USA Sailplane Grand Prix V SSA contest

I'm not attacking the TAT. I'm attacking the fact that the Good Old Boys, US RC, SSA, etc., has totally lost touch with sailplane racing and has allowed TATs to become the ONLY competition measure. The US no longer holds ANY straight forward racing tasks. None, nada, ziltch, zero. And the US team is selected via isolationist US rules (very different) and US scoring (very different) and tasks (100% TAT). The US MAT task (an abomination) and the US Rules (fake) assigned (TAT) tasks are ABSOLUTELY NOT RACING and are entirely different from the simple FAI racing task.

I am not attacking TATs. They are useful tasks for uncertain weather and for handicap classes. I actually enjoy TATs. What I absolutely hate is ONLY DOING TATs.

It's like only having chicken for the rest of your life. After 5 years, don't want any more chicken, ever again.

I'm advocating (and hopefully educating) for many more REAL (not the US rules fake version) assigned tasks annually for all US competition pilots (of all levels) because racing tasks build VERY IMPORTANT SKILLS which (IMO) make FAI pilots noticably better and more complete cross country pilots. I also think that it is clear that the US team pilots are (past 20 years) not used to (or strong) at racing or FAI racing tasks.

I think the evidence speaks for itself...

Will we accept the truth and learn from the data or will we keep our heads buried deep in the the sand with the good old boys?

See my annual US Rules SSA task spreadsheet.

SSA NOT RACING: 80+% TATs (featuring a 23 mile average radius), 17% MAT, 3% fake US rule assigned tasks. In other words, 97% of US tasks are timed large radius TATs with 17% smaller radius but also allowing "Vegas casino pilot turnpoint choice" and finally 3% fake US rules "assigned" (Assigned in name only AiNO) untimed TATs.

FAI RACING: 50% racing and 50% TAT and favors racing strongly in good weather. So, in Benalla, for example, the competition ended up with roughly 80% racing tasks.

#faiequalsracing
#ssaequalsNOsailplaneracing
#goodoldboys