PWC Gemona · Day 1

Stopped at 13:08 local time.

Reason: Rain

Date
Distance: 61.52 km
SSS: 12:50
Task deadline: 16:00

AI-generated feedback summary

Responses: 85
Satisfaction: 3.07/5
Safety: 3.41/5

Overall ratings were moderate: task satisfaction averaged 3.07/5 and task safety averaged 3.43/5 across 82 responses, reflecting mixed views with appreciation for the effort but notable concerns about the day’s suitability.
Task quality: many pilots felt the task was unnecessary or unlikely to be completed because forecasts and visible conditions suggested rain, with several saying free flying or waiting for the next day would have been preferable; a few pilots appreciated that the team tried to create a racing opportunity.
Weather/conditions: many comments described marginal conditions, incoming rain, stronger-than-predicted wind, gust fronts, humidity affecting equipment, and rain already near or on course; several pilots felt the optimized start position was too far from takeoff for such a short and unstable weather window.
Safety: feedback was split, with several pilots saying the task was stopped on time and allowed safe landings, while many others felt it should have been stopped earlier or not started due to rain and gusts. Specific incidents included one pilot impacting during landing after a wind shift from SW at 100 m to ESE near the ground, causing harness damage, and an isolated brake-line failure on launch.
Pilot behavior/fairness: several pilots said the start design gave an unfair advantage to those launching early, because flying farther south before the start gate created a better position that not everyone could reach in time; one pilot who benefited from this still described it as unsporting.
Organization: several pilots thanked the organizers for trying, praised the timely stop decision, and noted smooth retrieve, but a few comments said advising pilots to land at goal was not ideal and that returning to HQ during heavy rain just to drop trackers was unpleasant.
Suggestions for improvement: pilots proposed using a more conservative stop/no-go threshold, possibly 15–30 minutes earlier in marginal weather; designing smaller or fairer start cylinders that do not reward early launch order; starting earlier with a wind dummy on short-weather-window days and considering free flying when forecasts are poor.