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 — Strong climbers

11 pilots · ranks 1–16 · median 6 · middle half 3.5–9.5

High — Climbing faster than the pilots sharing the thermal group median P81 in this field (74 percent) · usually a strength
High — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P78 in this field (65 percent)
High — Glide speed between climbs group median P78 in this field (57.6 kilometres per hour) · usually a strength
High — Share of lift turned in that was kept as a climb group median P74 in this field (64 percent)

1. Hughbert Alexander
2. Steven Crosby
3. Jon Durand
4. Michael Smith
5. Jason Kath (most typical of this group)
6. Troy Horton
8. Steve Docherty
9. Paul Bissett-Amess
10. Neale Halsall
11. Todd Wisewould
16. Mick Lamb

Group B — Gaggle flyers

10 pilots · ranks 7–22 · median 16 · middle half 13.3–19.5

High — Time spent flying with a gaggle group median P84 in this field (69 percent)
Low — Gliding wide of the optimal course line group median P24 in this field (-37 percent)
High — Share of race time spent hunting for the next climb group median P76 in this field (54 percent) · usually costly
Low — Time to core thermals group median P25 in this field (17 seconds)

7. James Wynd
11. Peter Burkitt
13. Mitch Butler
14. Dustan Hansen
15. Donny Gardner
17. Richard Martin
18. Neil Hooke
20. Peter Adriaans (most typical of this group)
21. Scotty Ireland
22. Hossain Tefaili

Not clustered: 19. Jay Kubeil — only 11 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 23. Paul Lawrence — only 8 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 24. Jason Carman — only 10 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 25. John Harriott — only 8 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 26. Jason Lannstrom — only 9 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 27. Adrian Connor — only 8 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 28. Ward Gunn — only 8 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 29. Marcus De Vecchi — only 10 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 30. Pete Bolton — only 8 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 31. James Atkinson — only 3 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 31. Bruce Atkinson — only 1 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 31. Keith Lavers — only 2 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 31. Tushar Pokle — only 1 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%).

21 pilots on 19 behavioural metrics formed 2 groups.