Post by teson1 on Aug 11, 2013 20:34:11 GMT -5
Suggestion to slightly simplify the scoring system:
Just some thoughts thrown out as a suggestion for discussion. Will only really be of interest for the competitive-minded pilots among us
(Edit: I've corrected a stupid error where I had mistakenly written SD = AFT / Vno instead of SD = AFT * Vno. See message 3 below which documents my embarassment for eternity
. Thanks djtalc for pointing it out !)
Replace current
"Performance Ratio" = "Race time" / RCT = AFT / RCT - 1 = AFT * Vno / MFD - 1
by
"Scoring distance ?" = "SD ?" = AFT * Vno
(or eventually AFT * (Vno+Vwind) )
The lower SD, the better the pilot scores.
SD = AFT * Vno is the distance the race pilot would have covered during his flight if he had flown the whole time at the Reference cruise speed Vno.
SD will typically be larger than MFD as the pilot flies slower than Vno during take-off, climb, and landing (and he may cruise throtteled back), as well as due to detours from the direct flight path (a strong tailwind reduces SD of course).
Benefits:
- The scoring spreadsheet would be simplified:
Only two columns needed per leg: AFT and SD=AFT * Vno (and possibly Vwind).
Columns for MFD and RCT would not be needed any more (and no need for defining MCT for each leg, though this would still be a valuable information to include in the leg description).
- It would be possible to give penalties (and bonus) per leg (e.g. 2-5 nm added to SD for a rule violation), instead of per course (e.g. +5% added on the overall performance ratio).
- I feel this system gives a little more feedback what one pilot may have been doing differently from another. Detours one pilot has taken over another (larger flight distance, landing circuit vs direct landing) would be directly apparent in a larger scoring distance, instead of a performance ration which is more difficult to directly interpret. But of course pilots flights not only differ in the flight path taken, but many other aspects...
- This system would still allow planes of different speed to compete similarly as the previous one (no change).
Disadvantages
- Do we need a modification of the system ? I believe it's simpler. And simpler is better.
- Will this confuse pilots ? I have the impression that most pilots currently don't care too much for the scoring system, and whether it's changed (just fly and have fun)...
I believe the main benefit would be a slightly simpler scoring sheet.
Just some thoughts thrown out as a suggestion for discussion. Will only really be of interest for the competitive-minded pilots among us
(Edit: I've corrected a stupid error where I had mistakenly written SD = AFT / Vno instead of SD = AFT * Vno. See message 3 below which documents my embarassment for eternity
. Thanks djtalc for pointing it out !)Replace current
"Performance Ratio" = "Race time" / RCT = AFT / RCT - 1 = AFT * Vno / MFD - 1
by
"Scoring distance ?" = "SD ?" = AFT * Vno
(or eventually AFT * (Vno+Vwind) )
The lower SD, the better the pilot scores.
SD = AFT * Vno is the distance the race pilot would have covered during his flight if he had flown the whole time at the Reference cruise speed Vno.
SD will typically be larger than MFD as the pilot flies slower than Vno during take-off, climb, and landing (and he may cruise throtteled back), as well as due to detours from the direct flight path (a strong tailwind reduces SD of course).
MFD (Minimum Flight Distance) : This is the direct (shortest possible) distance between start and landing location.
Vno (reference cruise speed) : Tested cruise speed of the aircraft at full throttle at 2000 ft (listed in the aircraft list).
RFT (Reference Flight Time) = MFD / Vno : This is the ideal flight time - the time the pilot would need for the distance MFD if he could fly at the cruise speed Vno for the whole flight.
AFT (Aircraft Flight Time) : This is the actual flight time of the pilot flying a leg.
For further details see the description of the current scoring system here : sites.google.com/site/fsebprl/rules (in work)
Vno (reference cruise speed) : Tested cruise speed of the aircraft at full throttle at 2000 ft (listed in the aircraft list).
RFT (Reference Flight Time) = MFD / Vno : This is the ideal flight time - the time the pilot would need for the distance MFD if he could fly at the cruise speed Vno for the whole flight.
AFT (Aircraft Flight Time) : This is the actual flight time of the pilot flying a leg.
For further details see the description of the current scoring system here : sites.google.com/site/fsebprl/rules (in work)
Benefits:
- The scoring spreadsheet would be simplified:
Only two columns needed per leg: AFT and SD=AFT * Vno (and possibly Vwind).
Columns for MFD and RCT would not be needed any more (and no need for defining MCT for each leg, though this would still be a valuable information to include in the leg description).
- It would be possible to give penalties (and bonus) per leg (e.g. 2-5 nm added to SD for a rule violation), instead of per course (e.g. +5% added on the overall performance ratio).
- I feel this system gives a little more feedback what one pilot may have been doing differently from another. Detours one pilot has taken over another (larger flight distance, landing circuit vs direct landing) would be directly apparent in a larger scoring distance, instead of a performance ration which is more difficult to directly interpret. But of course pilots flights not only differ in the flight path taken, but many other aspects...
- This system would still allow planes of different speed to compete similarly as the previous one (no change).
Disadvantages
- Do we need a modification of the system ? I believe it's simpler. And simpler is better.
- Will this confuse pilots ? I have the impression that most pilots currently don't care too much for the scoring system, and whether it's changed (just fly and have fun)...
I believe the main benefit would be a slightly simpler scoring sheet.
