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 — Fast gliders

6 pilots · ranks 1–10 · median 4.5 · middle half 2.5–7.3

High — Glide speed between climbs group median P82 in this field (60.2 kilometres per hour) · usually a strength
Low — Share of race time spent hunting for the next climb group median P24 in this field (29 percent) · usually a strength
Low — Share of the height gain made outside thermals group median P27 in this field (11 percent)
Low — How round and consistent the circles were group median P33 in this field (0.15 ratio)

1. Jon Durand
2. Neale Halsall (most typical of this group)
4. Jason Kath
5. Michael Smith
8. Neil Hooke
10. Steve Docherty

Group B — Circle climbers

3 pilots · ranks 3–12 · median 9 · middle half 6–10.5

Low — Share of the height gain made outside thermals group median P4 in this field (3 percent)
High — Arriving at ESS with height to spare group median P95 in this field (385 metres) · usually costly
High — Distance covered between climbs group median P94 in this field (3.8 kilometres) · usually a strength
High — Time to core thermals group median P93 in this field (80 seconds)

3. Mitch Butler
9. Bruce Atkinson
12. James Wynd (most typical of this group)

Group C — Optimistic final gliders

3 pilots · ranks 13–17 · median 15 · middle half 14–16

High — Final glide committed to when leaving the last climb group median P92 in this field (21.10 ratio)
Low — How often leaving the gaggle paid off group median P10 in this field (0 percent)
Low — How low the pilot gets between climbs group median P13 in this field (11 percent)
High — Time to core thermals group median P82 in this field (72 seconds)

13. Todd Wisewould (most typical of this group)
15. Hughbert Alexander
17. Ward Gunn

Group D — Leave-it-lifting climbers

2 pilots · ranks 11–22 · median 16.5 · middle half 13.8–19.3

High — Climb rate at thermal exit group median P96 in this field (1.9 metres per second)
High — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P94 in this field (57 percent)
High — Time spent flying with a gaggle group median P93 in this field (54 percent)
Low — Share of lift turned in that was kept as a climb group median P19 in this field (50 percent)

11. Troy Horton (most typical of this group)
22. Mick Lamb

Group E — Quick corers

7 pilots · ranks 7–21 · median 18 · middle half 15–19.5

Low — Time to core thermals group median P11 in this field (21 seconds)
Low — Distance covered between climbs group median P11 in this field (1.0 kilometres) · usually costly
High — How low the pilot gets between climbs group median P87 in this field (44 percent)
High — Gliding wide of the optimal course line group median P78 in this field (31 percent)

7. Richard Martin
14. Jay Kubeil
16. Adrian Connor
18. Peter Burkitt
19. Hossain Tefaili
20. Randall Clotworthy
21. John Harriott (most typical of this group)

Group F — Self-finders

4 pilots · ranks 6–26 · median 23.5 · middle half 18.8–24.5

Low — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P8 in this field (4 percent)
High — Share of the flight spent in air that wasn’t sinking group median P89 in this field (68 percent)
Low — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P14 in this field (32 percent)
Low — How low the pilot gets between climbs group median P17 in this field (12 percent)

6. Paul Bissett-Amess
23. Tushar Pokle (most typical of this group)
24. Donny Gardner
26. Richard Hughes

Not clustered: 25. Paul Lawrence — only 8 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 27. Jason Carman — only 11 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 28. Colin Mackie — only 9 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 29. James Atkinson — only 2 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 30. Dean Bayly — only 1 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 31. Dustan Hansen — only 1 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 32. Jason Lannstrom — only 3 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 33. Keith Lavers — only 2 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 34. James McGinty — only 1 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%).

25 pilots on 20 behavioural metrics formed 6 groups.