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 — Outclimbed in company

2 pilots · ranks 7–9 · median 8 · middle half 7.5–8.5

Low — Climbing faster than the pilots sharing the thermal group median P2 in this field (34 percent) · usually costly
High — Share of the height gain made outside thermals group median P98 in this field (32 percent)
High — Distance covered between climbs group median P98 in this field (31.5 kilometres) · usually a strength
High — Glide L/D against the field median group median P98 in this field (7.92 ratio) · usually a strength

7. Rory Duncan (most typical of this group)
9. Ward Gunn

Group B — Bold leavers

10 pilots · ranks 1–29 · median 9 · middle half 3.3–12.5

High — How often leaving the gaggle paid off group median P88 in this field (100 percent)
Low — Share of race time spent hunting for the next climb group median P14 in this field (17 percent) · usually a strength
Low — Climb rate at thermal exit group median P14 in this field (0.1 metres per second)
Low — Share of the height gain made outside thermals group median P16 in this field (3 percent)

1. Steven Crosby
2. Josh Woods
3. Hughbert Alexander (most typical of this group)
4. Tyler Borradaile
8. Peter Burkitt
10. Rob de Groot
11. Dick Heffer
13. Bradley Elliott
26. Hossain Tefaili
29. Justin Gilmour

Group C — High-band operators

6 pilots · ranks 5–23 · median 13 · middle half 7.5–18.5

High — How low the pilot gets between climbs group median P87 in this field (57 percent)
Low — Time to core thermals group median P17 in this field (41 seconds)
High — Glide L/D against the field median group median P79 in this field (1.17 ratio) · usually a strength
High — Climb rate at thermal exit group median P77 in this field (0.8 metres per second)

5. Rohan Taylor
6. Paul Bissett-Amess (most typical of this group)
12. Richard Martin
14. Adrian Connor
20. Dustan Hansen
23. James Morgan

Group D — Optimistic final gliders

13 pilots · ranks 15–33 · median 24 · middle half 19–30

High — Final glide committed to when leaving the last climb group median P82 in this field (24.54 ratio)
Low — Glide L/D against the field median group median P21 in this field (0.86 ratio) · usually costly
Low — Glide speed between climbs group median P23 in this field (51.6 kilometres per hour) · usually costly
High — Low saves dug out from the bottom of the band group median P77 in this field (2.0 count)

15. Mick Lamb
16. James Atkinson
17. John Greenwood
19. Peter Garrone
21. John Harriott
22. Andy Schmidt
24. Col Jackson
25. Brett Gilmour
28. Nolan Bear (most typical of this group)
30. Rob Larkin
31. Howard Taylor
32. Andre Johnson
33. Joe Baker

Not clustered: 27. James McGinty — only 5 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 34. Les Bestt — only 7 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%); 35. Richard Hughes — only 9 of 20 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%).

31 pilots on 20 behavioural metrics formed 4 groups.