On 29/06/2016 7:42 PM, Mike Borgelt wrote:
Peter,
It won't be long before all of gliding is regarded as just a branch of
vintage aviation, if it isn't already.
I wish it wasn't like that but wishing won't make it so.
I don't disagree with this point at all, but do want to point out that
most activities still have a "sporting" component to it with some rules
added to enforce competitiveness - even after the mass market has taken
over and turned it into common place. Car/Motorcycle/Boat/etc racing
hasn't died out because suddenly everyone can afford to have a car in
the driveway. Similarly, Otto's hang gliding hasn't died out because we
can fly to Europe in an A380 in a day.
Once upon a time Formula 1 was pretty much anything goes, now it has a
rule book thicker than the local state traffic act - all in the name of
competition. Even just a few years ago, the driver was barely more than
someone that roughly pointed the car where to go and the computers took
control of the details. That got boring and too expensive so now many
items of automation have been removed and "standard" components supplied
to all competing teams.
I'm sure the same thing will happen with gliding - greater and greater
automation. At some point a halt is called and all competitors are given
a "standard flight computer" that is fitted to their cockpit on the grid
each morning and removed as soon as possible after landing. This will
bring back driver skill into the equation again.
--
Justin Couch http://www.vlc.com.au/
Java 3D Graphics Information http://www.j3d.org/
LinkedIn http://au.linkedin.com/in/justincouch/
G+ WetMorgoth
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