What percentage of USA glider pilots compete?

wrote in message
ups.com...

And of course you get these yahoos with 25:1 antique wood and fabric
ships who are crazy enough to sign up for a contest while only hoping
to get their silver badge in the next few months. Not gonna be
competitive, but I suppose they'll have fun.


Hey, I resemble that remark! I did my Silver distance a few months before
my first contest. I did have an absolute ball and finished at the top of
the bottom quartile.

I don't understand the yahoo/crazy part of your comment. IMHO it is crazy
to compete against anyone but yourself. Maybe I'm crazy to think this, but
isn't it possible that some/many/all top competitors are always competing
against themselves and contests are just situations where many people are
gathered together, competing against themselves and comparing their
outcomes? I encourage folks to enter contests as early in their XC careers
as their comfort allows--not to win, that can come later, but to observe and
talk with more experienced pilots and to have the experience of flying to
your personal limits on several consecutive days--that alone will improve
your skills dramatically and you can't get that with weekend flying.

I suppose Dave Stevenson in his Fokka resembles the antique part of your
comment, but I imagine he's had his silver for quite some time and typically
finishes at the top of the top quartile.

I don't understand the yahoo/crazy part of your comment.

I think you may have missed the tongue in cheek part of Cherokee3's
remarks!

While I totally agree that during early contests, one should primarily
compete against themselves while learning from others, after some
experience is gained then one definetely competes against others
(while still learning on every flight)!

Which is why some of us dislike the recent trend towards short, AAT/
PST tasks on days that should call for a nice long AST. It dilutes
the experience of competing head to head agains other excellent
pilots.

Kirk
66

On Mar 29, 10:14 am, "SAM 303a" brentDAHTsullivanATgmailDAHTcom
wrote:
wrote in message

ups.com...



And of course you get these yahoos with 25:1 antique wood and fabric
ships who are crazy enough to sign up for a contest while only hoping
to get their silver badge in the next few months. Not gonna be
competitive, but I suppose they'll have fun.

Hey, I resemble that remark! I did my Silver distance a few months before
my first contest. I did have an absolute ball and finished at the top of
the bottom quartile.

I don't understand the yahoo/crazy part of your comment. IMHO it is crazy
to compete against anyone but yourself. Maybe I'm crazy to think this, but
isn't it possible that some/many/all top competitors are always competing
against themselves and contests are just situations where many people are
gathered together, competing against themselves and comparing their
outcomes? I encourage folks to enter contests as early in their XC careers
as their comfort allows--not to win, that can come later, but to observe and
talk with more experienced pilots and to have the experience of flying to
your personal limits on several consecutive days--that alone will improve
your skills dramatically and you can't get that with weekend flying.

I suppose Dave Stevenson in his Fokka resembles the antique part of your
comment, but I imagine he's had his silver for quite some time and typically
finishes at the top of the top quartile.

yea the comment was totally tongue in cheek. I actually do not have a
modern high performance ship OR expert piloting skills. But I am
putting Slow Moving Vehicle signs on the Rudder. In fact I fly a 1965
Cherokee II. Me and you both are flying low performance antiques in
contests. High Five! And I dont have my silver badge yet, but plan
to have it by the end of May so I can fly Region 7 Sports.

Dave doesnt have a Foka anymore, one of my good friends in our club
here bought it a few years ago. He is also a new XC pilot and also
plans to fly Region 7 this year in the Foka, his first contest as
well. Guys like Dave are our heroes though, didnt he rock a contest
out east last year in a Ka-6?

Tony

wrote:
On Mar 29, 10:14 am, "SAM 303a" brentDAHTsullivanATgmailDAHTcom
wrote:

wrote in message

roups.com...




And of course you get these yahoos with 25:1 antique wood and fabric
ships who are crazy enough to sign up for a contest while only hoping
to get their silver badge in the next few months. Not gonna be
competitive, but I suppose they'll have fun.

Hey, I resemble that remark! I did my Silver distance a few months before
my first contest. I did have an absolute ball and finished at the top of
the bottom quartile.

I don't understand the yahoo/crazy part of your comment. IMHO it is crazy
to compete against anyone but yourself. Maybe I'm crazy to think this, but
isn't it possible that some/many/all top competitors are always competing
against themselves and contests are just situations where many people are
gathered together, competing against themselves and comparing their
outcomes? I encourage folks to enter contests as early in their XC careers
as their comfort allows--not to win, that can come later, but to observe and
talk with more experienced pilots and to have the experience of flying to
your personal limits on several consecutive days--that alone will improve
your skills dramatically and you can't get that with weekend flying.

I suppose Dave Stevenson in his Fokka resembles the antique part of your
comment, but I imagine he's had his silver for quite some time and typically
finishes at the top of the top quartile.


yea the comment was totally tongue in cheek. I actually do not have a
modern high performance ship OR expert piloting skills. But I am
putting Slow Moving Vehicle signs on the Rudder. In fact I fly a 1965
Cherokee II. Me and you both are flying low performance antiques in
contests. High Five! And I dont have my silver badge yet, but plan
to have it by the end of May so I can fly Region 7 Sports.

Dave doesnt have a Foka anymore, one of my good friends in our club
here bought it a few years ago. He is also a new XC pilot and also
plans to fly Region 7 this year in the Foka, his first contest as
well. Guys like Dave are our heroes though, didnt he rock a contest
out east last year in a Ka-6?

Tony

One of my better memories is Brian mate's face when he worked out he had won the
day in his vintage Phöbus B at 97.5Km/h (OK it is largely glass and
theoretically 1:36 but still at only 85Km/h)

I remember him repeating, "I flew the paint off her" - with a seemingly
indelible grin on his face.
That day I averaged 95.4km/h and came sixth - 300 points adrift.

Here's the day.
http://www.sssa.org.za/GTR2006/results/69U_Club.htm

Club/sport class is a great place to learn , and it can get very competitive.
Which is also fun.

On 28 mrt, 19:27, Jeremy Zawodny wrote:
I'm curious to know if anyone knows what percentage of USA based glider
pilots fly in official contests (less formal individual club contests
are less interesting to me). If I were to use my personal contacts (the
pilots I fly with), I'd put the number around 10-15% but given the
amount of coverage given to competitions, I'm starting to wonder if
that's anywhere close to being accurate.

Jeremy
HpH 304C #62

In the Netherlands my estimate is we have about 200 pilots who have
flown multiple competitions in the past two years, including some
regional comps. That'd amount to 5% of the gliding community (those
who have the insurance) and about 10% of those with a gliding license.
Not too bad, but then we do have a lot of clubs with glass/carbon
where it is very common to take the club's ships to competitions.

J. Nieuwenhuize.

On Mar 28, 11:27 am, Jeremy Zawodny wrote:
I'm curious to know if anyone knows what percentage of USA based glider
pilots fly in official contests (less formal individual club contests
are less interesting to me). If I were to use my personal contacts (the
pilots I fly with), I'd put the number around 10-15% but given the
amount of coverage given to competitions, I'm starting to wonder if
that's anywhere close to being accurate.

As a member of the Arizona Soaring Association Contest Committee, I
can give you an estimate for our state. We have around 20 pilots who
regularly compete and perhaps somewhat fewer than 200 active pilots -
that's around 10%.

Mike

On Mar 29, 1:07 am, wrote:
On Mar 28, 12:54 pm, wrote:



Jeremy Zawodny wrote:
I'm curious to know if anyone knows what percentage of USA based glider
pilots fly in official contests (less formal individual club contests
are less interesting to me). If I were to use my personal contacts (the
pilots I fly with), I'd put the number around 10-15% but given the
amount of coverage given to competitions, I'm starting to wonder if
that's anywhere close to being accurate.

Jeremy
HpH 304C #62

Do you mean "compete", or "fly in contests" ?
Best Regards, Dave "YO" ;-)

PS: Remember that competition drives the glider technology and
the used ships available to the market...

Excellent Point Dave. You get guys like me, with state of the art
gliders, and top notch piloting skills. Better watch out at the
Region 7 Sports Class. Im going to put big Slow Moving Vehicle Orange
triangles on the rudders and then fly in a sideslip the whole time so
that you can see me way out in front. If your battery dies and you
have to land out Ill come get you dont worry

And of course you get these yahoos with 25:1 antique wood and fabric
ships who are crazy enough to sign up for a contest while only hoping
to get their silver badge in the next few months. Not gonna be
competitive, but I suppose they'll have fun.

Careful, or I'll leave the Antares home and dust off the whale !
Flew that in the sports nationals a couple times but not
for a few years now...

wrote in message
ups.com...
On Mar 29, 1:07 am, wrote:
On Mar 28, 12:54 pm, wrote:


And of course you get these yahoos with 25:1 antique wood and fabric
ships who are crazy enough to sign up for a contest while only hoping
to get their silver badge in the next few months. Not gonna be
competitive, but I suppose they'll have fun.

Careful, or I'll leave the Antares home and dust off the whale !
Flew that in the sports nationals a couple times but not
for a few years now...


David,

When you say "whale" are you referring to your RHJ-8?

I'd love to see it flying in a contest!

How about having someone take pictures of your 1.200 handicap RHJ-8 the next
time it is flown? It would be a nice addition to my RHJ picture collection?
http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder/RHJ/C-FAJS/C-FAJS.htm
http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder/RHJ/C-FAJT.html

Wayne
HP-14 "6F"
http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder

On Mar 31, 3:15 pm, "Wayne Paul" wrote:
wrote in message

ups.com...

On Mar 29, 1:07 am, wrote:
On Mar 28, 12:54 pm, wrote:

And of course you get these yahoos with 25:1 antique wood and fabric
ships who are crazy enough to sign up for a contest while only hoping
to get their silver badge in the next few months. Not gonna be
competitive, but I suppose they'll have fun.

Careful, or I'll leave the Antares home and dust off the whale !
Flew that in the sports nationals a couple times but not
for a few years now...

David,

When you say "whale" are you referring to your RHJ-8?

I'd love to see it flying in a contest!

How about having someone take pictures of your 1.200 handicap RHJ-8 the next
time it is flown? It would be a nice addition to my RHJ picture collection?http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder/RH...HJ/C-FAJT.html

Wayne
HP-14 "6F"http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder

Hi Wayne - Yup, but the RHJ-8 hasn't flown in some years and is
in bad need of a paint job ! IIRC last time was the Mifflin Sports
Nats in 1998 ? Highlight was getting George Moffat to sign my
copy of Winning the day I beat him ! I've not enough time to
work on it...
See ya, Dave

On Mar 31, 3:18 pm, wrote:
On Mar 31, 3:15 pm, "Wayne Paul" wrote:



wrote in message

oups.com...

On Mar 29, 1:07 am, wrote:
On Mar 28, 12:54 pm, wrote:

And of course you get these yahoos with 25:1 antique wood and fabric
ships who are crazy enough to sign up for a contest while only hoping
to get their silver badge in the next few months. Not gonna be
competitive, but I suppose they'll have fun.

Careful, or I'll leave the Antares home and dust off the whale !
Flew that in the sports nationals a couple times but not
for a few years now...

David,

When you say "whale" are you referring to your RHJ-8?

I'd love to see it flying in a contest!

How about having someone take pictures of your 1.200 handicap RHJ-8 the next
time it is flown? It would be a nice addition to my RHJ picture collection?http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder/RH...http://www.soa...

Wayne
HP-14 "6F"http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder

Hi Wayne - Yup, but the RHJ-8 hasn't flown in some years and is
in bad need of a paint job ! IIRC last time was the Mifflin Sports
Nats in 1998 ? Highlight was getting George Moffat to sign my
copy of Winning the day I beat him ! I've not enough time to
work on it...
See ya, Dave

dont worry about it Dave. ill let you fly the Cherokee, I'll fly the
Antares. Itll be perfect.

Off to get that motorglider endorsement...