Benalla

Quote from Austrian team's blog:

"Ich möchte hiermit mitteilen, dass ich den Wettbewerb beende. Auf Grund von zwei erlebten unverschuldeten near misses in den letzten Tagen, mit einmal fünf und einmal elf Metern Abstand, sowie der beiden Zusammenstöße im Bewerb, kann ich mir und meiner Familie gegenüber eine weitere Teilnahme nicht mehr verantworten. Trotz intensiver Aufrufe durch die Wettbewerbsleitung und der Pilotenvertreter sehe ich keine Chance auf die Reduzierung der Pulkbildung. Die hier in Benalla vorherrschende Blauthermik führt ganz einfach dazu, dass sich die Flugzeuge immer wieder im selben Aufwind finden. Ich bin der Meinung, es wird auch weiterhin zu gefährlichen Begegnungen in der Luft kommen, es wird auch weiterhin Unfälle geben. Es ist deshalb für mich die Konsequenz daraus, bei dem System nicht mehr mitzutun.

Ich möchte mich beim Österreichischen Aeroclub bedanken, der mir die Möglichkeit geboten hat hier in Benalla dabei zu sein, bei allen Teamkollegen hier vor Ort und wünsche allen noch einen schönen und vor allem unfallfreien Bewerb.


Ludwig Starkl"

Short wrap-up for language-challenged: Dry weather and massive gaggles lead to 2 mid-airs and too many close calls (5 and 11 meters distance between gliders). Situation did not improve during competition and flying was outright dangerous. Pilot decided to withdraw. Can't blame him, it takes courage to do this.

And what about Jonkers brothers ? Apparently they didn't fly the 6° race.

According to the SA team Facebook page they both outlanded unfortunately.

At 13:08 16 January 2017, wrote:
And what about Jonkers brothers ? Apparently they didn't fly the
6=C2=B0
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ce.


https://www.facebook.com/SouthAfrica...gTeam/?fref=ts

Plonked it! Starting after 14.00 obviously a tactical error.

On Monday, January 16, 2017 at 7:30:56 AM UTC-5, krasw wrote:
Quote from Austrian team's blog:

"Ich möchte hiermit mitteilen, dass ich den Wettbewerb beende. Auf Grund von zwei erlebten unverschuldeten near misses in den letzten Tagen, mit einmal fünf und einmal elf Metern Abstand, sowie der beiden Zusammenstöße im Bewerb, kann ich mir und meiner Familie gegenüber eine weitere Teilnahme nicht mehr verantworten. Trotz intensiver Aufrufe durch die Wettbewerbsleitung und der Pilotenvertreter sehe ich keine Chance auf die Reduzierung der Pulkbildung. Die hier in Benalla vorherrschende Blauthermik führt ganz einfach dazu, dass sich die Flugzeuge immer wieder im selben Aufwind finden. Ich bin der Meinung, es wird auch weiterhin zu gefährlichen Begegnungen in der Luft kommen, es wird auch weiterhin Unfälle geben. Es ist deshalb für mich die Konsequenz daraus, bei dem System nicht mehr mitzutun.

Ich möchte mich beim Österreichischen Aeroclub bedanken, der mir die Möglichkeit geboten hat hier in Benalla dabei zu sein, bei allen Teamkollegen hier vor Ort und wünsche allen noch einen schönen und vor allem unfallfreien Bewerb.


Ludwig Starkl"

Short wrap-up for language-challenged: Dry weather and massive gaggles lead to 2 mid-airs and too many close calls (5 and 11 meters distance between gliders). Situation did not improve during competition and flying was outright dangerous. Pilot decided to withdraw. Can't blame him, it takes courage to do this.

Bravo, Ludwig! It's supposed to be fun; not life-threatening!
Uli

On Monday, January 16, 2017 at 7:30:56 AM UTC-5, krasw wrote:
Quote from Austrian team's blog:

"Ich möchte hiermit mitteilen, dass ich den Wettbewerb beende. Auf Grund von zwei erlebten unverschuldeten near misses in den letzten Tagen, mit einmal fünf und einmal elf Metern Abstand, sowie der beiden Zusammenstöße im Bewerb, kann ich mir und meiner Familie gegenüber eine weitere Teilnahme nicht mehr verantworten. Trotz intensiver Aufrufe durch die Wettbewerbsleitung und der Pilotenvertreter sehe ich keine Chance auf die Reduzierung der Pulkbildung. Die hier in Benalla vorherrschende Blauthermik führt ganz einfach dazu, dass sich die Flugzeuge immer wieder im selben Aufwind finden. Ich bin der Meinung, es wird auch weiterhin zu gefährlichen Begegnungen in der Luft kommen, es wird auch weiterhin Unfälle geben. Es ist deshalb für mich die Konsequenz daraus, bei dem System nicht mehr mitzutun.

Ich möchte mich beim Österreichischen Aeroclub bedanken, der mir die Möglichkeit geboten hat hier in Benalla dabei zu sein, bei allen Teamkollegen hier vor Ort und wünsche allen noch einen schönen und vor allem unfallfreien Bewerb.


Ludwig Starkl"

Short wrap-up for language-challenged: Dry weather and massive gaggles lead to 2 mid-airs and too many close calls (5 and 11 meters distance between gliders). Situation did not improve during competition and flying was outright dangerous. Pilot decided to withdraw. Can't blame him, it takes courage to do this.

Courage? Or did he simply conclude that fighting through Tokyo traffic -- very rarely even having to find his own lift -- wasn't a valid test for selecting a champion of the sport we know and love called "Soaring"?

The IGC seems to be locked into this notion that the peloton must always score well, even if it does not finish. Imagine what might happen if we flushed those rules and did something innovative (lol) like 600 points for speed, 400 for distance. No devaluations, no re-valuations. Everyone knows at all times what points are in play and how to earn them.

best,
Evan Ludeman / T8

maanantai 16. tammikuuta 2017 18.42.58 UTC+2 Tango Eight kirjoitti:this.

Courage? Or did he simply conclude that fighting through Tokyo traffic -- very rarely even having to find his own lift -- wasn't a valid test for selecting a champion of the sport we know and love called "Soaring"?

The IGC seems to be locked into this notion that the peloton must always score well, even if it does not finish. Imagine what might happen if we flushed those rules and did something innovative (lol) like 600 points for speed, 400 for distance. No devaluations, no re-valuations. Everyone knows at all times what points are in play and how to earn them.

best,
Evan Ludeman / T8

Instead of bashing IGC you can contact your IGC delegate (who happens to be Annex A sub-group chair BTW), or IGC president (your compatriot) directly, and propose rule change. IGC does what pilots collectively want. Good proposals will be put forward to rules. Just saying "someone should do something" gets you nowhere. Score formula changes are not easy or simple, they might work with some scenarios, but at the same time do opposite in others, or create new unwanted behaviour.

Not really... 18 and Open class (I hear) have been fairly split up on course. I've been flying basically alone for the majority of my flights on each day, perhaps with 1-3 other gliders for a portion. I have intentionally left well ahead of the gaggle and many others in other classes, are doing the same. Think Tour de France break aways. It's really fun racing rather than playing chance and weather guess.

Fortunately, the gaggle has been caught starting too late a couple times and has been too inefficient (2-4 kph slower).

There was a collision at Uvalde in 2012 right? Hmmm. Generalizing and diminishing this event sounds like sour grapes to me. IMO (as a pilot flying here) the flying is almost exactly the same as in any large contest in the USA. The most frightening flying I have ever witnessed was the pre-startvgaghle at seniors to be perfectly honest. The difference is that everyone here is VERY good and is fully capable of staying with others as long as they want. So the gaggles I have witnessed here are often together at the same altitude more at the start and apparently out on course in 15m especially..

Another rule system would not alter this behavior much if at all.

The US starting system max altitude rule requiring a decent below and then waiting 2 minutes below that a max altitude probably would have causes 10 crashes here by now. What a ridiculous rule! That US starting rule consistently creates the most dangerous moments that I have ever witnessed in soaring and worries me much more than anything I have seen here! The "no max start altitude" start system used here at the WGC (IGC rules) creates the best starting safety possible and rewards the best pilots for using the available lift and getting higher. The starts here are docile in comparison to the "US start circle of death" as we call it... Gaggle climbs up above max height in strong thermal, descends at high speed circling thermal, waits two minutes, then recenter and climbs while others exit and renter, descend and climb...mass chaos and extremely dangerous! "US rules patented!"

So I suggest thinking this thru a little bit more intelligently before attacking the IGC (again for the 300 time) and trying to delegitimize the WGC event. The US rules are terrible. Some aspects are ok. And the IGC feels pretty much the same as do almost all pilots outside the USA. So US thinking is virtually insignificant. Keep that in perspective...

My opinion is that only one pilot in each class should be here. That means less traffic and eliminates large gaggles, team flying and much of the complexity, as well as high cost of sending six gliders...

I am enjoying this WGC event immensely. It has been really fun (minus the collision)! It's really nice to participate in a "real racing" competition and not exclusively a chance weather guessing game like we are forced to endlessly endure in US contests.

I had even more fun in Horsham at the FAI SGP Australia as it was only 15 gliders and pure racing!

Any reason why US 15M does not have a tracker today (Day 7)? That measn I may have to follow the 18M more closely without switching back and forth. On the plus side I might get some sleep tonight.

Any reason why US 15M does not have a tracker today (Day 7)? Â*That means I may have to follow the 18M more closely without switching back and forth. Â*On the plus side I might get some sleep tonight. Â*