Proposal to change MAT to HAT

In 2014, 50% of US MAT tasks (Modified assigned task) were of the one or zero turn "variety." It is almost comical to have the word "assigned" in such a task type. Unfortunately, such tasks are on the rapid rise in the USA.

As for the longer MAT, they are still quite annoying as pilots fast enough to complete the assigned turns are introduced to the US soaring OLC "casino" once again. All of the hard work they have done up to that point is now up to chance and a wrong guess can be very costly.

Most serious contest pilots already affectionately refer to US MAT task as HAT (Half Ass Task).

My proposal is to formally change the name of the MAT to the HAT (Half Ass Task).

I think many would agree this new, far more accurate name would make flying such a "curious" task more enjoyable. Every time you look down onto the task sheet for information about what to do next, the words "Half Ass Task" would be starring back at you. Hopefully this would help everyone cope a little better.

I look forward to getting this on the pilot opinion poll next fall. Fingers crossed!

On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 5:16:02 PM UTC-5, Sean Fidler wrote:
In 2014, 50% of US MAT tasks (Modified assigned task) were of the one or zero turn "variety." It is almost comical to have the word "assigned" in such a task type. Unfortunately, such tasks are on the rapid rise in the USA.

As for the longer MAT, they are still quite annoying as pilots fast enough to complete the assigned turns are introduced to the US soaring OLC "casino" once again. All of the hard work they have done up to that point is now up to chance and a wrong guess can be very costly.

Most serious contest pilots already affectionately refer to US MAT task as HAT (Half Ass Task).

My proposal is to formally change the name of the MAT to the HAT (Half Ass Task).

I think many would agree this new, far more accurate name would make flying such a "curious" task more enjoyable. Every time you look down onto the task sheet for information about what to do next, the words "Half Ass Task" would be starring back at you. Hopefully this would help everyone cope a little better.

I look forward to getting this on the pilot opinion poll next fall. Fingers crossed!

I don't recall any of the serious contest pilots I know calling it a HAT, with the exception of yourself.
UH

:-). They are out there. Trust me.

On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 5:49:32 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 5:16:02 PM UTC-5, Sean Fidler wrote:
In 2014, 50% of US MAT tasks (Modified assigned task) were of the one or zero turn "variety." It is almost comical to have the word "assigned" in such a task type. Unfortunately, such tasks are on the rapid rise in the USA.

As for the longer MAT, they are still quite annoying as pilots fast enough to complete the assigned turns are introduced to the US soaring OLC "casino" once again. All of the hard work they have done up to that point is now up to chance and a wrong guess can be very costly.

Most serious contest pilots already affectionately refer to US MAT task as HAT (Half Ass Task).

My proposal is to formally change the name of the MAT to the HAT (Half Ass Task).

I think many would agree this new, far more accurate name would make flying such a "curious" task more enjoyable. Every time you look down onto the task sheet for information about what to do next, the words "Half Ass Task" would be starring back at you. Hopefully this would help everyone cope a little better.

I look forward to getting this on the pilot opinion poll next fall. Fingers crossed!

I don't recall any of the serious contest pilots I know calling it a HAT, with the exception of yourself.
UH

On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 6:05:32 PM UTC-5, Sean Fidler wrote:
:-). They are out there. Trust me.

On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 5:49:32 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 5:16:02 PM UTC-5, Sean Fidler wrote:
In 2014, 50% of US MAT tasks (Modified assigned task) were of the one or zero turn "variety." It is almost comical to have the word "assigned" in such a task type. Unfortunately, such tasks are on the rapid rise in the USA.

As for the longer MAT, they are still quite annoying as pilots fast enough to complete the assigned turns are introduced to the US soaring OLC "casino" once again. All of the hard work they have done up to that point is now up to chance and a wrong guess can be very costly.

Most serious contest pilots already affectionately refer to US MAT task as HAT (Half Ass Task).

My proposal is to formally change the name of the MAT to the HAT (Half Ass Task).

I think many would agree this new, far more accurate name would make flying such a "curious" task more enjoyable. Every time you look down onto the task sheet for information about what to do next, the words "Half Ass Task" would be starring back at you. Hopefully this would help everyone cope a little better.

I look forward to getting this on the pilot opinion poll next fall. Fingers crossed!

I don't recall any of the serious contest pilots I know calling it a HAT, with the exception of yourself.
UH

Or, maybe the "HMT" -- the Hail Mary Task. In my contest career that's where
I've run into MAT tasks with zero or one turnpoints. They get called in
desperation when nothing else will work, and especially when having a valid
contest is in jeopardy.

Matt

On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 7:47:33 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 6:05:32 PM UTC-5, Sean Fidler wrote:
:-). They are out there. Trust me.

On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 5:49:32 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 5:16:02 PM UTC-5, Sean Fidler wrote:
In 2014, 50% of US MAT tasks (Modified assigned task) were of the one or zero turn "variety." It is almost comical to have the word "assigned" in such a task type. Unfortunately, such tasks are on the rapid rise in the USA.

As for the longer MAT, they are still quite annoying as pilots fast enough to complete the assigned turns are introduced to the US soaring OLC "casino" once again. All of the hard work they have done up to that point is now up to chance and a wrong guess can be very costly.

Most serious contest pilots already affectionately refer to US MAT task as HAT (Half Ass Task).

My proposal is to formally change the name of the MAT to the HAT (Half Ass Task).

I think many would agree this new, far more accurate name would make flying such a "curious" task more enjoyable. Every time you look down onto the task sheet for information about what to do next, the words "Half Ass Task" would be starring back at you. Hopefully this would help everyone cope a little better.

I look forward to getting this on the pilot opinion poll next fall. Fingers crossed!

I don't recall any of the serious contest pilots I know calling it a HAT, with the exception of yourself.
UH

Or, maybe the "HMT" -- the Hail Mary Task. In my contest career that's where
I've run into MAT tasks with zero or one turnpoints. They get called in
desperation when nothing else will work, and especially when having a valid
contest is in jeopardy.

Matt

Waiting for tastier bait....

On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 7:47:33 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 6:05:32 PM UTC-5, Sean Fidler wrote:
:-). They are out there. Trust me.

On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 5:49:32 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 5:16:02 PM UTC-5, Sean Fidler wrote:
In 2014, 50% of US MAT tasks (Modified assigned task) were of the one or zero turn "variety." It is almost comical to have the word "assigned" in such a task type. Unfortunately, such tasks are on the rapid rise in the USA.

As for the longer MAT, they are still quite annoying as pilots fast enough to complete the assigned turns are introduced to the US soaring OLC "casino" once again. All of the hard work they have done up to that point is now up to chance and a wrong guess can be very costly.

Most serious contest pilots already affectionately refer to US MAT task as HAT (Half Ass Task).

My proposal is to formally change the name of the MAT to the HAT (Half Ass Task).

I think many would agree this new, far more accurate name would make flying such a "curious" task more enjoyable. Every time you look down onto the task sheet for information about what to do next, the words "Half Ass Task" would be starring back at you. Hopefully this would help everyone cope a little better.

I look forward to getting this on the pilot opinion poll next fall. Fingers crossed!

I don't recall any of the serious contest pilots I know calling it a HAT, with the exception of yourself.
UH

Or, maybe the "HMT" -- the Hail Mary Task. In my contest career that's where
I've run into MAT tasks with zero or one turnpoints. They get called in
desperation when nothing else will work, and especially when having a valid
contest is in jeopardy.

Matt

Las Vegas task

UH, why are you giving him the credit of being a "serious contest pilot?"


I don't recall any of the serious contest pilots I know calling it a HAT, with the exception of yourself.
UH

On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 11:17:04 PM UTC-5, wrote:
UH, why are you giving him the credit of being a "serious contest pilot?"


I don't recall any of the serious contest pilots I know calling it a HAT, with the exception of yourself.
UH

In a moment of non clarity, I slipped to being extra nice. I'll try to do better.
UH

Sean,

If you don't like the task, take it up with the CD. Don't try to eliminate the format. I agree they shouldn't dominate the contest, but one turn MATs are very useful in situations where you have rapidly changing weather or local cells moving through an area. They also favor different skill for contestants, like route planning, reading the weather, strategy vs tactics, etc. It also creates opportunity for wider point spread for the day, making the competition less predictable and more interesting.

Matt H

On Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 12:00:21 PM UTC-5, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
Sean,

If you don't like the task, take it up with the CD. Don't try to eliminate the format. I agree they shouldn't dominate the contest, but one turn MATs are very useful in situations where you have rapidly changing weather or local cells moving through an area. They also favor different skill for contestants, like route planning, reading the weather, strategy vs tactics, etc. It also creates opportunity for wider point spread for the day, making the competition less predictable and more interesting.

Matt H

Based on Sean' performance at the 18M nationals last summer in Minden (I was CD) he is a pretty serious contender. Had he not made a newbie mistake flying a HAT he would have really been in the hunt.