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 — Punished leavers

18 pilots · ranks 1–24 · median 10.5 · middle half 5.3–16.8

Low — How often leaving the gaggle paid off group median P23 in this field (0 percent)
High — Time spent flying with a gaggle group median P76 in this field (49 percent)
High — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P75 in this field (69 percent)
Low — Low saves dug out from the bottom of the band group median P27 in this field (0.0 count)

1. Olav Opsanger
2. Rohan Holtkamp
3. Jon Durand
4. Gordon Rigg
5. Craig Taylor
6. Steven Crosby
7. Rory Duncan
8. Rich Reinauer
10. Neale Halsall (most typical of this group)
11. Vic Hare
13. Steve Blenkinsop
15. Paul Bissett-Amess
16. Todd Wisewould
17. Daniel Rhodes
20. Gary Herman
21. John Muldoon
22. David Drabble
24. Troy Horton

Group B — Escape artists

15 pilots · ranks 9–34 · median 26 · middle half 18.5–29.5

High — Low saves dug out from the bottom of the band group median P81 in this field (2.0 count)
Low — Share of the height gain made outside thermals group median P21 in this field (4 percent)
Low — How low the pilot gets between climbs group median P24 in this field (22 percent)
High — Gliding wide of the optimal course line group median P72 in this field (26 percent)

9. Glen Mcfarlane
12. Harrison Rowntree
14. Trent Brown
18. Peter Burkitt
19. Nils Vesk
23. Hossain Tefaili
25. Neil Hooke (most typical of this group)
26. Michael Free
27. Stuart McElroy
27. Diego Mendonca
29. Mitch Butler
30. Rennick Kerr
31. Andrew Sutton
32. Ward Gunn
34. Airie Merlin

Not clustered: 33. Ivo van der Leeden — only 12 of 21 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 34. Bruce Atkinson — only 10 of 21 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 34. Brett Davis — only 9 of 21 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 34. John Harriott — only 3 of 21 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%).

33 pilots on 21 behavioural metrics formed 2 groups.