Launch Lines

As is the case at most Hang Gliding Competitions, there is a wide variety of skill level of pilots represented. Some are here vying for points to get on their country’s World Team, others (like me) are relatively new to competition and are here for the chance to fly with and learn from other much better pilots.

The organizers face a significant challenge trying to serve the full spectrum of pilots and at the same time run a fair and safe competition. Over the last few years of aerotow competitions some de-facto standards have emerged that are intended to help newer pilots enter and learn in these competitions.

One of the most important of these standards is the ability to jump the first start time.

Because launching is a relatively linear process, and because there is some advantage to having pilots out in front to use as lift makers and watching glide lines, competitions have traditionally been designed to start once all the pilots have a chance to get in the air. This decouples the launching process from the start of the race, and gives everyone a more or less equal start. Sometimes there is just one start time, or sometimes there are more; typically separated by 10 or 15 minutes. The default rules are set so that your time starts at the start time previous to the last time you cross the start circle. If you start before the first start time, you get a zero for the day.

Having start times has the effect of grouping the pilots up and eliminating the advantage of having pilots out in front to watch. It also has the unintended advantage of leaving the less experience pilots behind. If they start with the top pilots they are quickly left behind with no one to fly with and learn from. In addition, the top pilots are flying a race, and want to fly in the best part of the day. These races typically start with plenty of time for the best pilots to finish while conditions are still good, but the less experienced pilots often find themselves struggling in weak conditions alone at the end of the day.

By starting earlier, the less experienced pilots can get out ahead of the top pilots who will catch up at some point in the flight; they will then fly together for some period before the top pilots pull away. The less experience pilots also have a better chance of completing the course by starting earlier.

This rule is in effect at this comp as well, unfortunately, it is completely ineffective due to the fact that staging order (and thus launch priority, and effectively launch order) is set by cumulative score. This combined with the fact that there is insufficient time allowed to get all the pilots in the air before the first start time, means that the less experienced pilots have no chance to leave before the first start. It also means that the inexperienced pilots with the lower scores are launching at the very end in deteriorating conditions and flying alone. It has been suggested to me that this isn’t a problem, using the example of two days ago when we flew in windy conditions. No one wanted to launch in the first ten minutes. Any pilot at the back of the line who wanted to launch could have walked to the front to launch. In fact, a couple did. Suggesting that the solution to the problem is to put less experienced pilots in a position where they feel pressure to launch in conditions that the experienced pilots won’t launch in seems ludicrous and irresponsible.

My suggestion was to move up the opening of the launch window in order to get everyone in the air, but there seems to be some resistance to this. Another possibility is to require anyone launching in the first half hour to take the first start (or before). I have a feeling, however, that since things are working well for the top pilots that nothing will change. If this is the way the organizers want to run it, I have no objection, however, I do object to the assertion that the solution is in the hands of the pilots, or that this comp is accommodating to new competitors.

The weather looks spectacular the next couple of days, and I just heard a rumor that they may be considering 350km or even 400km tasks! I hope I can get in the air early!