OLC scoring - USA

Over the last few days I have noticed that the number
of US competitors has
crept up from 142 to 145, but on the daily score sheet
there have been no
scored flights. I have looked at the 'unscored' flights
which have
appeared, but they do not seem to correspond with the
increased number of
competitors. This may be just a timing issue, or poor
observation on my
part - can anyone say what's happening ?

Ian

Mitosis.

Brian Iten 26.11, Rick Barber 27.11, Gary Campbell 23.11

Maybe?

Bob

Ian Cant wrote:
Over the last few days I have noticed that the number
of US competitors has
crept up from 142 to 145, but on the daily score sheet
there have been no
scored flights. I have looked at the 'unscored' flights
which have
appeared, but they do not seem to correspond with the
increased number of
competitors. This may be just a timing issue, or poor
observation on my
part - can anyone say what's happening ?


I wish I knew enough about the USA OLC to answer your question
thoroughly. Hopefully someone else here does know. I wish it were as
easy to understand the workings of the OLC as its booming popularity
deserves. US participation has doubled in each successive year of its
existence.

It appears to me that:

As of now, there are 773 "Competitors" -- pilots who have signed up for
the USA OLC, without necessarily submitting flights;

There are 145 on the "OLC_Champions" list -- pilots who have submitted
scoreable flights;

The OLC site has been experiencing some anomalies as it transitions to
the new season's database, but OLC seem to be working them out, if
slowly. I noticed some inconsistencies in flights here in region Seven
(easy since there are so few flights here this time of year) that have,
after several weeks, been corrected.

These three pages are all that I have found, in English, to explain the
OLC: http://tinyurl.com/bb3mm, http://tinyurl.com/eyfgn, and
http://tinyurl.com/9kj3z.

I hope that as SSA takes over OLC for the USA it will result in a
clarifying of the behind-the-scenes processes, and result in more
useful, detailed explanations in English -- including a Forum for OLC
discussions, preferably on the SSA USENET Groups. They need to be
enlivened anyway.


WRT: [Rule] 10. Validation
Flights and scores will be accepted if no objections have been
filed against them within 4 weeks after the corresponding weekly
deadline (see para 6)."

During the 2005 season, a significant percentage of flights filed in
Region Seven contained no point on the track which was actually within
the region's boundaries. I can only assume that a similar proportion of
errors occurred in other regions. I believe all the erroneous entries I
noted were the result of keyboard fumbling and inattention, e.g.,
clicking on an adjacent pull-down menu item to the one intended during
the submission process. As noted above, objections to these entries must
be submitted within four weeks or they will be incorporated into the
results as entered. Anyone can file an objection, but it would be best
if the Pilot submitting the flight would be careful to review the entry
to see that it is represented properly.

Also there are instances where the same individual has registered with
OLC multiple times using either the same name or a slight variation.
Consequently the number of actual "Competitors" is somewhat less than
stated on the OLC site.

Corrections to the above perceptions are heartily encouraged.


Jack

Personally, I don't know why we are using regional filters at all
unless someone in the SSA is planning on regional records/awards. But
those are not in evidence at this point. Since the SSA has the rights
to the US OLC, I'd like to know who requested the regional queries and
what the plans are. It's worthy of discussion. If this is posted
somewhere, point me there please.

I did award state OLC trophies this year and would appreciate some
selectable state filters to isolate flights originating here,
terminating here, or both. However, I can import pilot flights into a
spreadsheet or database and filter appropriately, just takes extra time
and effort. Criteria for last year were Colorado starts. This
eliminated those flights in Uvalde, Hobbs, and Parowan which might have
skewed things a bit here and there. I also included all Colorado
flights, rather than the top six, as the top six led to additional
skewing to particular sites. Including all flights showed pilot
effort, even though there was little difference in the total number of
flights among the best pilots after the out of state flights were
removed. The regional query also removes flights outside the region,
so it misses what some pilots based within the region may be doing. I
guess the question is where to draw the lines and why. I found the
regional query useless.

Frank Whiteley
SSA Governor Colorado

Frank Whiteley wrote:

Personally, I don't know why we are using regional filters at all
unless someone in the SSA is planning on regional records/awards.

The regional filter began with the 2005 season, did it not? SSA takes
over at some point during the 2006 season. You would know better than I
if the addition of the Regional filter was at the behest of SSA, but I
think it was a good idea whatever its source, and I also think regional
awards make sense.

I like the regional filter as it allows us to easily review, compare,
and hopefully learn from, flights that can be readily related to our
own. It doesn't do me much good to look at a Discus 2B flight at Minden
when what I really want to know is what did Jim Hard and Kevin Ford do
in their 1-26's here in my neck of the woods, on the same day that I do
nothing of the kind. I want to do be able to do what they do, some day
(and I'm sure not getting any younger).

Except for filters like the Regions and the Clubs, it would be very
difficult to get the info that I want about flying what I fly, where I
fly. Conversely it also helps me plan where to go to get the kind of
flying that I can't get here at all, or cannot get in a particular
season. In fact, I want more filters. I like the idea of the Departure
airfield filter, new for the 2006 season. And I want a glider
type-specific filter so I can easily sort for 1-26 flights, or whatever
type I may fly or hope to fly. Not all 1-26 flights, for example, get
posted to the 1-26 Association, though I suppose most do. Information is
good. The more you have the more ideas you get for how to put it to use.

The whole point of the OLC is motivation, and it works, as clearly
evidenced by the growth in participation in each successive season. Go
back and look at the data for 2002, 2003, and 2004, as well as last
season, and you will see a strong progression in participation, and a
big improvement in presentation and in amount of information available.


The regional query also removes flights outside the region,
so it misses what some pilots based within the region may be doing.

Flights by an individual pilot, wherever made, seem easy enough to get.
There are plenty of refinements that can still be made in the OLC but
subtracting information, and the filters we use to get it, would be
moving in the wrong direction.

As you say, you "can still import flights into a spreadsheet or database
and filter appropriately, [it] just takes extra time and effort." And
knowledgeable individuals will continue to do just that in order to
satisfy their particular curiosities. However, a good number of OLC
participants, and potential participants, are not yet ready to construct
their own spreadsheet or database type filters. The combination of
computer and software facility and sailplane proficiency should not be a
double barrier to participation for the Flyin' New Guys that we want and
need.

Give 'em the info, keep it simple, and keep 'em flyin'.


Jack

Jack wrote:
The regional filter began with the 2005 season, did it not? SSA takes
over at some point during the 2006 season.

The SSA is not "taking over" the OLC. They are just supporting it as
an "official" SSA activity. Currently, they are looking for US
sponsors to help support this great effort which is and will be based
in Germany.

Region 9 director Chip Garner is spearheading this effort.

-Tom

Region 9 director Chip Garner is spearheading this effort.

-Tom

I and my colleagues in the Arizona Soaring Association fully supports
OLC and its challenge to the USA soaring community. From my
perspective, this includes SSA's support, as long as the latter doesn't
become an undue burden with unnecessary new rules, policing or
nannying.

OLC participation has already increased cross-country flying here in
Arizona. Our local FBO was amazed to see five gliders turn up on a
freezing November day this last weekend so that we could add a few
hundred more OLC points. (We had thermals to 7,500 feet on Saturday
and 8,500 feet Sunday, plus some wave).

The OLC is working, don't weigh it down with too many rules or too much
beaurocracy!

Scoring should be easy, transparent and accessible.

Mike

5Z wrote:

The SSA is not "taking over" the OLC. They are just supporting it as
an "official" SSA activity. Currently, they are looking for US
sponsors to help support this great effort which is and will be based
in Germany.

Region 9 director Chip Garner is spearheading this effort.

Thanks very much, Tom.

To Chip, out there somewhere, in USENET land -- What does "supporting"
mean to the SSA?

Will there be nuts-and-bolts improvements, or will it be more of an
advertising linkage than an enhancement to the USA OLC online?


Jack

Also, will SSA limit participation to SSA members?

Jack wrote:
5Z wrote:

The SSA is not "taking over" the OLC. They are just supporting it as
an "official" SSA activity. Currently, they are looking for US
sponsors to help support this great effort which is and will be based
in Germany.

Region 9 director Chip Garner is spearheading this effort.

Thanks very much, Tom.

To Chip, out there somewhere, in USENET land -- What does "supporting"
mean to the SSA?

Will there be nuts-and-bolts improvements, or will it be more of an
advertising linkage than an enhancement to the USA OLC online?


Jack