History Question About U.S. Tasking

Does anyone recall when U.S. contests (especially nationals) evolved from "announce the task at the morning pilots' meeting and fly it no matter what" to the more enlightened "Task A and B (and C and D...) and pick one--or define another--on the grid or even in the air"? I can't recall whether this is something Charlie Spratt introduced when he started CDing or if predated him.

Chip Bearden
JB

At 22:42 16 October 2019, wrote:
Does anyone recall when U.S. contests (especially nationals) evolved
from
"=
announce the task at the morning pilots' meeting and fly it no matter
what"=
to the more enlightened "Task A and B (and C and D...) and pick one-
-or
de=
fine another--on the grid or even in the air"? I can't recall whether
this
=
is something Charlie Spratt introduced when he started CDing or if
predated=
him.

Chip Bearden
JB


IIRC, it started before Charlie became a CD.

RO

If memory serves me, it was in the late 1990’s, I remember a contestant at Uvalde telling me, “we better put a stop to this, right now�. The real death of “call it in the morning and never change� was Tonopah where contestants were forced to fly through 2 thunderstorms that were obvious before the gate was opened. I have absolutely no problem with changing a bad task and shamelessly chase the Cu’s, as Charlie would often say (and do).
JJ

I can go for having an alternate task or two called up before launching that a cd can change to, but not a call it on the fly/in the air deal.

The entire race scene has been so dumbed down guys don’t even know how to scratch or land out anymore, We wonder why we score so miserably in international competition where the cd call very challenging tasks. Heres one of the main reasons.

Besides, the old style tasking where landouts were common, made for great stories and memories lol.

On Thursday, October 17, 2019 at 5:57:57 PM UTC-4, wrote:
I can go for having an alternate task or two called up before launching that a cd can change to, but not a call it on the fly/in the air deal.

The entire race scene has been so dumbed down guys don’t even know how to scratch or land out anymore, We wonder why we score so miserably in international competition where the cd call very challenging tasks. Heres one of the main reasons.

Besides, the old style tasking where landouts were common, made for great stories and memories lol.

Yep- lots of great stories like the day in Hobbs when the Judge sent us on the task he selected at breakfast and before the start we could see the line of storms that would land the entire fleet out on the second leg.
And- only one trailer washed away crossing a creek.
Them sure was the good old days.
LOL
UH

On Wednesday, October 16, 2019 at 4:43:02 PM UTC-6, wrote:
Does anyone recall when U.S. contests (especially nationals) evolved from "announce the task at the morning pilots' meeting and fly it no matter what" to the more enlightened "Task A and B (and C and D...) and pick one--or define another--on the grid or even in the air"? I can't recall whether this is something Charlie Spratt introduced when he started CDing or if predated him.

Chip Bearden
JB

I was never in favor of the POST tasking - and never in favor of Charlie being
a CD - he was great on the start and finish gates but not as a CD - I recall
Charlie saying publicly in a pilot's meeting "...today will be POST task -
to give the good guys a chance..." - it is well known that in those days the
POST task had 3 times the effect on the score sheet versus the Speed Task -
so if his favorite guys were down on the score sheet he would call POST -
to give the good guys (his favorite guys) a chance - to move up the score sheet - if his favorites were on the top of the score sheet he called Speed Tasks - total BS and not a level playing field - and primarily why I stopped
flying contests - so instead I went for 16 years to Bitterwasser, Namibia and
have flown 60 flights over 1000 km there -
Ralph "Woody" Woodward
WU

Yep separate the men from the boys. There used to be more contest flying than having the best machine n following the computer. Them good ole days tested a whole different skill set including efficient crewing.

It might be worthwhile to remember where, “call it at 8AM and don’t change it�, tasking got started? Back when turn-point spotters were sent out to that days turn-points as soon as the task was set. Couldn’t change it because the spotters would be at the wrong turn-points. Cameras and now GPS scoring make things more flexible and changeable, got nothing to do with “real� racing!
Same is true for the finish line, the visual gate was the only way to precisely measure the finish time. GPS makes low, fast and more unsafe, finish lines no longer necessary, got nothing to do with “real� racing!
Flame suit on,
JJ

On Friday, October 18, 2019 at 5:42:06 PM UTC-7, wrote:
It might be worthwhile to remember where, “call it at 8AM and don’t change it�, tasking got started? Back when turn-point spotters were sent out to that days turn-points as soon as the task was set. Couldn’t change it because the spotters would be at the wrong turn-points. Cameras and now GPS scoring make things more flexible and changeable, got nothing to do with “real� racing!
Same is true for the finish line, the visual gate was the only way to precisely measure the finish time. GPS makes low, fast and more unsafe, finish lines no longer necessary, got nothing to do with “real� racing!
Flame suit on,
JJ

Good reminder John, some don't know the history of how all this started.

NK

We are some old goats....I feel like I entered soaring on the cusp of technochange. I am glad to have seen both styles. I was a puppy then.
JJ, Gary, Al, Sterling, Danny, Ross... all cast long shadows.