GLIMMER OF HOPE

Sorry guys, this morning another bout of "diarrhea of the keyboard" struck
and out came a proposed "letter to the editor" of SOARING. I decided not to
wait the month or more (and/or the probable rejection) for your reaction, if
any.

So, here 'tis. Fire away.

Ed Byars



GLIMMER OF HOPE ROUGH DRAFTRev.2,6-16

efb

The recent glider racing at the World Air Games in Italy was, to me, beyond
just fantastic, awesome, and thrilling. It was a revolutionary fulfillment
of a lifelong dream. Grand Prix rules were used but it was, I think, a big
improvement over those events. The secret of success was the technology (not
yet perfect), format, and presentation.



It was like watching a race from God's view point.being in every cockpit,
seeing every pilot's instruments, seeing his view of terrain, weather,
competitors, and second guessing all his decisions while listening to
knowledgeable narrators.



Each heat of about 200 km. took about two hours and I was glued to the
screen the whole time. Imagine seeing a stack of icons on the left of the
screen arranged vertically by height. If a pilot climbed above another his
position in the stack changed accordingly. Along with each icon was a real
time reading of altitude, air speed, and climb rate. Watching from above or
at various oblique angles each white glider against the real google-earth
terrain, you could watch his/her vario and watch the decision when to slow
down going through lift, when to stop and climb, tell which side of the
circle was the strongest and watch him/her shift to the core.



Finally, in my lifetime, due to technology advancements, there is proof
that sailplane competitions can be an exciting spectator sport..and from my
comfortable seat halfway around the world! After the races I watched RAS
for a few days and was not too surprised to see hardly a mention and no
discussion.



Glider competitions began to be called "Racing" back in the 60s and 70s when
NASCAR fan Charlie Spratt named his newsletter "SAILPLANE RACING NEWS". It
was the best and quickest way to know what was happening in the
pre-computer/web site days.



I and many other grumpy old geysers still think it isn't racing when you
never see the contestants during the "race" and must wait hours AFTER the
event to know what happened.



Glider pilots are the most selfish people I know. I know.I was one of the
most selfish. I now shiver when I think of the selfish way I treated my
family for decades while I enjoyed views out of canopies the world over that
were beyond description. This trait has been and is killing our sport. Our
leaders (I know.I was one) have lead us to convoluted and complicated rules
whose only goal is to use every available minute of a soaring day and
maximize the performance of the pilot and glider. Is it any wonder that our
numbers are dwindling, it's difficult to get contest venues and volunteers,
only the most dedicated spouses still crew, and most pilots show up
crewless.



It's easy to criticize, but I think (hope!) I might see a "GLIMMER OF HOPE"
for a turn-a-round in the way modern technology is making it possible for
the "layman" (spectator) to come along in the cockpit and follow a real race
real time. It would truly be a revolution in our sport if spectators could
share the subtleties and nuances of our sport and second guess pilot
decisions, the heart of our sport. Have you watched a NASCAR race lately
and seen how technology has enhanced spectator appeal?

Ed Byars