Flying style

Pilots grouped by how alike their flying was.

Analysis computed

The groups are flying style, and not score. The spread of ranks in each group shows where that style paid and where it did not.

Group A — Gaggle flyers

6 pilots · ranks 1–6 · median 3.5 · middle half 2.3–4.8

High — Time spent flying with a gaggle group median P85 in this field (26 percent)
High — Glide speed between climbs group median P84 in this field (65.1 kilometres per hour) · usually a strength
Low — Time to core thermals group median P17 in this field (42 seconds)
High — How low the pilot gets between climbs group median P81 in this field (69 percent)

1. Rohan Holtkamp
2. Adam Stevens
3. Tony Cross
4. Harrison Rowntree
5. Sam Prest
6. Todd Wisewould (most typical of this group)

Group B — Unfussy climbers

6 pilots · ranks 7–15 · median 11 · middle half 8.5–12.8

High — Share of lift turned in that was kept as a climb group median P79 in this field (74 percent)
Low — Share of race time spent hunting for the next climb group median P24 in this field (23 percent) · usually a strength
High — Gliding wide of the optimal course line group median P75 in this field (40 percent)
Low — Distance covered between climbs group median P28 in this field (1.6 kilometres) · usually costly

7. Andy Schmidt
8. Steve Norman
10. Neale Halsall (most typical of this group)
12. Hughbert Alexander
13. Bruce Atkinson
15. Peter Adriaans

Group C — Safe finishers

4 pilots · ranks 9–18 · median 12.5 · middle half 10.5–15

High — Arriving at ESS with height to spare group median P95 in this field (725 metres) · usually costly
High — Distance covered between climbs group median P94 in this field (4.2 kilometres) · usually a strength
Low — Climb rate at thermal exit group median P7 in this field (0.3 metres per second)
High — Time to core thermals group median P89 in this field (76 seconds)

9. Steve Blenkinsop
11. James Wynd (most typical of this group)
14. Keith Lavers
18. Michael Free

Group D — Outclimbed in company

3 pilots · ranks 17–20 · median 19 · middle half 18–19.5

Low — Climbing faster than the pilots sharing the thermal group median P5 in this field (44 percent) · usually costly
Low — Glide speed between climbs group median P5 in this field (43.6 kilometres per hour) · usually costly
Low — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P5 in this field (5 percent)
Low — How low the pilot gets between climbs group median P8 in this field (22 percent)

17. Mark Divito (most typical of this group)
19. Richard Hughes
20. Dean Bayly

Group E — Marker followers

3 pilots · ranks 16–25 · median 21 · middle half 18.5–23

High — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P92 in this field (40 percent)
High — Share of race time spent hunting for the next climb group median P87 in this field (60 percent) · usually costly
Low — Share of lift turned in that was kept as a climb group median P14 in this field (50 percent)
Low — Share of the flight spent in air that wasn’t sinking group median P24 in this field (57 percent)

16. Dave Moore
21. Anthony Meechan (most typical of this group)
25. Ollie Chitty

Not clustered: 22. Neil Hooke — only 8 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 23. James Atkinson — only 2 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 24. Mitch Butler — only 1 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 26. James McGinty — only 11 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%).

22 pilots on 20 behavioural metrics formed 5 groups.