Final Post Before Voting Ends

I would like to thank all the people who took the time to read my blog and vote on the questions that I and others felt were important. It has been interesting to say the least. I hope the rules committee will take this information and use it for the betterment of competition soaring.

I don't know all the issues and I don't know all the answers. I believe that the people who elect the rules committee should state the issues and have input to the answers. It then becomes the duty of the RC member to make decisions based on the collective input gathered. The one thing that I have learned these past several weeks is that there are plenty of smart people in the SSA and together with the rules committee nothing is impossible.

There is one thing I would like to make very clear. I have a great deal of respect for our current rules committee and I truly appreciate the job they have done thus far and the complexity of their efforts.

My Final Poll Results:
Please see the final results of my polls. I think you will find them very interesting.

Establishment of a Club Class separate from the Sports Class: (72 total voters)
Support: 58%
Against: 41%


Establishment of a Club Class as part of the Sports Class but with separate scoring: (65 voters)
Support: 49%
Against: 50%


Establishment of a Club Class will reduce overall participation at contests: (68 voters)
Agree:10%
Disagree: 89%


Implementation of a Club Class in less than 4 years: (71 voters)
Support: 64%
Against: 35%


East Coast-West Coast Nationals: (50 voters)
Support: 64%
Against: 36%


SRA poll voting participants - all or just competitors: (53 voters)
Support polling all soaring pilots: 45%
Support polling just competitors: 54%


Seven Day Nationals: (14 voters)
Support: 64%
Against: 35%

Question #7: Seven Day Nationals

One last poll question before the voting ends.

Question #7: Would a seven (7) day nationals starting on Sunday and ending on the following Saturday encourage more participation in competition soaring?

Please refer to the bottom of the blog to submit your answer.

I will be following up with a summary of all of my blog postings before the voting ends.

Thanks, Sam

ALL Soaring Participants

Recently, I received an email from a soaring pilot who describes himself as a “newbie”. He stated:

“I find it refreshing that you are asking for input from *all* soaring participants. The SRA poll is only available to folks that have previously competed, shame on them. If the SRA truly wants to see participation increase at all levels they must remove the elitism attitude and perception. While us newbie’s may not understand all of the background and nuances of the competition our feedback and opinions are equally important as the seasoned competitors.”

Therefore, I would like to address this issue in another poll question. Please refer to Question #6 at the bottom of the blog.

East Coast- West Coast Nationals

Participation in competitive soaring has been at the core of this blog. We have looked at a couple of ways to increase the number of pilots who compete. I would like to continue along this line by asking the question:

Would an East Coast Nationals-West Coast Nationals increase attendance in national contest?

Please refer to Question #5 at the bottom of the blog to submit your vote. Also, any comments with your ideas of how this can be accomplished are welcomed. Thanks, Sam

Increase competition participation by increasing the fun

Fun is increased when pilots have quick feedback on their relative performance for the day (score). The RC should address ways (rule changes) that will simplify scoring to minimize the time from task completion to score availability. In the distant past it was once possible to tell how your score compared with any competitor by comparing time on course. This is impossible today with our complex rules. Most now agree that our three basic tasks (AT, TAT, MAT) are set in concrete and unchangeable. The number of competent scorers in the US can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Therefore it is not uncommon to wait at least until the next day or longer to get scores and have any idea of relative performance.
Your comments are appreciated!

Club Class Wrap-up

Fact: Participation in soaring competition in the US is at an all time low.

Bottom line: One thing is obvious - change is wanted and needed.

My View: The composition and structure of the Rules Committee must promote open, receptive communication between the pilot population and the Rules Committee members. There must be a willingness to explore change by the policy makers.

Success

My Blog has been up for one full day. I am very excited by the feedback that it has generated.
This was the purpose for creating the blog. Keep it coming! Thanks, Sam

Your Issues?

What issues would you like to see addressed by the Rules Committee?
Most recently I have heard discussions on the following topics:

• 7 day Nationals,
• East Coast Nationals-West Coast Nationals
• Competition Participation

Pilot Questionaire

Please check out the four questions at the bottom of the blog related to the Club Class. For this survey to be of benifit a headcount of each participant is nessesary. Please provide your name in the comments section after completion.

However, all participation is appreciated and anonymous responses are also welcomed.

Club Class

There has been a lot of interest lately in the need for an IGC regulated Club Class in the US. I for one feel that it is a good idea and have expressed my thoughts in recent emails. The first thing that I would like to make clear is my feeling that establishing an IGC Club Class in no way requires that we should do away with the Sports Class. These two classes can co-exists and thrive because I believe they have different purposes and goals.

Several years ago in Littlefield Texas I was flying a contest with Dick Johnson and we had a lengthy discussion concerning the Sports Class. I think that Dick summed it up very well. He felt that the Sports Class was for the entry level and exit level pilots.An Entry Level Pilot: A low time pilot who has just bought his first glider and is starting his X country experience. Usually a lower performance glider. Typically a first generation fiberglass model, such as an LS1, Cirrus, ASW-15, ASW-19, PIK, etc. A pilot who is wanting to learn what competition is all about.Exit level pilots: Pilots that don’t really want to push as hard, fly long task, and maybe spend a little less time in the air but still enjoy competition. Handicapping allowed. Perfect!

Since that time we have seen the Sports Class evolve into the most popular class in the US. The Sports Class Nationals has been the largest attended nationals for sometime. Along with the popularity has come change. There are many top ranked pilots that have joined the Sports Class. Karl Stredideck has flown his duo in many regional Sports Class contest. Last year Doug Jacobs flew a duo at Perry. Hank Nixon, past 15M champion, flew his ASW-28 in the Sports Class Nationals. The most popular contest in the US is the Sports Class (Senior’s) Nationals in Florida. This year it was won by many time National Champion Dick Butler flying an ASH-26E. There were no less than 4 Team Members in that contest. How can an entry-level pilot compete in such environments? The more experienced pilots have also brought more expensive and higher performance gliders. How can handicapping be fair to all when the performance range is between a 1-26 and an ASW-22BL. No way. No how.

The point is that the Sports Class is no longer for the entry level and exit level pilot. It is no longer for the lower performance glider. It has become as competitive as any other class.

So where does that leave the low time and old time pilot? In my opinion the Sports Class has out lived it’s original intent. We need to move on.

The Sports Class should be a class that is regulated by experience and desire. If you are a low time pilot you belong in the Sports Class. If you want to fly two hours instead of four hours you have a class that is designed for you. Let’s get back to the original idea! The idea that the Sports Class is for entry and exit level pilots with low performance or high performance gliders. Not for Team Members with the latest equipment.

We still have one category that we have not addressed. The Club Class. The US should join the rest of the world and adopt a Club Class. IGC regulated. This class will give the high time and low time pilots with Club Class performance gliders a place to compete. The IGC has a specific list of gliders with a handicap for each glider. Any level pilot can participate if he wishes. Handicapping is not as big a issue because the performance of the gliders is much closer. The US has adopted other IGC classes such as the Standard Class, 15M Class, 18M Class, Open Class, World Class etc. Why not the Club Class?

All comments are welcomed.