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

10 pilots · ranks 1–21 · median 5.5 · middle half 3.3–10

High — Time spent flying with a gaggle group median P78 in this field (22 percent)
High — Share of the height gain made outside thermals group median P78 in this field (29 percent)
Low — Gliding wide of the optimal course line group median P22 in this field (22 percent)
High — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P74 in this field (78 percent)

1. Rohan Holtkamp
2. Adam Stevens (most typical of this group)
3. Tony Cross
4. Harrison Rowntree
5. Sam Prest
6. Todd Wisewould
7. Andy Schmidt
11. James Wynd
16. Dave Moore
21. Anthony Meechan

Group B — Escape artists

4 pilots · ranks 8–13 · median 10.5 · middle half 8.8–12.3

High — Low saves dug out from the bottom of the band group median P96 in this field (2.0 count)
High — Share of lift turned in that was kept as a climb group median P85 in this field (75 percent)
Low — Share of the flight spent in air that wasn’t sinking group median P16 in this field (56 percent)
Low — Final glide committed to when leaving the last climb group median P17 in this field (3.45 ratio)

8. Steve Norman
9. Steve Blenkinsop
12. Hughbert Alexander
13. Bruce Atkinson (most typical of this group)

Group C — Gate chargers

4 pilots · ranks 10–18 · median 14.5 · middle half 13–15.8

Low — How long after the gate opened the pilot started group median P13 in this field (54 seconds) · usually a strength
High — Gliding wide of the optimal course line group median P86 in this field (49 percent)
Low — Glide L/D against the field median group median P15 in this field (0.79 ratio) · usually costly
High — Climbing faster than the pilots sharing the thermal group median P82 in this field (72 percent) · usually a strength

10. Neale Halsall
14. Keith Lavers
15. Peter Adriaans (most typical of this group)
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 (46 percent) · usually costly
Low — Glide speed between climbs group median P5 in this field (43.6 kilometres per hour) · usually costly
Low — Share of the height gain made outside thermals group median P6 in this field (1 percent)
Low — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P7 in this field (5 percent)

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

Not clustered: 22. Neil Hooke — only 8 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 23. James Atkinson — only 2 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 23. Mitch Butler — only 1 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 23. Ollie Chitty — only 10 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 23. James McGinty — only 11 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%).

21 pilots on 20 behavioural metrics formed 4 groups.