OLC-style flights

One-line OLC+ flights

Our common OLC "task" variation has a single blue line segment drawn from the takeoff airport. This blue line is a general direction that we move toward at first, to keep us working together in the first half of the flight. In the example the takeoff airport is at the bottom. The scoring is still OLC+ (optimize distance and triangle), you can fly any path but the object is to pass an imaginary "goal line" that is at the end of the blue line segment. The white goal line is a perpendicular at the end of the blue line. It extends across the entire map. All the tracks except the red one crossed the goal line. The purple track passes it just before landing. On the Condor PDA only the blue line and a finish gate are shown, so in your mind you have to replace the finish gate with a goal line like the white one.

We often try to get back to the takeoff airport if there is time.

Because we don't use gates, the Condor PDA always points to the start gate, so at least it can help you get back.

OLC+ scoring

In OLC flights we don't use start or finish gates on Condor and ignore start times. You can join late.

In OLC-style flying, you choose your path and try to maximize distances in the approximately 2 hours we fly...you can fly longer.

We use SkyLinesCondor to score our .igc files with the OLC+ method. We're into cooperative flying, but OLC-style scoring is nice because it scores any flight track. It's fun to use it to track your progress and as a flight record, and see how you did compared to others who flew in the same area that day.

Here's a flight analyzed with the OLC+ scoring method:

This track is multicolored to indicate altitude. The scoring program searches your track for 5 "turnpoints" that would give you the most distance possible along straight lines between your release and finish (red segments above). If your path makes some kind of loop, the program tries to find a triangle (purple) from your track that is symmetric enough that the smallest side is at least 28% of the total. Your score is the 5-TP distance + 0.3*triangle distance, in km. Then it adjusts based on your glider's performance index.

Five-Turnpoint scored dist (d1): 176 km

FAI triangle distance (d2): 150 km

Score (d1 + 0.3*d2)/index: 190 pts

One caveat: in OLC scoring, your finish altitude can't be lower than 1000 m (3280 ft) below your release altitude. If you release really high, try to get your altitude above that lower cutoff toward the end of your flight and to close any triangles.

When you're done with your flight, post your igc track on SkyLinesCondor.

- To get the igc, in Condor go to Flight Analysis, and select IGC Export at the bottom, and give it a file name. If you didn't save your flight track, load 'LastTrack.ftr', then export to igc.

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