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 — High leavers

4 pilots · ranks 1–5 · median 2.5 · middle half 1.8–3.5

High — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P83 in this field (81 percent)
Low — Share of race time spent hunting for the next climb group median P17 in this field (26 percent) · usually a strength
High — Time to core thermals group median P81 in this field (82 seconds)
Low — Share of the height gain made outside thermals group median P22 in this field (7 percent)

1. Dustan Hansen
2. Dean Bayly
3. Donny Gardner (most typical of this group)
5. Mike Estcourt

Group B — Low leavers

4 pilots · ranks 4–10 · median 7.5 · middle half 5.5–9.3

Low — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P17 in this field (19 percent)
Low — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P19 in this field (0 percent)
High — Final glide committed to when leaving the last climb group median P78 in this field (8.33 ratio)
Low — Glide speed between climbs group median P28 in this field (42.2 kilometres per hour) · usually costly

4. Nicole Forrester
6. Amber Tsai
9. James McGinty
10. Patrick Honey (most typical of this group)

Group C — Conservative final gliders

2 pilots · ranks 14–16 · median 15 · middle half 14.5–15.5

Low — Final glide committed to when leaving the last climb group median P6 in this field (2.35 ratio)
High — Time spent flying with a gaggle group median P93 in this field (14 percent)
High — Share of the flight spent in air that wasn’t sinking group median P88 in this field (65 percent)
High — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P84 in this field (38 percent)

14. Curtis Greenwood (most typical of this group)
16. Anthony Meechan

Not clustered: 7. Gordon Bishop — only 10 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 8. Mark Tyminski — only 10 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 11. James Atkinson — only 7 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 12. Jakota Cummings — only 5 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 13. Hayden Emms — only 7 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 15. Jason Lannstrom — only 9 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 17. Mark Wallace — only 8 of 19 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%).

10 pilots on 19 behavioural metrics formed 3 groups.