BMFA F3F League 3 and Reserve Date 25th & 26th June HOH,

[Martin_N]

To confirm registration is now closed.

Weather call for Saturday will be made tomorrow evening.

[Martin_N]

Hi All,

i have been advised that Saturdays contest has been called OFF.

Hopefully better weather on Sunday.

thx

Martin

[Peter G]

No other option really on that forecast 

Me, George and Dave will still be giving it a go Friday, Saturday and Sunday! We're on our holidays 

[Martin_N]

Hi All,

I have been advised that the weather has still not improved for the weekend and therefore Sunday's contest has been called OFF.

Thanks

Martin

[Peter G]

That is a bad call

Since when do we call it two days in advance anyway. 

It was good flying today on the bowl, I suspect it will be OK tomorrow and Sunday looks OK too.

This weather call thing has gone too far!

[Martin_N]

What?

Ive been advised and posted, we make the call on a Friday normally for Sunday what's changed?

But to advise so you are now not mistaken I will NOT be involved in any further UK contest.

 

[Peter G]

I know it's not your call Martin, my comment wasn't aimed at you. You do a great job.

It's just frustrating the weather has been against us for so long. Didn't meant to offend. 

[Brett82]

Hi all

Ive been searching to see if this has been spoken about before but I just cant find anything on it. Has a reserve location for each event ever been discussed before? I can see discussions on reserve dates and I fear I am about to open Pandoras box here. 

For example Eastbourne could have Whitesheet as a back-up location or Long Mynde could have Wales and so forth. The weather may be horrible in one place but fine in another. Im a bit stumped with HOH as the next closest is Scotland and that is some distance but that improves the chance of having different weather.

It would only be a back-up and not a choice of which is better so only used if the original is unflyable. Im yet to fly in a comp so I am completely inexperienced and admit I probably don't know what im talking about. This is why I'm asking is it logistacly possible for the organisers of the comps? Arranging B&B's would be a pain for contestants. 

Even though I'm new I am on the forum every day so I can see the work Martin_N puts into the sport so I would love it if you would also give me your thoughts as well as anyone else. Thanks guys, take care.

Brett

[Peter G]

Just back from a fantastic weekend in North Yorkshire. Shorts weather for 3 days, no rain and flying every day! I'm so glad we went, three new slopes to me and four slopes flown all together.

Saturday at Saltburn was pretty marginal 3-4ms but very consistent, an enjoyable challenge with a narrow lift band. Seven of us flying, taking turns and enjoying some banter.

Today was forecast NW and rich recommended Calton Bank, the first friendly paraglider showed us a spot facing NW and it was OK but the wind was pretty much due west so a good bit crossed and we were really just slermaling in the lee. A second friendly paraglider pointed us towards summer hill (between the cook monument and rosebury topping) and it was brilliant! 8ms to start building to 35mph by about 4pm, a really great hill shared with the trebles, Jon Edison and Mike shellim.

Us Scots are thinking about putting last weekend in June in the diary just for flying a weekend away.

I should probably apologise for my comment above (I was suitably chastised by John T and Jon E has a very thick skin!), I know nobody calls things off for any reason except to save people a wasted journey. And it is difficult to make a call 2 days in advance in a rapidly changing weather system. I still think the sat sun reserve date/comp date is a good idea, better luck next time...

[oipigface]

On 25 June 2016 at 08:34, Brett82 said:

Hi all

Ive been searching to see if this has been spoken about before but I just cant find anything on it. Has a reserve location for each event ever been discussed before? I can see discussions on reserve dates and I fear I am about to open Pandoras box here. 

Brett

Can of worms as big as the universe, mate. There are several ways of introducing greater flexibility into competition scheduling. Reserve locations, reserve dates, weather calls, and, a new one to me (suggested this last weekend) Alula racing instead of F3F. Alternative venues have actually happened in the last couple of years: Champ of champs 2015 was scheduled for the Bwlch but happened at Rhossili, and a recent Whitesheet comp (I forget what) was relocated to the Bwlch at very short notice. One problem is that to schedule two possible locations requiree the negotiation of two lots of permissions.

Opinions are very divided about what is the best system. My view is that there isn't one, although flexibility is to be welcomed. I also think that we should not give people who volunteer to organise competitions for us a hard time, when we personally disagree with their decisions. We are united in wanting to have as many successful events as possible. There can be no doubt that the people who make these calls for us do so in the best of faith, and they can do without having their judgement questioned, especially when it has proved to be quite sound in the past.

 

[oipigface]

20 hours ago, Peter G said:

Just back from a fantastic weekend in North Yorkshire. Shorts weather for 3 days, no rain and flying every day! I'm so glad we went, three new slopes to me and four slopes flown all together.

Saturday at Saltburn was pretty marginal 3-4ms but very consistent, an enjoyable challenge with a narrow lift band. Seven of us flying, taking turns and enjoying some banter.

Today was forecast NW and rich recommended Calton Bank, the first friendly paraglider showed us a spot facing NW and it was OK but the wind was pretty much due west so a good bit crossed and we were really just slermaling in the lee. A second friendly paraglider pointed us towards summer hill (between the cook monument and rosebury topping) and it was brilliant! 8ms to start building to 35mph by about 4pm, a really great hill shared with the trebles, Jon Edison and Mike shellim.

Us Scots are thinking about putting last weekend in June in the diary just for flying a weekend away.

I should probably apologise for my comment above (I was suitably chastised by John T and Jon E has a very thick skin!), I know nobody calls things off for any reason except to save people a wasted journey. And it is difficult to make a call 2 days in advance in a rapidly changing weather system. I still think the sat sun reserve date/comp date is a good idea, better luck next time...

It was four new slopes for me!

The best thing about the weekend, though was the return to the slopes of Mark T, who, despite having only one eye working properly, managed to fly his Alliaj with brio.

The operation to restore his other eye to good health won't take place for another four weeks at least. There have been delays in printing the new parts, and the surgeon has just gone off for three weeks' holiday!

[Brett82]

1 hour ago, oipigface said:

I also think that we should not give people who volunteer to organise competitions for us a hard time, when we personally disagree with their decisions. We are united in wanting to have as many successful events as possible. There can be no doubt that the people who make these calls for us do so in the best of faith, and they can do without having their judgement questioned, especially when it has proved to be quite sound in the past.

 

Couldnt agree with you more, the only reason why I asked the question was to see if it would make their lives easier or more difficult. I dont envy them making these decisions and at the end of the day they want to fly as much as everyone else. 

I thought long and hard about asking the question but in the end I thought the inexperience I have also means a fresh pair of eyes. I didn't realise it had been tried in the past but hey, thats why we ask.

I appreciate the reply, I was beginning to think the can of worms had caused the forum to crash.

One more thing, I only recently realised I met Mark T at Long Mynd in March. When I heard about the accident I didnt put two and two together because I met so many people that day. I wish him a speedy recovery, he seemed like a genuine top bloke. Now I have my Willow and have flowen her im confident I will be racing at the end of next month so hopefully I will see him there to wish him well in person.

[isoaritfirst]

As someone who does have to make those judgement calls ocassionally - yes it is difficult and yes what ever the decision some one will have an alternative view.

The pilots view may be based on many things though. 

Some will think you should call it off, but is it because they dislike a particular slope of weather condition or just they have something else they fancy doing that day.

Others may want it to run because they have already made plans to attend or they like the reduced entry or the conditions favour their likely result.

 

The only important consideration for the decision is whether the slope is flyable or not. 

 When making my decision to call a comp on or off, as a pilot I also have those same thoughts - do I want to fly that day on that slope etc etc. Using a committee to try to help make the decision only compounds the problem. 

 

It can be very taxing when the decision is marginal, and when already stressed by it, taking onboard further critism can be hard and very de motivating.

 

For the last few years I have a single forecast that I use, and a set of numbers that I look for in that forecast around midday. If they are there -its on if not then its off. It may not be perfect, it certainly doesn't gaurantee the comp will run, but it takes the decision out of my hands and reduces the discussion, the opinions and the stress.

 

 

 

Other forecasts are available.

The value of your hygrometer may go up or down

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[oipigface]

That sounds pretty much the way it should be, Mike. Try to be as objective as possible about it, even though subjectively, you may not like the result.