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

12 pilots · ranks 1–22 · median 6.5 · middle half 3.8–11.8

High — Glide speed between climbs group median P79 in this field (62.2 kilometres per hour) · usually a strength
Low — Share of race time spent hunting for the next climb group median P22 in this field (31 percent) · usually a strength
High — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P76 in this field (70 percent)
Low — How round and consistent the circles were group median P24 in this field (0.14 ratio)

1. Trent Brown
2. Neale Halsall
3. Mitch Butler
4. Peter Burkitt
5. Vic Hare (most typical of this group)
6. Hughbert Alexander
7. Peter Adriaans
8. Bruce Wynne
10. John Harriott
17. Richard Martin
20. Enda Carrigan
22. Dustan Hansen

Group B — Lift keepers

19 pilots · ranks 9–32 · median 23 · middle half 14.5–27.5

High — Share of the flight spent in air that wasn’t sinking group median P73 in this field (59 percent)
Low — Glide L/D against the field median group median P30 in this field (0.90 ratio) · usually costly
High — Time spent flying with a gaggle group median P68 in this field (12 percent)
Low — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P32 in this field (52 percent)

9. Steven Crosby
11. Olav Opsanger
12. Neil Hooke
13. Bruce Atkinson
14. Steve Docherty
15. Troy Horton
16. Cedric Joyce
18. Mark Jeffree (most typical of this group)
21. Andrew Taylor
23. Neill Hollingsworth
24. Stuart Cathcart
25. Damian Hamilton
26. Steve Blenkinsop
27. Peter Garrone
28. Jason Lannstrom
29. James McGinty
30. Wayne Johnston
31. Jon Durand
32. Michael Free

Not clustered: 33. James Atkinson — only 1 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 34. Andrew Berenyi — only 10 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 35. Mario Chapa — only 4 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 36. Brett Davis — only 2 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 37. Marty Hearne — only 5 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 38. Jay Kubeil — only 6 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 39. Tushar Pokle — only 4 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 40. Hossain Tefaili — only 5 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 41. Peter Tolhurst — only 6 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 42. Todd Wisewould — only 4 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%).

31 pilots on 20 behavioural metrics formed 2 groups.