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 — Clean gliders

4 pilots · ranks 1–14 · median 3 · middle half 1.8–6.5

High — Glide L/D against the field median group median P88 in this field (1.38 ratio) · usually a strength
High — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P82 in this field (82 percent)
High — Glide speed between climbs group median P82 in this field (46.9 kilometres per hour) · usually a strength
High — Share of the height gain made outside thermals group median P77 in this field (20 percent)

1. Dustan Hansen
2. Donny Gardner (most typical of this group)
4. Mark Tyminski
14. Shane Duncan

Group B — Slow corers

3 pilots · ranks 3–6 · median 5 · middle half 4–5.5

High — Time to core thermals group median P89 in this field (73 seconds)
Low — Share of race time spent hunting for the next climb group median P11 in this field (19 percent) · usually a strength
High — Share of lift turned in that was kept as a climb group median P85 in this field (78 percent)
Low — Share of the height gain made outside thermals group median P15 in this field (5 percent)

3. Jakota Cummings
5. Andy Schmidt
6. James Atkinson (most typical of this group)

Group C — Marker followers

3 pilots · ranks 8–12 · median 9 · middle half 8.5–10.5

High — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P96 in this field (64 percent)
High — Climbing faster than the pilots sharing the thermal group median P89 in this field (79 percent) · usually a strength
Low — Gliding wide of the optimal course line group median P14 in this field (1 percent)
Low — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P21 in this field (21 percent)

8. Jason Lannstrom
9. Gordon Bishop (most typical of this group)
12. Patrick Honey

Group D — Slow gliders

3 pilots · ranks 7–11 · median 10 · middle half 8.5–10.5

Low — Glide speed between climbs group median P7 in this field (34.4 kilometres per hour) · usually costly
Low — Glide L/D against the field median group median P8 in this field (0.87 ratio) · usually costly
High — Low saves dug out from the bottom of the band group median P89 in this field (1.0 count)
High — Time spent flying with a gaggle group median P89 in this field (29 percent)

7. Anthony Meechan
10. Dean Bayly
11. Amber Tsai (most typical of this group)

Group E — Lift keepers

2 pilots · ranks 13–15 · median 14 · middle half 13.5–14.5

High — Share of the flight spent in air that wasn’t sinking group median P97 in this field (65 percent)
Low — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P4 in this field (-2 percent)
Low — Climb rate at thermal exit group median P11 in this field (1.0 metres per second)
Low — Climbing faster than the pilots sharing the thermal group median P13 in this field (50 percent) · usually costly

13. Mike Estcourt (most typical of this group)
15. Curtis Greenwood

Not clustered: 16. Nicole Forrester — only 8 of 18 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 17. Brett Huggan — only 8 of 18 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 18. James McGinty — only 7 of 18 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 19. Christopher Sutton — only 7 of 18 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 20. Mark Wallace — only 2 of 18 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%).

15 pilots on 18 behavioural metrics formed 5 groups.