The Lisa, Mike, Riss proposal ignores quality foreign pilots and the
points that they bring to US meets

There are many good reasons to go to the
Rob
Kells Memorial meet at the Florida Ridge (the link is to the 2009 meet). It
a beautiful and exciting place to fly. It is very convenient. It is well run. It
is warm in April. There is a high level of competition with pilots coming from
Europe and South and central America.

It is also the meet that precedes the Flytec Race and Rally, which also draws
plenty of foreign pilots and provides a high level of competition. The Race and
Rally is a great format which pilots really enjoyed in 2009 and provides them
with challenging tasks, the first one in 2009 was a 125 miler from the Florida
Ridge to Quest Air.

In fact, those two meets were the highest value US hang gliding meets of 2009.
And it was because foreign pilots brought NTSS points to the meets that they had
as a high a value in terms of NTSS ranking points as they did. Without Jonny
Durand Jr and Carl Wallbank, they both would have been worth 90 points less.

These meets are naturally attractive to the top ranked US pilots, because they
have a history of attracting the best competition, having the highest available
points, and bringing in good foreign competitors. When the top ranked US pilots
come, the meet is successful and there are lots of points to share.

But the Lisa, Mike and Riss proposal for NTSS points eliminates the quality
points that come from the foreign pilots. They, like every one else, are counted
just as warm bodies. Nothing regarding their skills is used in determining the
value of the meet.

This puts the Florida meet organizers at a disadvantage relative to their
previous years of success in attracting pilots. Florida is the place that top
ranked pilots have wanted to go knowing that there would be good competition as
well as a great place to fly early in the season. I'm sure that the Florida meet
organizers are not happy with the LMR proposal.