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SEN 2371

  1. Working Windows
  2. Missing lines from SEN 2370 interview
  3. Missing local rule

Working Windows**

From: Aram Schlosberg
An interesting concept of a working time window was discussed in SEN 2370. Evidently a restricted working time of 15 minutes for regular rounds as a draft rule proposal which appears to be nearly unanimously accepted by the FFTSC. The rule will read ‘may’ so the organizer is free to impose a working time. It will only apply to World Cups where the organizers supply time keepers. And if the 15 minutes expires  (towing / waiting) the sportsman joins the time keeper queue again (no attempt lost).
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But a flyer should be able to forego their full working-window. If flying A, they should be able to notify the timers of their intent to opt out (poor air or exhaustion) and if the timers confirm, move to the end of the timers queue. (Without the timer’s approval, it’s considered an attempt.) In B, C and Q, if the flyer has technical problems or thinks the air is poor, they can notify their timers.
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But a fixed 15-minute working window is too long! If there are four fliers per pole and the first three fliers use almost their entire15-minute working window and then max, the fourth flier (who could be a flier who foregone their full working window and moved to the bottom of the queue) is blocked from flying in the round.
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So, a working window should be limited to 10 minutes. ///

** no relations to a well known computer operating system. .. apology for small joke the editor could not resist

Missing lines from SEN 2370 interview

From the “Sportsman interview”

Editor: And what about when you got to a contest with 6 on a pole
Sportsman:  I don’t go to those contests

Editor :  Which is toughest when you travel 5000km for a contest – being behind the local hero in the timing queue or trying to find a stranger to team up with for timing?

Sportsman: the local hero is always toughest to beat. There are no strangers.

Missing local rule

From Bogdan Lemut

Hello…
I was reading SEN 2370… the part about local rules… I agree that somehow they should be put in some frame.
I just noticed that in the list of questions you didn’t mention one of the most often used local rules.

You mentioned these questions:

  • When at level of local rule is OK ?
  • What has to be notified ahead of time?
  • How does it have to be notified at the contest ?
  • What is OK when an unexpected event such as the weather interrupt the normal contest schedule?
  • Can a fly off be included in a normal round for selected people?
  •  Making a normal round longer than 5 minute max increases the importance of that round above all other rounds and upsets the balance between performance and ‘lucky’ thermal flight is this OK ?
  • Having a fly off in a normal round gives a very long working time compared with a normal fly off so it is not mano a mano as a regular flyoff. Is that OK?
  • Having a flyoff in a normal round encourages those in the flyoff to extend their tow/wait time at the expense of other flyers on the same pole is the fair ?
  •  Rules made for very calm conditions with little major thermal activity do not work well in contests with variable conditions, is this fair?
  • {e.g split fly off is good at the “ice” contests but not so good in the summer at most sites}

And I think the question about not having official timekeepers should also be added – not using them is also a local rule, don’t you think?

Regards, Bogdan

Editor’s comment : Probably in the same category is flying from a flight line rather than allocated poles ?
Maybe also the max number of people per pole?