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 — Bold leavers

14 pilots · ranks 1–51 · median 8.5 · middle half 4.3–26

High — How often leaving the gaggle paid off group median P84 in this field (100 percent)
Low — Gliding wide of the optimal course line group median P16 in this field (21 percent)
High — Distance covered between climbs group median P83 in this field (2.3 kilometres) · usually a strength
High — Climbing faster than the pilots sharing the thermal group median P80 in this field (76 percent) · usually a strength

1. Jon Durand (most typical of this group)
2. Gordon Rigg
3. Jochen Zeischka
4. Olav Opsanger
5. Tony Cross
7. Mitch Butler
8. Rohan Holtkamp
9. Rory Duncan
10. Nils Vesk
11. Trent Brown
31. Steven Crosby
36. Bruce Atkinson
37. Steve Docherty
51. Gary Herman

Group B — Quick corers

19 pilots · ranks 6–48 · median 21 · middle half 15.5–26

Low — Time to core thermals group median P19 in this field (33 seconds)
Low — Low saves dug out from the bottom of the band group median P25 in this field (0.0 count)
Low — How often leaving the gaggle paid off group median P26 in this field (0 percent)
High — How low the pilot gets between climbs group median P72 in this field (52 percent)

6. Scott Barrett
12. Vic Hare
13. Neale Halsall
14. Steve Blenkinsop
15. Guy Hubbard
16. Ward Gunn
17. Rich Reinauer
18. Dustan Hansen
19. Pawel Cedro (most typical of this group)
21. Troy Horton
22. Enda Carrigan
23. Grant Tatham
24. David Drabble
25. Paul Bissett-Amess
27. Marty Hearne
32. Ken Millard
34. Diego Mendonca
38. Andrew Sutton
48. Michael Free

Group C — High-band operators

6 pilots · ranks 20–53 · median 31.5 · middle half 27–39

High — How low the pilot gets between climbs group median P91 in this field (72 percent)
High — Climb rate at thermal exit group median P90 in this field (1.8 metres per second)
High — How long after the gate opened the pilot started group median P90 in this field (997 seconds) · usually costly
High — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P87 in this field (83 percent)

20. Adrian Connor
26. Mark Jeffree
30. Cedric Joyce
33. Tushar Pokle (most typical of this group)
41. Jason Lannstrom
53. Wayne Johnston

Group D — Deep diggers

12 pilots · ranks 28–49 · median 42.5 · middle half 38–45.3

Low — How low the pilot gets between climbs group median P10 in this field (1 percent)
Low — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P17 in this field (22 percent)
Low — Share of the height gain made outside thermals group median P20 in this field (6 percent)
High — Share of race time spent hunting for the next climb group median P80 in this field (45 percent) · usually costly

28. Todd Wisewould
29. Stuart Cathcart
35. Neill Hollingsworth
39. Peter Garrone
40. Neil Hooke
42. Peter Adriaans
43. Ian Miller
44. Andrew Taylor
45. Ben Torrance
46. James Atkinson (most typical of this group)
47. Gavin Nicholls
49. John Harriott

Not clustered: 50. Bobby Gillham — only 12 of 21 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 52. Brett Davis — only 12 of 21 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 54. James McGinty — only 11 of 21 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%).

51 pilots on 21 behavioural metrics formed 4 groups.