| 2004 Pilot Survey
These are the results of the pilot email survey November 2004.
Replies from pilots are in red
Number of replies = 67
Q1. What is your status with regard to paragliding competitions ?
(Please select all the competitions in which you have competed)
11 -- 2004 Paragliding World Cup (PWC)
19 -- Previous PWC
16 -- 2004 British Paragliding Championships
21 -- Previous British Paragliding Championships
29 -- 2004 National Paragliding Championships (other than UK. Please specify the country) --
2Australian 2Belgian Brazilian 3Czech Danish 5Dutch French 6German 3Italian Mexican
5Nordic 3Polish Portuguese Slovenia 2S-African 3Spain Swedish 2Swiss
28 -- Previous National Championships (other than UK. Please specify the country) --
3Australian Austria 3Belgian Brazilian Canadian 3Czech Danish 4Dutch 2French 2German 4Italian Mexican
2Nordic NZ 2Polish Russian 3Slovenia 3S-African 6Spain 2Swedish Swiss 2USA Zimbabwe Many
33 -- 2004 British Paragliding Open
32 -- Previous British Paragliding Open
9 -- 2004 British Paragliding Cup
16 -- Previous British Paragliding Open
Q2. How many rounds would you prefer the British Open to have ?
Q3 What format would you prefer for the competition ?
(Please check as many boxes as necessary to indicate your preferred combination of rounds)
(eg. if you chose "Three rounds" in question 2, you might pick "One 4 day round, in Britain, over a weekend" and "Two 7 day rounds other countries")
11 -- One round:
3 for long round in UK,
8 for long round out of uk
18 -- Two rounds:
3 for 4 dy uk & 1 wk in UE,
1 for 1 wk uk & 1 wk in EU,
14 for 2 wks in eu (1 of which for a winter round,
1 wanted 8-10 day rounds)
32 -- Three rounds:
20 for 4 dy uk & 2 wk eu (1 for a winter leg),
6 for 1 wk uk & 2 wks eu (1 for a winter leg),
1 for 9 dy uk & 2 wks eu,
1 for 3 5 dy eu,
3 can't add up
Q4. Previous decision factors, affecting the choice of location, have been (in order of importance):
1. - Flying reliability
2. - Scope for tasks setting
3. - Safety history of site
4. - Cost of getting there
5. - Ease of retrieves
6. -.Time taken to get there
7. - Things to do for the family
8. - Social/Nightlife
Taking these factors into consideration, which would be your first and second choice of possible foreign locations for 2005 and why ?
1st 2nd
31 - 05 Piedrahita, Spain
11 - 20 Mayerhofen, Austria
08 - 11 St Andre, France
05 - 07 Laragne, France
00 - 03 Larouco, Portugal
Other...take me to somewhere different (your suggestion): --
Ager, Spain (1st), Berga, Spain (2nd)
Annecy (june) or Gourdon (september) both France
Annecy, Grand Bornand, La Clusaz
annecy,grand bornand
Bassano / Feltre in April
Emberger Alm is better than Mayerhofen!!
Fiesch (Swiz), Berchtesgaden (Germany), Dolamits (Italy)
France, Annecy region (2, 4, 5)
How about Bulgaria or Slovenia??
Italy, Belluno, Slovenia, Tolmin
Lauruco .... I'd also be happy to go there as long as it's in July (it rains in August - a lot)
Mt.Dolada_Italy
Pedro Bernardo, Spain or Serra da Estrela, Portugal
Porterville
Swiz-Fiesch, Germany-Berchtesgaden, Italy-Dolomits
Tapalpa, Mexico.
Tolmin
Reasons for your first and second choices: --
Austria is new and Kelly can help sort logisitic. Bassano / Feltre is new too and established comp site and we never go there. both venues offer great flying and good logistsics. Easyjet to Venice. I have run lots of courses there and can help you if you want more info.
Been there and know the places. Reliability of flying and well known sites - good tasks.
flyingreliability
Good flying, reliability
good history (for me anyway)
I have been in St Andre this year, wanna try another place.
Idon'tlikeflyinginthemountains.Sorry.Pausebuttondoesn'twork.
Knowledge of sites - reliable
Laragne - good flying. Austria because it is new.
Laragne-reliable,plenty to do if not flyable.Mayrhofen,somewherenewandstunningflyingscenery
locations best fulfill decision criteria 1,2,3,4,5,6
Not yet been there (Mayerhofen). Last visit 1993 (St Andre).
piedrahita 2/3/5/6 austria 2
Piedrahita for safe flying, Austria for the family
Piedrahita, St Andrè and Laragne have already been chosen in 2004 and 2003...
Safety, Flying reliability and scope for task setting
Q5. The costs of running a more professional competition have increased each year. The entry fee for the 2004 Championships was £190, for the Open in Britain it was £65 and for each foreign Open it was £115. The entry fee may have to increase for 2005, in order to maintain the same standard as 2004. For which of the following would you be prepared to pay more/less ?
Less --------- More
-2 -1 0 +1 +2
01 04 17 29 07 Transport to take-off
02 01 15 27 14 Retrieves
01 00 21 19 16 Ambulance and Paramedic
22 20 15 02 00 Wednesday party
08 13 28 07 01 Saturday prize giving
23 11 19 05 00 Event photography
15 10 28 05 00 Trophies
09 11 28 09 02 Competition clothing item
03 00 12 21 23 Top meet director (Calvo)
Q6. Do you think the British Opens represent value for money?
(Please indicate to what degree)
16 Very good value
22 Good value
07 Fairly good value
09 Average value
02 Fairly poor value
03 Poor value
00 Very Poor value
Q7. If you had three wishes to improve the competition, what would they be ?
Wish 1:
- As much safety as possible (even if the event will not be valid)
- A culture change of not trying to kill yourself and/or others in order to win
- A detailed presentation of flying in the area by a top local pilot the evening of registration.
- A mixture of different conditions /new areas - keeps competitions interesting and tests pilots abilities to perform well in all conditions
- A small lunch packet should be delivered at briefing-e.g. coke,apple,sandwich
- Adjust task setting to favour less strong wind conditions (in the interest of safety)
- Agreed for accomodation
- Alternative Activities for blown out days
- Better admin! Its below pain level that one cannot even email org. and get answers
- Bikini girls on takeoff
- Briefings Starting On Time Or Delays Are Announced So We Know How Long It Will Be
- dunno. all seems adequate already.
- Experienced competition Pilot rated pilots allowed to compete in Championships
- foreign locations of interest with cheep and easy access are also in Austria or Italy
- full numbers subscribed (125 pilots)
- get the comps full by having a good payment deadline
- Good retrieves and lifts up the hill so personal transport not necessary
- I think you've got a good balance going at the moment.
- If going another place - make it earlier
- Less events to be British Champ
- Let's go to Piedrahita
- Me to win
- more detailed and professional site (area), weather and task briefings
- More racing
- More sex and rock-and-roll
- More trophies down through the classes.
- More women competitors. Suggest free admission for women like at night-clubs
- MUCH better weather briefing, including lectures on valley systems, convergence, local effects, development times, from local pilot and UK expert.
- no briefing bevore 11.30p.m. and a sms to all pilots where the takeoff will be that day (for own transport by cablecar)
- Not to be encouraged to fly unsafe wings
- One round, it's hard to make 3 rounds.
- other_program_for GPS_checking
- Perfect weather god
- Pidrahita
- Possibility/to/download/a/calibrated/map/for/Ozi/or/Compe/from/webb/before/comp
- Reliable conditions
- Set tasks that don't encourage us to go into dangerous places with no landings.
- Slick organisation
- Software for GPS downloading (differences between MLR and Garmin)
- The first few turnpointsshouldn'tbeindifficulttogettoplaces,thengettingprogresivelyharderbutneverindangerouslocations.SORRY aboutthespacingbutwhenIhitthespacebarthetextjumps!
- The gps/radio logging system as used in oz some years ago.
- To be cheaper.
- To give or sell the nice pictures of the comp made by the profesional photografer
- to improve the safety for all pilots in the competitions
- weather
- weather
- Winter round.
Wish 2:
- BPRS points allocated evenly regardless of Open /Cup or Championships
- Comprehensive retrieve.
- Cost effective training camps/coaching to help develop new talent
- do we NEED all the marshals, can we get local help?
- Drinks in goal / retrieve buses
- Drop the requirement for 'Advanced Pilot' for championship.
- Encouragement of newcomers - comp is very 'cliquey'.
- Even earlier starts and PRE-briefinfs, to best take advantage of weather windows.
- Evening activities
- final barbecue to start at 8 not midnight
- Have pilot transport to take-off for British leg of comps
- helicopter retrieves... :-)
- I like the Brits and have no other wishes
- in case of accident , to improve the process of rescue
- It wouldbenice to offer local pilots a special invite.
- less marshalls - what do they all do?
- Make some quicker decisions
- Me allways into goal
- Nice to try new places - maybe Mayrhofen this year?
- No rounds in UK.
- Not to take up my entire annual leave
- only one briefing and that at takeoff - if there is a chance to fly
- Organized transportation from & to airport one or two days before & after comp (if less possibility with public transport)
- Piedrahita
- quick scoring
- Reliable time of the year and NOT to conflict with the PWC or other major Nats like French, Swiss, Czech.
- Safer turnpoint diameters
- Take account of the fact that not everyone can fly as well as the Top 10. Nor are they flying such good gliders or can make such good decisions on safe routes(see point one above)
- Team Scores And Pilot Tracks For All Comps On The Internet
- To have different classes according to DHV certification, thus being more inclusive
- Use compegps to play back the flights of the task's top pilots the following morning.
- value for money was abysmal in England - you need to go places where the local community WANTS you to come
- Weather
- weather
- weather
Wish 3:
- A live version of the BPRS
- ££'s prive money
- Ago-kartingcompetition on non flyable days
- As much free booze as they can drink for all foreign entrants :-)
- Avoid meet-director breaking arm in shower after hard night at the pub
- Better support of town
- Continue to improve image and marketing of British PG Comps in future, to attract more potential sponsors.
- don't expect pilots to use their own trasport & then not reimburse petrol( st andre travelling to greoliere each day)
- Evaluation Sheets That Can Be FilledInUsingBackspace,BlankSpacesEtc.(thisIsFifthAttemptToFillThisOut)
- good idea to have information about public transportation and accomodation on your compsight
- good tasks
- Good transport and medics on standby
- I get to win. :-)
- less testerone, less dope.
- Make all tracklogs available for download on the comp website.
- marshals should all have beards
- maybe we can spend more time to get local grants to aid the budget
- New sites:-)
- Other than that nothing - all the ones I have done have been brilliant!
- Piedrahita
- Pilots causing midairs to be dealt with more severly
- Sorry can't think of any sensible one's, Comps already prettey good
- Three days flying, one rest-day and four other days flying - allways sunny weather.
- To aim at not having fatal accidents nor parachute deployments
- Weather
- weather
- weathe
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