Running a Handicap Task Competition

Contents

Running a Handicap Task Competition

Before running and scoring a Handicap Task Competition please read all of this help file first. Below are my tips and recommendations:

1) Install Handicap Task Suite of programs to allow you to create tasks and process files for scoring in See You Competition (or other compatible software). Make sure it is up to date.

2) Install See You V6 or later as this includes the features necessary for scoring Handicap Tasks. The current V9 is best as it integrates with See You Cloud for publication of competition data.

3) Obtain pilot and logger information so that you can create a pilot file for each class that you want to task and score using See You Competition. With V8 or later you can export a pilots file which can be merged into the scoring program data using the PILOTS menu item. Make sure that the contest option "Use task from IGC file" is ticked:

If you choose to use the BGA scoring script also tick the contest option "Need task legs data in scoring script":

4) Create your first task for day 1 using the Handicap Task Calculator. See Task Entry for details.

    My recommendations are:

a) Set start line radius to 5k
b) Set minimum turn point radius to 0.5k
c) Set maximum turn point radius to 10k
d) Set maximum and minimum handicaps to match the range of handicaps flying the task or use the classes feature (preferred).
     Use the advanced options form to set the handicaps for each class by browsing to each class pilots file generated by See You.
e) Choose the variable turn points so that the incoming and outgoing tracks describe acute angles to maximise their effect on distance
f) Set a control point as the final turn point to fix a safe arrival track to the finish line or ring

    Nb: If you intend to use the Windicapped calculation scheme you need to assess the average wind speed and direction for the day, at flying height, prior to setting the task.

5) Check that your desired task is sensible and not compromised by airspace or changing air mass by viewing the bestpoints.igc file in SeeYou. See Program Outputs for details. Check that the task is fair to all pilots. See FAQs. If you notice any problems with the task that are not easily explained take a look at the known problems page.

6) Brief the pilots on the form of the competition and the tasks. Make sure that the pilots understand where they can control a turn point by explaining the task sheet and how the low handicap pilots can optimise the flight by showing the bestpoints trace in See You. It is also worth pointing out that due to the scoring system high handicap pilots that land out near the start get a small advantage over low handicap pilots that land in the same place and vice versa towards the end of the task.

7) When the task has started and you know that it will be the one scored, add a contest day to See You Competition and assign the task exported from the Handicap Task Calculator, making sure that the day option "Use task from IGC file" is ticked:

Select the scoring script that you want to use. If you intend to use the BGA scoring script UK201Xa, you also need to tick the Contest Option "Need task legs data in scoring script", and enter a capital H in the tag field for each day that a Handicap Task is flown along with the handicapped task length for the 100 (1 in US or FAI format) handicap glider from the task sheet:

Important Note: There are inconsistencies with the way See You uses task data, such as penalty options, from the igc file. It is recommended, therefore, that you also enter start time, horizontal and vertical penalty distances, max start height, and min finish height into the day properties as well as the Handicap Scoring program options.

8) Import the YYMMDD_TaskName_HCTask.cup file from the Contest folder, which contains the base task, into SeeYou and assign it to the day. You can import this file directly from the calculator program menu when you create the task. I strongly recommend you use this exported task rather than create a new one in See You to ensure that the actual turnpopints used for tasking, with their corresponding Lat and Lons, are the same as those used for scoring. Make sure you assign this task before you process the first batch of files.

9) When the traces start to arrive, place them in the Flights folder. If you want to give an early indication of pilot's performance simply publish the start, finish, and elapsed times of each flight. The shortest completed task will ultimately have the highest score!

10) When you want to start scoring, run the Handicap Task Scoring programme. This program is used to insert task data into each IGC file prior to scoring in See You. Import the task by selecting the task date and task for the class you are scoring using the drop down menu. Then import the IGC files for the class by selecting the class flights folder and clicking 'Import Flights'. All the flights will appear in the main window. If you have imported the pilot file, the pilot names, fin numbers, and handicaps will be automatically matched and will apear in the 'Scoring' columns.

After ensuring that you have completed any missing pilot, glider, and handicap data, click the 'Process' button. This will process the files in the Flights folder and place the modified files in the Scoring folder. If See You Competition is running and configured as above and with the 'scoring' folder as its primary search folder, it will automatically load these files and score them. You can easily re-import and reprocess the source files as new ones arrive or use the new Auto Process feature to do this for you.

NB: After you process files a LoggerGliderPilotHandicap.csv will be created / updated and placed in the handicaptask\contest folder.

11) Check each flight in See You Competition as usual for airspace infringements etc and add penalties as necessary.

12) Publish and enjoy the "how I done it" stories!

NB: By default See You does not show the handicap column on the results printout. You might find it useful to add this using the See You Competition print setup feature. Also the speeds column is somewhat unnecessary as the pilot with the shortest task duration wins and this data is already on the results page.

Note: If you want to score multiple classes see here