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1999 SRA Pilot Opinion Poll Results
1999 SSA/SRA CONTEST PILOT OPINION POLL RESULTS
The following survey results are from the 185 surveys received by October 20, 1999. Thank you to all racing pilots that took the time to respond and add their comments. These results will be used in the rule-making process and for future rules philosophy.
The results are listed in percent followed by the actual votes (in parentheses) for each question, except for the pilot information questions, which are simply the number of responses.
Richard Walters
1. PILOT INFORMATION
1.1 Did you fly in a SSA sanctioned contest in 1999?
Regional
31 Sports; 36 Standard; 62 15-Meter; 9 Open
National
1 PW5; 16 Sports; 29 Standard; 28 15-Meter;16 18-Meter; 7 Open; 9 Motorglider; 6 Seniors (write in)
1.2 Do you plan to fly in a SSA sanctioned contest in 2000?
Regional
37 Sports; 54 Standard; 68 15-Meter; 16 Open
National
3 PW5; 22 Sports; 43 Standard; 51 15Meter; 36 18Meter; 17 Open; 9 Motorglider; 2-Seniors (write in)
1.3 Do you own a glider?
1 No; 4 PW5; 26 Sports; 71 Standard; 92 15-Meter; 23 18-Meter; 30 Open; 18 Motorglider
2.. FLIGHT RECORDERS
GPS flight recorders (FRs) which record both position and altitude can be used for turnpoint verification, start times, and finish times. Flight recorders are currently required in the Open class and 18 Meter class nationals. It is proposed that they be made mandatory for the 15 Meter and Standard class nationals in 2000. They are tentatively proposed to become mandatory for FAI class Regionals in 2001. There is no schedule for requiring FRs in the Sports Class Nationals or Regionals. The present thinking on GPS start procedures was described in the August 1999 issue of Soaring Magazine. The present GPS finish procedure involves flying through a finish cylinder of not more than 4 mile radius centered within 2 miles of the airport.
2.1 Do you presently use a flight recorder?
80% (148) - Yes
20% (37) - No
Should flight recorders be used for start times in the FAI classes?
2.2 Regional
68% (121) -Yes
32% (57) - No
2.3 National
78% (135) -Yes
22% (37) - No
Should flight recorders be used for finish times in the FAI classes?
2.4 Regional
52% (92) -Yes
48% (84) - No
2.5 National
62% (104) - Yes
38% ( 65) - No
2.6 When should flight recorders become mandatory for Standard/15M Nationals? (Please answer only if you plan to fly same)
73% (99) - 2000
11% (15) - 2001
5% (7) - Other
10%(14) - Never
2.7 When should flight recorders become mandatory for FAI Regionals? (Please answer only if you plan to fly same)
60% (93) - 2001
10% (15) - 2002
13% (20, 14 wrote in 2000) - Other'
17% ( 27) - Never
2.8 Rather than making flight recorders mandatory for all Regionals, should their use be mandatory at the option of the organizers?
48% ( 81) - Yes
52% (89) - No
2.9 When should flight recorders become mandatory for Sports Class Nationals? (Please answer only if you plan to fly same)
46% (57) - 2001
13% (16) - 2002
10% (13) - Other
31% (39) - Never
2.10 When should flight recorders become mandatory for Sports Class Regionals? (Please answer only if you plan to fly same)
30% (40) -2001
9% (12) - 2002
17% (23) - Other
43% (57) - Never
2.11 Should Regional contest organizers be issued waivers to use FRs for starts if certain conditions are met (all pilots are willing, organizers advertise the possibility)?
79% (133) - Yes
21% (35) - No
2.12 If FR starts are used, should pilots be required to call back their start times in order to promote crew/organizer/spectator appeal?
45% (74) - Yes
55% (90) - No
2.13 If you have flown a traditional start gate and a GPS start cylinder, which do you prefer?
33% (33) - Gate
67% (66) - GPS
1% (1)-Write in for Start Line
3. MOTORGLIDERS
3.1 Should motorgliders be permanently integrated into the Open Class?
3.2 (If you fly open class)
61% (19) - Yes
39% (12) - No
3.3 (If you fly a motorglider)
68% (17) - Yes
32% (8) - No
3.4 (Others)
52% (42) - Yes
48% (39)-No
4. TERM LIMITS
4.1 Should Rules Committee members have term limits?
60% (104)-Yes
40% (68) No
4.2 If yes, how many terms (each term is 4 years)?
1 Term- 28% (28)
2 Terms 56% (57)
3 Terms 11% (11)
4 Terms 5% (5)
5. CLUB CLASS
5.1 Should candidates for the Club Class world championships be required to earn their US team position in a glider within the handicap range allowed in the Club Class WorldChampionships (probably Std Libelle to LS4 (or maybe ASW-20) performance range)?
78% (124) - Yes
22% (34) - No
5.2 Should the US Sports Class Nationals include a separate "Club Class" competition that would select our pilots for the World Club Class Comps?
65% (100) - Yes
35% (54) - No
5.3 Should the SSA rules committee "recommend"adding a new nationals for Club Class?
35% (55) - Yes
65% (101) - No
6. RULES SIMPLIFICATION
We've received comments that the rules have become too complicated. What simplifications would you suggest?
65% (68)-None
35% (36)-(Comment at the end)
7. Modified Assigned Task (MAT) TASK
This new task was included in the rules for Regionals in 1999 (see the write-up in the May 1999 issue of Soaring magazine).
7.1 Have you flown the MAT task?
60% (105)-Yes
40% (71)-No
7.2 Should it continue to be included as a possible task in Regionals?
91% (139)-Yes
9% (13)-No
7.3 Should it be added to Nationals?
79% (111)-Yes
21% (30)-No
8. AIRPORT LANDING BONUS
8.1 Keep the present 25 point bonus for outlanding at an airport? (note that use of this bonus is at the discretion of the organizers)
88% (159)-Yes
12% (21)-No
8.2 The bonus should be ( write in suggestions)
25 points- 14 votes
50 points- 12 votes
>50 points- 3 votes
2.5% of winners score- 5 votes
9. 9 POUND WINGLOADING
9.1 Keep the present 9 psf wingloading limit in the Standard Class?
71% (102) -Yes
29% (41)-No
9.2 Do you compete in the Standard Class?
44% (74)-Yes
56% (94)-No
10. INTERNET
Do you use the Internet to access the SSA and other soaring related web pages and/or the Rec.Aviation.Soaring newsgroup?
92% (166)-Yes
8% (14)-No
11. RAIN DAYS
Should contest organizers be allowed to include a scheduled rain day that could be used to make the minimum number of contest days if necessary?
69% (118) -Yes
31% (53)-No
12. MINIMUM NUMBER OF COMPETITORS FOR A NATIONALS
What should be the minimum number of competitors required for a nationals to be a valid contest? (Note that it is currently 5)
( Note: numbers are the mean of approximately 102 votes in each class.)
9.5 -Open
9.8 -18M
11.9 -15M
12.5 -Std
11.6 - Sports
9.4 -PW5
13. PST
Should the PST continue to be included as a possible task?
13.1 Nationals
82% (141) -Yes
18% (32)-No
13.2 Regionals
85% (151) -Yes
15% (27)-No
14. SPORTS CLASS
14.1 Should the rules for Sports Class Regionals be simplified? For example, the in-flight calculation of start time interval- based on the distance to the first selected turnpoint.
44% (48)-Yes (only if you have a specific suggestion at the end)
56% (62)- No