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 — Unfussy climbers

2 pilots · ranks 1–2 · median 1.5 · middle half 1.3–1.8

High — Share of lift turned in that was kept as a climb group median P98 in this field (83 percent)
Low — Gliding wide of the optimal course line group median P6 in this field (10 percent)
Low — Share of race time spent hunting for the next climb group median P7 in this field (25 percent) · usually a strength
High — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P92 in this field (79 percent)

1. Jon Durand (most typical of this group)
2. Neale Halsall

Group B — Escape artists

5 pilots · ranks 3–17 · median 5 · middle half 4–8

High — Low saves dug out from the bottom of the band group median P94 in this field (2.0 count)
Low — Final glide committed to when leaving the last climb group median P11 in this field (4.21 ratio)
High — Glide speed between climbs group median P88 in this field (60.8 kilometres per hour) · usually a strength
High — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P83 in this field (48 percent)

3. Mitch Butler
4. Jason Kath
5. Michael Smith
8. Neil Hooke (most typical of this group)
17. Ward Gunn

Group C — Quick corers

4 pilots · ranks 7–14 · median 9.5 · middle half 8.5–11

Low — Time to core thermals group median P9 in this field (18 seconds)
High — Climbing faster than the pilots sharing the thermal group median P83 in this field (70 percent) · usually a strength
High — How often leaving the gaggle paid off group median P80 in this field (100 percent)
Low — Arriving at ESS with height to spare group median P20 in this field (76 metres) · usually a strength

7. Richard Martin (most typical of this group)
9. Bruce Atkinson
10. Steve Docherty
14. Jay Kubeil

Group D — Optimistic final gliders

5 pilots · ranks 6–26 · median 13 · middle half 12–22

High — Final glide committed to when leaving the last climb group median P86 in this field (17.92 ratio)
Low — How round and consistent the circles were group median P18 in this field (0.15 ratio)
High — Share of the flight spent in air that wasn’t sinking group median P82 in this field (66 percent)
Low — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P20 in this field (41 percent)

6. Paul Bissett-Amess
12. James Wynd (most typical of this group)
13. Todd Wisewould
22. Tushar Pokle
26. Richard Hughes

Group E — 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 — Time spent flying with a gaggle group median P93 in this field (54 percent)
High — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P92 in this field (52 percent)
Low — Share of lift turned in that was kept as a climb group median P17 in this field (50 percent)

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

Group F — High-band operators

6 pilots · ranks 15–21 · median 18.5 · middle half 16.5–19.8

High — How low the pilot gets between climbs group median P89 in this field (53 percent)
Low — Distance covered between climbs group median P16 in this field (1.0 kilometres) · usually costly
Low — Time to core thermals group median P20 in this field (27 seconds)
High — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P78 in this field (69 percent)

15. Hughbert Alexander
16. Adrian Connor
18. Peter Burkitt
19. Hossain Tefaili
20. Randall Clotworthy
21. John Harriott (most typical of this group)

Not clustered: 24. Donny Gardner — only 11 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 25. Paul Lawrence — only 8 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 27. Jason Carman — only 9 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 28. Colin Mackie — only 8 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 29. James Atkinson — only 2 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 29. Dean Bayly — only 1 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 29. Dustan Hansen — only 1 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 29. Jason Lannstrom — only 2 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 29. Keith Lavers — only 2 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 29. James McGinty — only 1 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%).

24 pilots on 20 behavioural metrics formed 6 groups.