Please allow me to try and clarify some misunderstandings about the matrix generation which will be used at the NATS.
First off, there is nothing random about it. It follows the same principal as the rolling matrix used for the other forms of AMA Rulebook racing, (i.e., 422, 426, etc.). This can be better seen by going to pages 23 and 24 of the AMA RC Pylon Racing competition regs.
https://www.modelaircraft.org/files/...ylonRacing.pdf
The last I heard, there were 19 registered pilots in the Gold class for the NATS so using the software I ran a matrix for 19 entries. The matrix was generated for 6 rounds of racing and instead of names I assigned each pilot a number, (P1, P2 and so on), just like it is in the AMA regs. This was done assuming there are no conflicts nor anyone calling for each other, just a straight up deal. If you look at the attached images, you can see that up through the 5th round, no one races the same person twice. It's only until you get to the 6th round does anyone race the same person again and even then, it is not a direct repeat of any other heat. This is due strictly to the number of entries and rounds flown. So, the matrix as shown here, which will be just the same at the NATS, would indicate that with 19 entries, there are 4 people plus yourself running in the same lane so that leaves 14 other people in the class. Using this scenario, you are guaranteed to race all 14 others over the course of 5 rounds. It will of course be less if we go less than 5 rounds but in that case you would definitely not race the same person twice. Keep in mind that this is all done by the computer and the only real difference being that if two pilots are on the same channel, (to insure pilot and caller never race each other if requested), the pilot numbering would change but the format would stay the same.
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If it turns out that through the event there is some attrition or pilots are DQ'd or otherwise can't race, or, if it is decided to shake things up a bit, the ability is built into the system to re-run the matrix and move pilots to different lanes if need be. However, to keep things moving along I don't think we would want to be doing this unless it is necessary. This would require a few of the pilots to change wing colors and could possibly result in a caller and pilot racing each other, but no matter what it can all be handled. This image below shows the same information as above but assumes that rounds 1 through 3 have been completed and the matrix was re-done for the beginning of round 4. This can be done a number of different ways and could be done to have all the pilots who started in the same lane race each other, but by doing this it also could work out to where you do end up racing the same pilot more than once even more so than by leaving it as is through the whole event.
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