Author: Sean-Verse

Full report in yesterday’s entry, but ZO (my 33 for the 2024 World Gliding Championships Uvalde USA) took a gear up landing on concrete Uuuoofff!!!). My 18m teammate had a bit of a “moment” during his land out yesterday resulting in some moderate “kinkage” or “crackage” before the dust finally settled. No pics to share but it’s not sounding great, good or mild. I think ZO will be fixed in time for the Worlds by Williams in California, but XC is in a bit of bother and that may not be repairable by mid August. Hopefully another glider can be curated in time to use. 🤞. https://members.ssa.org/ViewContent.asp?mbr=7749575376&cid=2573&display=results

Just started my latest "light" analysis of each contest task from the USA 2023 18 meter Gliding National Championship. I managed to win again and really flew one of my best ever competitions. I felt very in control the whole event and almost blew it open. The final day was a little less than optimal but my plan was to stay conservative and knew I hade over a 14 minute gap to still win the contest based on the racing task distance. I fill you in more on that later. Anyway, here is the first video for task 1. Subscribe to my channel for updates as more video's of added in the next few days. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlXIESJdn64GoAi08S8l59kxBQTgayUJO&si=YGBks672kyrTu9An

This FAI Gliding WORLD (isn't that ironic? lol) ranking appears to have been “earned” at a US Regional competition (Perry) for the open class division. This was not (to the best of my knowledge) a US nationals from what is listed in the ranking (REGIONALS). It was flown under US RULES, using US tasking (Area, MATS) and very likely included no racing tasks. Other US pilots, for example ;-), have won 3 US Nationals in a row in 18m (highly attended, strong pilots by both US and FAI ranking standards) in 2021, 2022, and 2023. From an FAI and US rankings perspective, ALL of those contests were far tougher from a ranking of competition pilot quality perspective and all three were US NATIONALS COMPETITIONS, not SSA regionals. But, amusingly, that US pilot is ranked 200th roughly. Yet another example of how the SSA’s beloved US rules are problem (as yet another measurable objective statistic) and how having multiple ranking systems (and no consistent processes) is a highly predictable failure. This FAI ranking is clearly wrong (as are the others that "somehow" came in from these Regionals). This is obvious, yet nobody bothers to fix it. Many have complained but the authors of these contest rankings seem to have ignored those complaints. Very, very interesting. Is it not. #Oligarchy #Kleptocracy Behind the double secret members firewall? Why? 🤦 https://members.ssa.org/ContestResults.asp?contestId=2554&ContestDetailId=28931&ContestName=2023+Region+5+North&ContestDate=4/22/2023&ResultsUpdate=True

Team 7T is enjoying our US National Soaring Championship CHARLIE SPRATT 18 Meter Class Trophy immensely! After three years of winning it, but not taking it home with us to enjoy, we finally got it (thank you!). It is exquisitely detailed, solid bronze (I believe), and absolutely beautiful. A really cool soaring trophy! I'm very proud to have my name on it. Having three in a row in a field as competitive as we have today is a feather in the cap for sure. The fact that there was no name plate on the trophy when we received it remains our favorite part of the entire accomplishment. We had to have a plate made. It was wonderful. It makes having the trophy in our home, to enjoy for an extended period, incredibly satisfying. So, here it is again for everyone to see. Long sigh of satisfaction..................... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. #Victory

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlXIESJdn64FIcoYNeF3ZkrmlVh90FJog&si=ftXfVDBEcG3FKvy6 Link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlXIESJdn64FIcoYNeF3ZkrmlVh90FJog&si=Udn8TVSdurKpGRrb

https://youtu.be/herN4Lb-aw0?si=Ay3Re8ZPCAax_2jF Amazing pilot.

Nothing, absolutely nothing compares to the sport of Gliding or Sailplane racing. The highest performance aircraft on the planet, racing over incredible mountains and thru incredible weather, against an elite international group of pilots who have reached the summit of something that very few can despite a lifetime of trying. https://youtu.be/eQ4_RXH3VZU

It's time for a quiet victory lap. It just is. Literally ALL (100%, even AHRS) of my opinions expressed in years of various RAS comments (which they triggered and turned into shit fights as they do with anything they don’t like on RAS, also failed now 😂) and on social media are winning in the Soaring Society of Americas desperate annual contest pilot US rules “opinion poll” despite a decade of various desperate good old boy efforts to try and “tune out” my influence. Hi John. I utilized a long list of sensible, well thought out arguments supported by facts and data 📊. It drive them absolutely nuts. They responded with the pathetic good/nixon FAI rules white paper 😂 offered without counterpoint (aka me, or any of the many other pilots who want FAI rules back in the USA, not hybrid bullshit they came up with after losing the first poll) and posted prominently on the SSA website as if it was law. This along with tons of other shady side bar whispering and internal oligarch political efforts. I laugh and laugh as I read these opinion polls (question logic is see thru and comical) each year and especially laugh the comments (hysterical). Sure there are stubborn tyrants ranting every year about how great US rules are. But every year the GoB’s lose ground, years after I have rested my case. Today the US competition pilots speak for me. And every year the GOB's seem a little more desperate to remain relevant. It brings me so much joy to see so many other pilots echoing my positions and arguments. ITS VERY SIMPLE, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY ZERO UTILITY TO DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING A SEPARATE RULE SYSTEM FOR THE USA. THIS IS A FACT. THE FAI RULES ARE NOT "DANGEROUS." IN FACT THE SSA RULES ARE ARGUABLY MORE DANGEROUS (Close proximity high speed descending and climbing 2 min max altitude start, criss cross crash assigned turn points (completely unpredictable), having to re-learn new rules constantly or just not even bothering. Etc, etc.) It makes absolutely ZERO SENSE to hold the USA hostage to a failed experiment poorly managed rules system (with no software to support it) except to a tiny minority of stubborn GOB tyrants who have banded together politically to keep FAI rule supporters out of the commuters and to maintain (against the will of the majority of US contest pilots) the failed US rules or die trying. Its just sad. Of course this says nothing about their constant efforts to bait the FAI into adopting their experimental rules via US representation (which goes into the role for the majority US contest pilots who want FAI rules, hating the FAI rules and only are there to change them to their minority position). They don’t like my challenge, not one bit. Good! I was a breath of fresh air for the sport of soaring (entering it at 41) both in terms of views on using a sport as an experiment with ZERO VALUE and in my competitive skill. I was probably a decade ahead of my time, but was damn right (US rules are a failure in many ways), and absolutely spot about the fact that these rules should never have been permanent if not adopted by the FAI despite their 20 year tantrum against the FAI (to which I entered in the middle), which is ongoing. Watching them trigger, plot, dance, tear their hair out, flat out panic (in Good Old Boy circles), attack, and get angry is, sadly, kinda fun. Every way they try and re-ask the same questions (when they get answers they don’t like) on their poll, the answers remain clear. The majority of USA's contest pilots continue to vote for STRAIGHT FAI RULES, just like the rest of the world, despite the GOB's fear tactics and endless propaganda campaigns (poll question commentary aka answer this way!). Sadly, most of these folks trying to force Us rules either do not fly contests anymore or are entirely uncompetitive, or both. Yet the inject themselves into the conversation and desperately try and keep the sport from changing into what the majority wants. This is the opposite of a democracy. It's an oligarchy and clown show. I call these winter months the SILLY SEASON. The GOB's clinging to power (whatever that is in US soaring circles) like a wet cat on the wavy seawall but their grip is fading visibly each and every year, faster and faster. #Winning #WINNING #WINWINWINWINWIN #VICTORY I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells like.....it smells like........VICTORY! UUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! 2023 SSA Rules Committee Pilot Opinion Poll Results CombinedDownload

Sweep 🧹 😂 Very satisfying and enjoyable to win “three in a row” of the USA’s 🇺🇸 most challenging class (18-meter) at three of the most challenging contest venues in the United States! Nephi, Utah is the USA’s best high speed mountain 🏔️ flying site. World record speeds were achieved by many of the pilots flying at this contest, including the fastest competition task speed ever recorded. Bermuda High is one the USA’s best East Coast “flat-land” thermal soaring sites and the conditions for this one were significantly suppressed making it a great weak weather test. And Uvalde is, simply put, the world famous soaring cloud street factory, home of two world championships with a third coming up in 2024.