2005 SRA Pilot Opinion Poll Results

October 15, 2005 10:19 PM

Percentages usually do not add up to 100% because multiple selections can be made on many questions. Also, some questions are not answered by all survey submitters.

Analysis Categories		All
Summary of detailed data representing All respondants.		168
1.0	Demographics	All
1.1	What class(es) in National contests did you fly this year?	1-26 - - World 4 2% Sport 34 20% Standard 15 9% 15Meter 24 14% 18Meter 15 9% Open 7 4% Senior 16 10%
1.2	What class(es) in Regional contests did you fly this year?	1-26 - - World 1 1% Sport 44 26% Standard 27 16% 15Meter 48 29% 18Meter 6 4% Open 2 1% Senior 4 2%
2.0	Emergency Locating Transmitters (ELT) Impact activated ELTs are scheduled to become mandatory for all gliders at all SSA contests beginning in 2006.	All
2.1	Do you have an airframe mounted (impact activated) ELT in your glider?	Yes 82 49% No 85 51%
2.2	Do you have a portable (user activated) ELT in your glider?	Yes 29 17% No 128 76%
2.3	Should impact activated ELTs be made mandatory for all participants at all SSA contests?	Yes 54 32% No 108 64%
2.4	Should impact activated ELTs be made mandatory only at contests where the organizer invokes this requirement, with notification to pilots prior to the preferential entry cutoff date? (This was the rule that was in effect for 2005)	Yes 71 42% No 87 52%
3.0	Pilot Ranking for Sports Class Regionals Currently, pilots in Regional contests can earn a maximum of 86 ranking points in the Sports Class, and a maximum of 92 points in all other classes.	All
3.1	Should Sports Class Regional seeding be raised from 86 points to 92 points?	Yes 83 49% No 78 46%
4.0	Finish Cylinder and Finish Gate Current rules allow the use of either a finish cylinder or a finish gate at SSA contests.	All
4.1	Which type of finish should be used at SSA contests?	All
	Use the finish cylinder only Use the finish gate only Retain both the finish cylinder and the finish gate, for use at the CD’s discretion	Cylinder 46 27% Gate 16 10% Both 106 63%
5.0	Club Class Team Selection Results of Sports Class Nationals are used to select pilots for the USA Club Class Team.	All
5.1	Should Club Class Team seeding points be awarded only to those pilots who fly Club Class gliders in the Sports Class Nationals?	Yes 83 49% No 68 40%
6.0	Standard Class 9psf Wing Loading Limit The 9psf wing loading limit was eliminated for Standard Class Regionals in 2005, and is scheduled to be eliminated for Standard Class Nationals beginning in 2006. Please respond to this question only if you have competed in the Standard Class in the last two years, or if you plan to compete in the Standard Class in the next two years.	All
6.1	Do you support the elimination of the 9psf wing loading limit in Standard Class?	Yes 66 39% No 35 21%
7.0	Open Class Weight Limit The International Gliding Commission (IGC) has recently raised the Open Class weight limit to 850 kg for international competitions. SSA rules currently specify a weight limit of 750 kg for the Open Class. Please respond to this question only if you have competed in the Open Class in the last two years, or if you plan to compete in the Open Class in the next two years.	All
7.1	Should SSA contests adopt the 850 kg weight limit for Open Class?	Yes 50 30% No 17 10%
8.0	Sailplane Handicapping in the Open Class and 18M Class	All
8.1	Should Open Class contests be handicapped?	Yes 36 21% No 117 70%
8.2	Should 18M Class contests be handicapped?	Yes 30 18% No 126 75%
9.0	2-Seater Class The 2-Seater Class uses Sports Class handicapping and is currently limited to 20 meters maximum wingspan.	All
9.1	Should the 2-Seater Class:	All
	Continue to use a 20m wingspan limit? Eliminate the wingspan limit?	Continue 64 38% Eliminate 90 54%
10.0	Scoring of Motorgliders Current rules allow motorgliders that use their engines during a task to be scored for distance to the last fix recorded before the engine is started.	All
10.1	Should motorgliders that use their engines during a task be: (choose one only)	All
	Scored to the last fix before engine start? Scored to the last turnpoint achieved before engine start? Awarded zero points for the flight?	LastFix 85 51% LastTurnpoint 62 37% Zero 18 11%
11.0	Other Issues	All
11.1	Are there any other issues that you would like the SSA Rules Committee to address, or any questions that you would like to see included on future SRA polls?	48 29%

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