably have some goals you are looking to achieve. That said...

1) The US Rules Committee's "all or nothing & take it or leave it" methodology is flawed. Rules in the US need NOT be one way or the other. The US could easily have at least one national contest each year which utilizes IGC rules. Especially when a "choice" to participate in Sports or Club is offered.

REVIEW: MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2013 SPORTS/CLUB NATIONALS: US Sports Class remains as is. US IGC Club range gliders can choose to fly in either Sports or US IGC Club Nationals. The winner of the "US IGC Club Class Nationals" goes to World Championships (Also IGC btw...)! If 12 gliders sign up for US IGC Club Class Nationals, all gliders are dumped into Sports Class Nationals as has been standard within the US for years and no IGC US Club Class happens...

2) The assumption (and numerous statements as such) that IGC rules EQUALS less attendance is plain wrong. It is just not that simple. Yet you post this statement (IGC = low attendance and low pilot happiness) again and again and again... It's as if all other countries flying IGC rules contests are running Kamikaze missions! These statements are pure propaganda and irresponsible.

3) Yes, some US pilots agree with the assumptions about US contest participation going up (or a slowing of the decent) if every effort is made to ensure everyone returns home each day. What is not touted in US circles is the fact that soaring countries around the world regularly run wonderful, successful, enjoyable and fun IGC rule contests. IGC rules are not evil. But if you get your news form the US RC you would think these pilots were all facing certain death and miserable. This is unfair to newer US pilots and over time has given ICC a bad (yet uneducated) reputation in the US. I personally don't mind US Rules contests. That said I have not had the chance to race IGC yet. I have an open mind. I have left the Kool Aid on the table as have many others...

4) I and many others within the USA would like the choice to fly IGC rules in the US and not have to travel to Germany, Poland or France to do it. We are tired of being held hostage by the SSA. IGC rules have not been allowed in the SSA for many years. The time has come to allow it as a choice. MATs and AAT's are just not attractive to pilots who want glider racing.

5) Clearly, many (50+) in the US (see my US IGC Club Class petition...) do not agree with the US Rules "all or nothing" attitude (IGC or US). Talk about being LEFT BEHIND! For many US Pilots (and Canadian), a true IGC rules racing class in North America is intensely appealing. Yet the US RC seems to consistently attack people who argue for a choice to offer IGC rules as if we are arch enemies! Look at the reports from Argentina hammering the IGC rules at every opportunity for example. It's amazing really.

A golden opportunity still exists to be responsive to a very large group of US pilots who have ASKED FOR IGC RULES Club Class Nationals for many years! Please refrain from attacks on them for questioning why the RC instead come up with a completely yet another completely new US class that is ENTIRELY NEW and FAR AWAY from the IGC Club Class they had requested!

My proposed solution solves many issues. My solution leaves NOBODY behind. And most importantly my solution gives all US Club Class pilots the CHOICE to fly their preference without any concerns.

Sean
F2


On Wednesday, January 16, 2013 10:03:25 AM UTC-5, John Cochrane wrote:
On Jan 15, 8:45*pm, rlovinggood wrote:

Mr. Ray Galloway (P1) asked for me to post the following note:



There has been much discussion over the differences between the FAI rules and the US rules.

This is partly due to the fact that the US is the only country that

does not follow FAI rules.



This is simply not true. The vast majority of countries, in fact, use

their own rules. Look em' up; it's not hard, just look up the national

soaring association (equivalent of ssa.org) and then find their

contest rules. Canada, UK, Australia are all in English so you can see

them. You will find nice long rules just like ours. You will not find

"for competition rules see IGC annex A" period, full stop.



It is true that many countries bend their rules towards the IGC

standard, for example in scoring formulas, turnpoint definitions,

start and finish definitions, etc. It is also true that almost all

countries modify these and other rules and procedures, as well as

filling in the vast blank space in FAI rules covered under "local

procedures." Contrariwise, it is also true that many features of US

rules are similar to FAI rules. We do, after all, fly assigned and

area tasks, defined in pretty much the same way. But it is simply not

true that they 'follow FAI rules" and we do not.



At the 1985 WGC the US team was among the top contenders. In 2010 WGC, the last year that figures are available, we were 23 out of 24. In 25 years we have gone from near the top to next to last.



There is one indisputable fact---they are wining and we are losing. Maybe we should consider joining the rest of the world.





The Rules Committee faces a really tough problem. Shall we design

contests whose number one goal is to train pilots to do well at world

gliding championships -- even if that means that we see fewer pilots

participating, fewer contests being run, smaller turnouts at the

contests we do run, organizers losing money? Or should we design

contests whose number one goals are safety, fun, and widespread

participation; getting people involved in contest soaring?



Put aside the question of which set of rules will attract more people

-- the camp that says "use FAI rules and more will come" has an

argument, but needs to prove its case by running regionals under FAI

rules and seeing if US pilots do indeed prefer that format. And we can

end up either way on that question.



But answer for us Ray and Ray's deeper question: which should be the

GOAL: producing a better world team, or participation:



Should we turn all our contests into "team training camps" to prepare

people for the.hard decisions they will face in contests like

Argentina? To wit,

-gaggle and start tactics,

-team/pair flying,

-extensive ground support,

-deep knowledge of world rules quirks, like when you should

intentionally land out 100 meter short of the finish line or when you

should abandon the chance of getting home and just go for distance in

the cylinders,

-day after day of landing out on long assigned tasks, meaning full

time crew is mandatory,

-or (as in Uvlade) dealing with tasks that force you to fly into

thunderstorms,

-eventually (as in europe) buying and learning the art of motor

management

-tactics for unlimited altitude starts (thermal wave at Uvalde,

gaggling in clouds elsewhere); tactics for limited altitude no time

limit starts (VNE dives)

-final glides to a line 3 km short of the airport; landing in fields

0-3 km of the airport



etc. etc.



This is not a rant. These are just some of the features of contests

run under FAI rules that require long study and practice to master.

And US pilots are not that great at many of these aspects, and moving

all our contests to mirror WGC conditions would undoubtedly produce a

small number of pilots who were much better at flying in WGC

contests.



So far, the RC has felt that running contests these ways would attract

fewer people, be less fun, moderately less safe, and much less well

attended. Again, we can and will have that argument later.



For now, which should be our number one goal? A great team, even if

that means smaller and more expensive contests? Or participation, fun,

and development, even if that means a somewhat less successful world

team?



This is not an easy question



I hope we can split the difference a bit with more team training camps

(open to all pilots) run under FAI rules, and I would love for one of

the FAI rules fanatics to put in the effort to run a continental

championship under FAI rules. I would love for one of them to run

regionals under FAI rules to put the "build it and they will come"

theory to the test.



John Cochrane



Thanks for any help.



You're welcome! Now, help us with this tough issue.