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 When it boils down to choosing a set of rules for Enterprise, there is - to quote one critic.... "a refreshing lack of detail" |
One of the inevitable results of running a competition where tasks are intended to be enterprising and different is that there should be the minimum of rules laid down and simple scoring which can be adapted to the local conditions on the day of the contest. The results may not always seem to be fair (whatever that means) on all occasions, but they will be sporting. The scoring will endeavour to prevent any day from having an excessive value.
In order to avoid any unpleasantness at a competition which is meant to be enterprising, challenging and fun, there will be no objections or complaints. In the unlikely event that any problems do arise they will be known as "Queries to the Stewards" and will be made in the first instance to the Director. The Stewards will arbitrate on matters of extreme difficulty.
When it boils down to choosing a set of rules for Enterprise, there is - to quote one critic.... "a refreshing lack of detail". However the rules are often set by the structure rather than the rule book. You have only to brief pilots that there is no held start and you choose the time you want to set off, and there are a series of inevitable consequences:-
Generally there is no great panic at the launch point. Suddenly pilots have to think about how long to make the task and what time during the day, will that give the greatest satisfaction for them to exploit during the day.
The very same brief also leads to a huge reduction in Gaggles, which, unless other pilots are different from me, and the ones I talk to, we all dislike. The held start is anti-freedom and pro gaggle. What sort of safety rule is that? We need to get away from what is being seen, at last, as a dangerous part of competitions.
To that end we tried to test the 10km circle finish to reduce the danger of low fast finishes on sites which are active. We also tried out the diagonal start line, all of which are designed to give pilots more freedom of choice of task, yet allow for equitable scoring. All these improvements need the most up to date systems to support them and GPS has become a virtual necessity for any competition, so here we are at Enterprise too, needing GPS.
Enterprise, whilst able to offer grid launching, has always provided pilot selected launch times with the pilot's start being timed from release. In practical terms this has proved entirely satisfactory, eliminating gaggling and enabling pilots to select their start times according to their own ambitions and assessment of the day.
Flying at Enterprise can involve more field landings than at conventional contests due to the fact that tasks are set whenever a day is remotely soarable, and by pilots overreaching themselves in their ambitions for the day (as opposed to the task setter circumscribing them). However, perhaps because of the areas in Britain where we fly, and perhaps (we like to think) because of the sort of people we are, we have never had a problem with farmers; on the contrary we have legions of tales of the welcomes we have enjoyed from the farming community.
One of the inevitable results of running a competition where tasks are intended to be enterprising and different is that there should be the minimum of rules laid down and simple scoring which can be adapted to the local conditions on the day of the contest. The results may not always seem to be fair (whatever that means) on all occasions, but they will be sporting. The scoring will endeavour to prevent any day from having an excessive value.
The scoring system which follows, is an adaptation of the "ladder" system of scoring. It is intended to avoid an excessive value for each day by announcing a "Daily Factor" for each task. This means that every pilot will know his/her approximate score at the end of each flight especially since 2002 when we introduced a self scoring sheet to be completed by each pilot each day. This then forms the basis for the days' scoring to be checked against the logger etc.
Mainly because of the type of task, and the cost and infrastructure, but also to some extent the variety of glider performance catered for. Rated competitions seem to require mostly closed circuit tasks of defined length with only a small proportion of pilot-selected elements such as defined area or POST tasks. CE has mostly pilot-selected elements, varying more widely than those allowed for in rated comps. They can include very long selections to stretch Ash 25’s and short to suit a Gull or Capstan on a strong wind day. All CE tasks allow pilot-selected take-off, sometimes before briefing to allow record or badge attempts. Rated comps require enough tugs to launch every competitor in a limited time, which adds to the fixed costs. Rated comps. Have a large support team of scrutineers and other competition officials who normally cannot fly themselves, CE has minimal organization, self-scoring, and limited scrutiny.
The aim is to have the winning scorer around 500 points or less if the task and weather go according to plan. The choice of bonuses also allows poor performance gliders to accumulate a respectable number of points, whereas fixed routes and handicaps do not adequately compensate for wind or other factors. The system also encourages more flying – the CE leading pilots usually have more hours than most other competitors, whereas in conventional competitions the winner is the one with least time on task.
It was introduced to enable a quick preliminary result to be posted with minimal work for the scorer and others who are also flying as competitors. Only the leading scores for the day need to be checked at first if time is short. It is part of the low cost, minimal non-competing staff scenario.
If everybody has loggers, the traces are downloaded and checked on Task Nav or similar software. If barographs/photographs are used, for other than leading pilots the pilot’s own declaration of result is taken at first. Physical evidence e.g. film is checked after a few days to allow for off-site processing, to keep costs and infrastructure to a minimum.
To encourage people to stretch themselves within the limitations of weather and their glider; to encourage weather and condition reading by each pilot instead of only the task setter exercising those skills; to enable record or badge flights to be attempted whenever possible; and above all, to encourage enterprising flying.
It is a mystery enshrined in the enigmatic history of CE, but one enterpriser is convinced that it is when the task setter thinks nobody will get back, so it should be irrelevant - then gets a surprise when some do.