Drop a day option for US regionals

Pilots all:

The US rules have for several years had the option of "drop your worst
day" scoring. So far noone has used it, but I for one would like to
give it a try.

Most of all, I think pilots will like it a lot. Yes, in the end
somebody has to win, but that horrible feeling of “now I’m screwed I
might as well go home” after a landout or a bad day will vanish,
making the contest a lot more fun.

I think it can help safety. I think pilots would more quickly give up
on awful days, choosing to take their “drop day” rather than press on
causing the usual landout damage we see on weak days. I think it
would also help pilots to make that hard decision to abandon the task
in thunderstorms or clearly dangerous weather.

There is a bit of a counterargument. Perhpas pilots will strike out
and fly more aggressively knowing they can drop a landout. This might
get worse on the last day, and pilots might feel the need to do more
math and strategizing. I don't think this is true, but that's why we
need to try it in regionals.

I also our team selection also puts too much emphasis on avoiding one
bad day, and thus too much emphasis on flying lots of contests in lots
of different classes. Moving this to nationals and team selection will
take years of course, but if everyone thinks it's great that could
happen eventually.

The rule is rather carefully crafted. If you just “drop your worst
score” you might end up dropping the day you won, if it was devalued
to 500 points. Instead you “get the winner’s score” on whichever day
that helps you the most. And it phases in, as it should for short
contests. The actual text is below.

I'm talking to one CD about trying this at a regional this year, and
will talk to more as the schedule gets finalized. Certainly, a
groundswell from pilots of "hey, could we try the drop a day (or more
accurately, worst day adjustement) at this contest?" would give us
more chances to try it. So, I'm posting this in the hope that lots of
pilots will talk to the CDs of contests they plan to go to and
encourage them to give it a try, or that CDs will see the post
directly and get the bug. In all fairness, the decision to use this
should be made early and well publicized.

John Cochrane
BB



11.4.4 † Worst Day Score Adjustment
If this is declared to be in effect, an adjustment is calculated and
added to the cumulative score of
each entrant.
11.4.4.1 † Worst Day Score Differential
For each entrant, WDSD is the greatest difference on any contest day
between the entrant's score
(before application of a Contest penalty) and the highest score
achieved by any regular entrant in
the class on that day.
11.4.4.2 † A Worst Day Score Adjustment is added to each entrant's
cumulative score, as follows:
After one official day: WDSA = zero
After 2 official days: WDSA = 0.25 * WDSD
After 3 official days: WDSA = 0.5 * WDSD
After 4 official days: WDSA = 0.75 * WDSD
After 5 or more official days: WDSA = WDSD

On Jan 21, 7:52*am, wrote:
Pilots all:

The US rules have for several years had the option of "drop your worst
day" scoring. So far noone has used it, but I for one would like to
give it a try.


This is an interesting concept. In our club contest series we have,
for many years, scored best half days plus one. So in a series with
10 contest days everyone is scored on their best 6 days. The idea of
dropping bad days has been popular.

This rule seems a bit harder to get to grips with, and I'm wonder what
the surprise scenarios are.

For example what if a few pilots close to the bottom of the cumulative
score sheet get home one day and every one else lands out. It seems
that could make this day everyone elses drop day but perhaps a
different drop day would be more favorable in terms of closing a gap
on the cumulative winner.

Do you have any examples of past contests that are scored with and
without this rule? If so, do they always show that the automatically
selected drop is the most favorable for each pilot?

Andy

Do you have any examples of past contests that are scored with and
without this rule? *If so, do they always show that the automatically
selected drop is the most favorable for each pilot?

By definition, yes, the automatically selected drop is the one that
raises your score the most. I haven't rescored any old contests --
that would be fun and I'd be interested in seeing the results. But of
course that won't answer the question, how will people's tactics and
enjoyment of the contest differ if we try the new rule.

John

I like this rule and I hope the CD uses it at R9 Parowan this year. I
doubt it will have any impact on final results (all pilots will
benefit), but I do believe it will have some impact on the decision
making process (read: safety).

2NO

Hang the ******* and anyone who utters this crap. All of you who want
this should start your own organization and hold hands as you start.
Perhaps we should have a 7th class, the crying class. This is a tough
sport and it's the tough that makes it great. It is how the Great claw
above us all. I want to see the Great , even if it takes them years to
get there.
It must be frozen solid in Chicago, for the blood hath stop flowing
above the neck.
R

On Jan 21, 1:55*pm, " wrote:
Hang the ******* and anyone who utters this crap. All of you who want
this should start your own organization and hold hands as you start.
Perhaps we should have a 7th class, the crying class. This is a tough
sport and it's the tough that makes it great. It is how the Great claw
above us all. I want to see the Great , even if it takes them years to
get there.
It must be frozen solid in Chicago, for the blood hath stop flowing
above the neck.
R

Henry
Stop holding back and say what you think.
Hold it in long enough, you will explode.
UH

I thought I was quite eloquent. A bit Shakespearean with a touch
Southern charm.
R

I'm not so sure about this.

It takes us one more step away from the way the rest of the world runs
competitions. Is this a good idea, given that one of the principal
purposes of the national contest hierarchy is to prepare pilots for
the US Team?

Alternatively, we could adopt the international rules, which don't
penalize bad days quite as severely (the WGC01 winner in Standard
Class landed out on Day 4).

On Jan 21, 9:52*am, wrote:
Pilots all:

The US rules have for several years had the option of "drop your worst
day" scoring. So far noone has used it, but I for one would like to
give it a try.

Most of all, I think pilots will like it a lot. Yes, in the end
somebody has to win, but that horrible feeling of “now I’m screwed I
might as well go home” after a landout or a bad day will vanish,
making the contest a lot more fun.

I think it can help safety. I think pilots would more quickly give up
on awful days, choosing to take their “drop day” rather than press on
causing the usual landout damage we see on weak days. *I think it
would also help pilots to make that hard decision to abandon the task
in thunderstorms or clearly dangerous weather.

There is a bit of a counterargument. Perhpas pilots will strike out
and fly more aggressively knowing they can drop a landout. This might
get worse on the last day, and pilots might feel the need to do more
math and strategizing. I don't think this is true, but that's why we
need to try it in regionals.

I also our team selection also puts too much emphasis on avoiding one
bad day, and thus too much emphasis on flying lots of contests in lots
of different classes. Moving this to nationals and team selection will
take years of course, but if everyone thinks it's great that could
happen eventually.

The rule is rather carefully crafted. If you just “drop your worst
score” you might end up dropping the day you won, if it was devalued
to 500 points. *Instead you “get the winner’s score” on whichever day
that helps you the most. And it phases in, as it should for short
contests. The actual text is below.

I'm talking to one CD about trying this at a regional this year, and
will talk to more as the schedule gets finalized. *Certainly, a
groundswell from pilots of "hey, could we try the drop a day (or more
accurately, worst day adjustement) at this contest?" would give us
more chances to try it. So, I'm posting this in the hope that lots of
pilots will talk to the CDs of contests they plan to go to and
encourage them to give it a try, or that CDs will see the post
directly and get the bug. *In all fairness, the decision to use this
should be made early and well publicized.

John Cochrane
BB

11.4.4 † Worst Day Score Adjustment
If this is declared to be in effect, an adjustment is calculated and
added to the cumulative score of
each entrant.
11.4.4.1 † Worst Day Score Differential
For each entrant, WDSD is the greatest difference on any contest day
between the entrant's score
(before application of a Contest penalty) and the highest score
achieved by any regular entrant in
the class on that day.
11.4.4.2 † A Worst Day Score Adjustment is added to each entrant's
cumulative score, as follows:
After one official day: WDSA = zero
After 2 official days: WDSA = 0.25 * WDSD
After 3 official days: WDSA = 0.5 * WDSD
After 4 official days: WDSA = 0.75 * WDSD
After 5 or more official days: WDSA = WDSD


Mulligans, anyone?

No, thank you.

-T8

So what happens if you have two bad days?

Derek C

At 14:52 21 January 2009, wrote:
Pilots all:

The US rules have for several years had the option of "drop your worst
day" scoring. So far noone has used it, but I for one would like to
give it a try.

Most of all, I think pilots will like it a lot. Yes, in the end
somebody has to win, but that horrible feeling of =93now I=92m screwed I
might as well go home=94 after a landout or a bad day will vanish,
making the contest a lot more fun.

I think it can help safety. I think pilots would more quickly give up
on awful days, choosing to take their =93drop day=94 rather than press
on
causing the usual landout damage we see on weak days. I think it
would also help pilots to make that hard decision to abandon the task
in thunderstorms or clearly dangerous weather.

There is a bit of a counterargument. Perhpas pilots will strike out
and fly more aggressively knowing they can drop a landout. This might
get worse on the last day, and pilots might feel the need to do more
math and strategizing. I don't think this is true, but that's why we
need to try it in regionals.

I also our team selection also puts too much emphasis on avoiding one
bad day, and thus too much emphasis on flying lots of contests in lots
of different classes. Moving this to nationals and team selection will
take years of course, but if everyone thinks it's great that could
happen eventually.

The rule is rather carefully crafted. If you just =93drop your worst
score=94 you might end up dropping the day you won, if it was devalued
to 500 points. Instead you =93get the winner=92s score=94 on whichever
day
that helps you the most. And it phases in, as it should for short
contests. The actual text is below.

I'm talking to one CD about trying this at a regional this year, and
will talk to more as the schedule gets finalized. Certainly, a
groundswell from pilots of "hey, could we try the drop a day (or more
accurately, worst day adjustement) at this contest?" would give us
more chances to try it. So, I'm posting this in the hope that lots of
pilots will talk to the CDs of contests they plan to go to and
encourage them to give it a try, or that CDs will see the post
directly and get the bug. In all fairness, the decision to use this
should be made early and well publicized.

John Cochrane
BB



11.4.4 =86 Worst Day Score Adjustment
If this is declared to be in effect, an adjustment is calculated and
added to the cumulative score of
each entrant.
11.4.4.1 =86 Worst Day Score Differential
For each entrant, WDSD is the greatest difference on any contest day
between the entrant's score
(before application of a Contest penalty) and the highest score
achieved by any regular entrant in
the class on that day.
11.4.4.2 =86 A Worst Day Score Adjustment is added to each entrant's
cumulative score, as follows:
After one official day: WDSA =3D zero
After 2 official days: WDSA =3D 0.25 * WDSD
After 3 official days: WDSA =3D 0.5 * WDSD
After 4 official days: WDSA =3D 0.75 * WDSD
After 5 or more official days: WDSA =3D WDSD