The Factor

Well, it's one of those days, mid-October and the wind is howling. I have just come in from mulching all the leaves in the yard and there is already a whole new crop in place awaiting the wrath of my self-propelled rotary scythe.
There is nothing much on the agenda so it seems like a reasonable time to update my flight log. My oldest log book is approaching its 20th anniversary, but the one I will flog today is number 8. I have noticed over the years that there has been a change in the type of information entered on each flight. In the beginning the flight, due to lack of duration, seem to be described in terms of conditions, e.g., wind speed, clouds, launch type, etc. Now the descriptions revolve around the experience, who was there, interesting stories, birds (Sometime I will have to tell my wild turkey story.), moods, etc. Don't get me wrong though, each entry ends with the required flight time, altitude gain and sometimes distance covered.
This brings me to the real beginning of today's rambling. I like many pilots have acquired many electronic gizmos over the last few years. We now have instruments that give us so much info I am waiting for the first vario to include a 1/2 day hands-on orientation and field troubleshooting seminar. It truly seems that it takes more time to warm-up, true-up, zero-in and mount-up this gear then setting-up or laying-out the glider.
My newest vario has enticed me to use its memory to help fill out my log. This thing is like a parrot, in that its capacity will store more flights then a pilot can fly in a normal lifetime. Part of buying one is to make sure you made the appropriate updates to your will to insure it has a good home once you move on.
The totally objective memory of these gizmos has created for me a dilemma. In that, the fun of the post flight BS session has now been intruded upon by data gaga pilots with flight decks and GPS in hand. Heck, some even have their laptops at the ready to download the flight _showing_ everyone how good they did. Gone are the days of the enhanced truth flight debrief.
It effects even those pilots without a data repository equipped instrument. No longer will they risk ridicule in relaying their flights before the data miners have established the acceptable performance window by recounting, compiling and confirming their endeavors electronically.
Of course, those pilots, who have complete telemetry, never view it for the first time in the company of others, 'cept maybe their dog (never heard of a hang cat). This is to make sure that the electronic record will back up any inadvertent remarks made before the keeper of record could be consulted. Usually any mis-statements are covered by a proclamation referencing a forgotten true-up, zero-out or synchronization of said data vault.
Some pilots, like the tourist of old (vacation photos), even wonder how their flight was until they consult their electronic genies.
The days of mythological launch conditions also appear to be numbered with the advent of pre-launch hoisting of these airspeed equipped decks. Soon the days will be gone when you can recount staying up on bug farts or "it was blowing 30+ when I punched off", when our be-decked brethren declare it to be really a 17 mph wind.
This brings me to the factor. The factor is usually arrived at by the pilot and applied to the relevant performance characteristics of their flight, e.g. alt. gained, distance, time flown, etc. soon after its completion. The factor is directly proportional to the difficult of the flight and is normally in excess of one, e.g. 1.1, 1.25. Although it is computed soon after the completion of the flight, it can sometimes experience growth as time and witness' to the actual events memory's fade. Entry into some form of long term record does not seem to reduce the chance of, or size of the long term inflation generally associated with the factor.
Although it is common knowledge that the factor is in-play, it is usually not talked about unless someone takes undue advantage of its use. Pilots who have broken the acceptable threshold of use normally have their flight claims referred to by other pilots as " Ya, as measured in Bill feet" or "Those are Bill miles". (Bill was chosen completely at random, but I do use a MAC and I have heard and experienced the factor of Win95.) These pilots normally self-identify by putting the factor in play while still in the air and making some type of claim in excess of that being experienced by the pilot above and/or beyond them. Their instruments are generally not the best maintained...because it really doesn't matter.
I believe that long-term these electronic savants pose a serious risk to our flying time and after-flight activities. Imagine how boring it will get with pilots reliving their flights...fact by supported fact. So much for the story about the low save, when the record will show that there was still 1000' of daylight below. Even the monthly gathering of pilots to hang lie, called "the club meeting", will become very boring and attendance will drop off, possibly even undermining the club's existence and possibly the sports. I have personally noticed that since using these instruments that my average flight time has dropped and my total air time is not growing at its usual exponential rate. So in order to get more airtime and cover more distance I am going to rid myself of this evil influence. If I take this to its logical conclusion I should go sans instruments and therefore stay up forever...Ya, that's the ticket. Or maybe the instrument makers should add "the factor" option to their packages...Heck I'd buy one.