2001a SRA Poll

Poll results for the 2001a questionaire.

October 22, 2001 8:36 PM

Percentages usually do not add up to 100% because multiple classes can be selected in the demographics section. Also, some questions are not answered by pilots.

Competition Class		All	World	Sport	Standa	15M	18M	Open	MotorG	Seinor
Poll Responses with Class checked Nationals or Regionals		151	5	37	52	57	11	15	5	2
1.0	Demographics:	All	World	Sport	Standa	15M	18M	Open	MotorG	Seinor
1.1	What class in National Contest(s) did you fly this year?	World 3% Sport 6% Standa 14% 15M 23% 18M 5% Open 7% MotorG 3% Seinor 1%	100% 20% 20% 20% - - - -	3% 24% 5% 3% - - - -	2% 4% 40% 19% 8% 8% 2% -	2% 2% 18% 60% 11% 9% - -	- - 36% 55% 73% 27% - -	- - 27% 33% 20% 73% - -	- - 20% - - - 100% -	- - - - - - - 50%
1.2	What class in Regional Contest(s) did you fly this year?	World - Sport 19% Standa 28% 15M 24% 18M 2% Open 6% MotorG - Seinor 1%	- - - - - - - -	- 78% 11% 11% - - - 3%	- 8% 83% - - - - -	- 7% - 63% 2% - - 2%	- - - 9% 27% - - -	- - - - - 60% - -	- - - - - - - -	- 50% - 50% - - - 50%
2.0	Tasks: The Modified Assigned Task (MAT) is similar to the Assigned Task (AT) in that the route is a series of turnpoints flown in a prescribed order, but with the difference that it is time-constrained rather than having a set distance. The CD sets a minimum time, and a competitor may elect to finish after any turnpoint in the assigned series. This task has been used in regional competitions for three years. The Turn Area Task (TAT) is similar to the AT but with larger turnpoint circles (10 to 30 miles) and with a minimum task time. See the September issue of Soaring Magazine.	All	World	Sport	Standa	15M	18M	Open	MotorG	Seinor
2.1	Should the MAT task be available in National Contests?	Y 89% N 9%	80% 20%	97% -	90% 8%	89% 11%	82% 18%	73% 20%	100% -	100% -
2.2	Should a Turn Area Task be made available for use in Regionals?	Y 80% N 16%	100% -	89% 11%	81% 13%	86% 12%	64% 36%	73% 13%	100% -	100% -
3.0	Turnponts:	All	World	Sport	Standa	15M	18M	Open	MotorG	Seinor
3.1	Should the current missed-turnpoint penalty be modified to a graduated penalty? [No penalty within the 0.25 miles radius cylinder and 100 points/mile penalty measured from the cylinder center if outside the cylinder (scaled to the winner's score). i.e. no penalty at 0.25 radius, 26 point penalty at 0.26 radius, 100 point penalty at 1 mile radius. etc]	Y 62% N 34%	60% 40%	65% 35%	58% 38%	72% 23%	82% 18%	53% 33%	60% 40%	50% 50%
4.0	GPS Starts: GPS Starts: At recent world contests the use of a multi-point start systems have been used. The intent and result was to drastically reduce the size of pre start gaggles and make leeching at the start more difficult. Typically start cylinders are 1 km in diameter. At Gawler there were 3 groups of 4 points. Each day each pilot got to use one point from each group. Pre-start gaggles were usually less than 5 gliders. Pilots felt that this was a real improvement from a safety and competitive view.	All	World	Sport	Standa	15M	18M	Open	MotorG	Seinor
4.1	Should multi-point starts (in some form) be introduced at regionals?	Y 75% N 21%	80% -	78% 19%	79% 17%	81% 18%	73% 27%	73% 20%	100% -	100% -
5.0	GPS/Camera backup:	All	World	Sport	Standa	15M	18M	Open	MotorG	Seinor
5.1	Will you NOT participate in US soaring contests if camera back up to mandatory GPS based flight logging is eliminated?	Y 4% N 93%	20% 60%	5% 92%	2% 96%	2% 95%	- 100%	- 100%	- 100%	- 100%
6.0	Sports Class Regional Winners:	All	World	Sport	Standa	15M	18M	Open	MotorG	Seinor
6.1	Should the current restriction awarding SSA Awards to only entrants whose best ranking score from the current years SSA Pilot Ranking List or a contest in the current year is less than 86.0 be removed?	Y 42% N 42%	40% 40%	51% 41%	46% 44%	35% 46%	27% 55%	33% 33%	60% 40%	100% -
7.0	Safety:	All	World	Sport	Standa	15M	18M	Open	MotorG	Seinor
7.1	Do you find the current GPS start cylinder system a safe means for starting?	Y 86% N 10%	100% -	97% 3%	87% 12%	81% 14%	64% 27%	87% 13%	100% -	100% -
7.2	Do you follow the Critical Assembly Check guidelines and mark your wing root tape?	Y 71% N 27%	100% -	76% 24%	83% 17%	79% 19%	64% 36%	40% 60%	80% 20%	100% -
7.3	Please indicate your number one safety concern for this contest season:	66%	60%	68%	62%	74%	55%	87%	80%	50%
8.0	SSA Web Site:	All	World	Sport	Standa	15M	18M	Open	MotorG	Seinor
8.1	Do you follow regional contests reports on the SSA web site?	Y 85% N 15%	100% -	81% 19%	94% 6%	88% 12%	100% -	73% 27%	80% 20%	- 100%
8.2	Do you follow national contests reports on the SSA web site?	Y 88% N 10%	100% -	84% 14%	94% 4%	91% 5%	100% -	87% 13%	80% 20%	50% 50%
8.3	Would you be willing to use a web/internet based form to read and respond to the SRA Pilot opinion Poll in the future? This would save mailing costs and tedious manual processing of the results. (Note: we would still allow the non-internet savvy to obtain and submit a paper form.)	Y 95% N 5%	80% 20%	92% 8%	96% 4%	95% 5%	100% -	100% -	80% 20%	50% 50%
9.0	US Team:	All	World	Sport	Standa	15M	18M	Open	MotorG	Seinor
9.1	The SSA board decided at the Winter meeting to exclude from Club Class US Team selection any pilot that has been on a previous US Team (Jr. and feminine excepted). The theory is that this will encourage up and coming new pilots. Do you support the restriction that most ex-US Team pilots are restricted from being on the US Club Class Team?	Y 66% N 25%	60% 40%	68% 16%	62% 31%	53% 37%	36% 64%	53% 40%	60% -	- 100%
9.2	Management of the US Team selection procedures should be formally assigned to which of the following (subject, of course, to SSA Board oversight, as are the rules)? Note that this would not include responsibility for team organization, funding, or the number of pilots sent from each class to any given world competition. (Please circle your choice a, b, c, d, or e) a-Anew pilot-elected committee b-The existing Rules Committee c-An SSA Board-appointed committee d-An SSA Board-appointed individual	a 18% b 24% c 35% d 4%	20% 40% 20% -	19% 14% 43% 3%	17% 37% 31% 2%	14% 33% 26% 5%	27% 45% 9% 9%	27% 13% 20% 20%	- 20% 80% -	50% - - -
9.2e	e-Other	4%	-	-	4%	2%	9%	-	-	-
9.3	Do you believe investment in the US Team should be a high priority to the SSA?	Y 58% N 36%	60% 40%	68% 27%	62% 35%	60% 33%	82% 18%	60% 27%	80% 20%	50% 50%
9.4	Should participation in the US Team be open to as many pilots as possible?	Y 62% N 30%	60% 20%	59% 30%	65% 31%	67% 28%	64% 36%	73% 13%	80% -	50% 50%
9.5	Should the US Team become more focused on winning and thus use its funds to support fewer pilots and events, but have a better chance to place highly?	Y 41% N 46%	40% 40%	46% 35%	31% 60%	35% 54%	36% 55%	20% 53%	40% 40%	50% 50%
9.6	Would you support a $10 per pilot increase in sanctioned contest fees to be applied to the Robertson/Wood Trust to increase the corpus of the funds allocated to the US Team?	Y 63% N 30%	60% 20%	68% 27%	65% 27%	65% 32%	64% 18%	60% 33%	100% -	50% 50%
9.7	Would you support a $10 per pilot increase in sanctioned contest fees to be applied directly to the US Team fund?	Y 66% N 30%	60% 20%	70% 27%	63% 29%	67% 32%	73% 27%	60% 27%	80% 20%	50% 50%

Answers to responsive questions.