Contest Safety

There's something about the presence of a photographer
that brings out the idiot in us. I remember a Nationals
at Uvalde a few years back. The CD made an announcement
on contest frequency that the local TV news people
were at the field and how about some 'worm-burners'.
Well, you can guess what came next. I saw guys pulling
up to clear bales of hay. As one pilot made a slight
heading correction, he caught his left wing in some
corn. The drag from this started the ship into a cartwheel
maneuver to the left in the direction of the Finish
Gate tent that contained the CD and a half dozen kids.
Luckily, his speed was great enough to overpower the
drag from the corn and he was able to get his wing
out of the corn and subsequently made a safe landing.

Food for thaught,
JJ Sinclair

EXCUSE ME.........you mean to tell all of us out there that a glider pilot
landing back because he forgot to take drinking water, is the finish gates
problem! The geezer glide had one accident for that reason, and for you to
tell us otherwise is just plain wrong!!!!!


"Bob Fidler" wrote in message
...
I agree.

What has surprised me most is that an announcement was made at a fairly
recent contest ( Sports Nats Lubbock 2002) that the SSA had directed him
(The CD) to use a FINISH CYLINDER in the interest of safety. I agreed.
However, since that contest it seems the SSA's support of that policy
seems
to have floated away with the wind and the SSA no longer is requesting the
CD to use a FINISH CYLINDER . The geezer glide is a fine example of how
dangerous a Finish Gate can be. I have been on the ground unrigging my
glider with guys wizzing over the field from all directions. Also, that
contest is generally flown with short tasks and a lot of gliders finishing
within a few minutes. This years results two destoyed gliders and a
miracle
no one was killed.

Frankly, I will probably not compete in a contest that uses a Finish Gate.
They are just plain dangerous.

Bob, we miss you and JoAnn. Many of us appreciate your dedication to the
sport of soaring

Bob Fidler
F1

"birddog bob" wrote in message
ps.com...
Why don't people in SRA and SSA get the message about contest safety?
A unnecessary loss of life because the FINISH GATE was used and not a
FINISH CYLINDER.

Charlie Spratt and the top racing pilots want the finish gate at
contests because it is so exciting! All the near misses in the pull
ups and congestion in the pattern along with rolling finishes with
landings opposite to the normal landing pattern!

Well contest organizers be ware, when the CD decides to use a start
cylinder procedure or change the task completely in the air or use the
finish gate, he makes you respondsible for the consequences! Last year
the NSF fought against the SSA attempt to force us into using a CD we
didn't agree with and lost. We are relieved that we are no longer put
in the position of being respondsible for the dictates of a CD we
believe places us in jeprody.

For those of you that like the thrill of the close calls in
competition, may luck be with you and may you all survive and not cause
the injury or loss of anothers life!

This warning should be well taken. The whole NSF mess has died down, and
happily is forgotten, why bring it up again? There is no one out there that
objected to Charlie Spratt's dismissal......IF, the rest of the NSF board
would have been consulted, and they were not, and if some very good reasons
were given for his removal, and they were not. And Mr. Dittert, you can't
follow the rules either, so just go away and leave soaring alone! Regardless
of what you think, starts out the top of the cylinder are allowed, and
generate far less criticism that the finish gate does.
wrote in message
ups.com...
Bob,

beware of riding the safety high horse to move a political agenda. The
discussion of contest safety is ongoing and valid, but it will not
serve you as a tool for revisionism. Perhaps a separate thread would
serve you better, but I'll offer this snippit of advice:

Glass Houses!!

Adding visibility to the NSF debacle may get you closer attention than
you really want. If you believe you've done the right thing, live with
it. If you feel the need to market it, be prepared to suffer the slings
of those who think you've run afoul of the organization's charter.