This FAI Gliding WORLD (isn’t that ironic? lol) ranking appears to have been “earned” at a US Regional competition (Perry) for the open class division. This was not (to the best of my knowledge) a US nationals from what is listed in the ranking (REGIONALS). It was flown under US RULES, using US tasking (Area, MATS) and very likely included no racing tasks.

Other US pilots, for example ;-), have won 3 US Nationals in a row in 18m (highly attended, strong pilots by both US and FAI ranking standards) in 2021, 2022, and 2023. From an FAI and US rankings perspective, ALL of those contests were far tougher from a ranking of competition pilot quality perspective and all three were US NATIONALS COMPETITIONS, not SSA regionals. But, amusingly, that US pilot is ranked 200th roughly.

Yet another example of how the SSA’s beloved US rules are problem (as yet another measurable objective statistic) and how having multiple ranking systems (and no consistent processes) is a highly predictable failure. This FAI ranking is clearly wrong (as are the others that “somehow” came in from these Regionals). This is obvious, yet nobody bothers to fix it. Many have complained but the authors of these contest rankings seem to have ignored those complaints.

Very, very interesting. Is it not. #Oligarchy #Kleptocracy

Behind the double secret members firewall? Why? 🤦 https://members.ssa.org/ContestResults.asp?contestId=2554&ContestDetailId=28931&ContestName=2023+Region+5+North&ContestDate=4/22/2023&ResultsUpdate=True