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 — Escape artists

14 pilots · ranks 1–18 · median 7.5 · middle half 4.3–13.5

High — Low saves dug out from the bottom of the band group median P81 in this field (1.0 count)
High — Share of lift turned in that was kept as a climb group median P79 in this field (70 percent)
Low — Share of race time spent hunting for the next climb group median P23 in this field (41 percent) · usually a strength
Low — How long after the gate opened the pilot started group median P28 in this field (3324 seconds) · usually a strength

1. Nils Vesk
2. Rory Duncan
3. Tony Cross
4. Gordon Rigg
5. Jon Durand (most typical of this group)
6. Guy Hubbard
7. Vic Hare
8. Steve Docherty
9. Rich Reinauer
12. Olav Opsanger
14. Mitch Butler
15. Paul Bissett-Amess
17. Ian Miller
18. Stuart Cathcart

Group B — Few-stop racers

4 pilots · ranks 10–23 · median 14.5 · middle half 10.8–19.3

High — Distance covered between climbs group median P93 in this field (3.9 kilometres) · usually a strength
High — How long after the gate opened the pilot started group median P89 in this field (6808 seconds) · usually costly
Low — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P12 in this field (0 percent)
High — How round and consistent the circles were group median P87 in this field (0.19 ratio)

10. Ward Gunn
11. Rohan Holtkamp
18. Pawel Cedro (most typical of this group)
23. Neill Hollingsworth

Group C — Rough circlers

4 pilots · ranks 13–31 · median 28 · middle half 22.8–30.3

High — How round and consistent the circles were group median P94 in this field (0.20 ratio)
High — Share of the height gain made outside thermals group median P92 in this field (7 percent)
High — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P89 in this field (47 percent)
Low — Share of the flight spent in air that wasn’t sinking group median P23 in this field (60 percent)

13. Ken Millard
26. Gary Herman
30. Diego Mendonca (most typical of this group)
31. Jochen Zeischka

Group D — Outclimbed in company

5 pilots · ranks 16–38 · median 28 · middle half 27–36

Low — Climbing faster than the pilots sharing the thermal group median P7 in this field (56 percent) · usually costly
High — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P93 in this field (73 percent)
Low — Time to core thermals group median P12 in this field (20 seconds)
High — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P88 in this field (45 percent)

16. Neale Halsall
27. Todd Wisewould
28. Neil Hooke
36. Peter Garrone
38. Brett Davis (most typical of this group)

Group E — Deep diggers

6 pilots · ranks 20–35 · median 29 · middle half 22.8–33.8

Low — How low the pilot gets between climbs group median P4 in this field (-15 percent)
High — Share of the flight spent in air that wasn’t sinking group median P95 in this field (68 percent)
Low — Share of the height gain made outside thermals group median P10 in this field (1 percent)
Low — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P16 in this field (14 percent)

20. Michael Free (most typical of this group)
22. John Harriott
25. Steve Blenkinsop
33. Gavin Nicholls
34. Trent Brown
35. David Drabble

Group F — Lone wolves

7 pilots · ranks 21–45 · median 40 · middle half 26.5–42.5

Low — Time spent flying with a gaggle group median P9 in this field (0 percent)
Low — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P12 in this field (0 percent)
Low — Glide speed between climbs group median P12 in this field (49.3 kilometres per hour) · usually costly
High — Share of race time spent hunting for the next climb group median P84 in this field (66 percent) · usually costly

21. Grant Tatham
24. Adrian Connor
29. Mark Jeffree (most typical of this group)
40. Cedric Joyce
42. Marty Hearne
43. Enda Carrigan
45. Tushar Pokle

Not clustered: 32. Bobby Gillham — only 11 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 37. Andrew Sutton — only 9 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 39. Troy Horton — only 10 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 41. Peter Burkitt — only 9 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 44. Bruce Atkinson — only 7 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 46. Scott Barrett — only 11 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 46. Wayne Johnston — only 1 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%).

40 pilots on 19 behavioural metrics formed 6 groups.