Local Regulations (an addendum to the 2006 CIVL Sporting Code) for
the 2006 Big Spring, Texas Pre-World Hang Gliding Championships
at Big Spring, Texas, USA,
to be held August 6th - 12th, 2006
Organized by
David Glover, Quest Air and Flytec USA, 6548 Groveland Airport Road Groveland,
Florida 34736
ON BEHALF OF THE
FÉDÉRATION AÉRONAUTIQUE INTERNATIONALE
Organizing National Aero Club: National
Aeronautic Association 1815 N. Fort Myer Drive, Suite 500 Arlington, VA
22209, Contact Art Greenfield, director of Contest and Records, awgreenfield@naa.aero
Email Address to which any correspondence should be sent in advance of the
event: david@davidglover.com
Website where information about the competition can be found: http://www.flytec.com/Events/2006/Big_Spring/Index.htm
These local regulations are an addendum to the 2006 FAI Sporting Code Section
7A and are to be used in conjunction with General Section (http://www.fai.org/sporting_code/scg.asp)
and Section 7A of the 2006 FAI Sporting Code (http://www.fai.org/hang_gliding/documents/sc7).
Reference numbers for Section 7A used in this text should be cross checked with
the 2006 edition of Section 7A.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the championships is to provide safe, fair and satisfying contest flying in order to determine the champion in each Class and to reinforce friendship amongst pilots and nations.
PROGRAM
Practice day: August 5th, 2006
On-line Early Registration: Begins March15th, 2006,
On-line General Registration: April 1st
In person Registration Confirmation: August 4th and 5th, 2006 1:00pm to
4:00pm
Opening Ceremony: August 5, 2006, 7:00pm, Airport Terminal
Mandatory Pilot Safety Briefing: August 5, 2006, 8:00 pm
First Competition Briefing: August 6, 2006, 10:00am
Contest Flying Dates (days): August 6th through 12th
Closing Ceremony and Prize Giving: August 12, 2006, 9:00pm
OFFICIALS
Meet Director: David Glover
Safety Director: Joe Johnston
Deputy Meet Director: TBA
Organization Director : David Glover
Competition Office Manager: TBA
Take-off Marshall: Ryan Glover
Scorekeeper: Tim Meaney
Transport Manager : TBA
Chief Tug Pilot: Rhett Radford
Meteorologist: Davis Straub
Associate meteorologist: Gary Osoba
International Jury President: None
Jury Members: None
Stewards: Heather Mull (Australia)
1.0 ENTRY
The 2006 pre-World Championships are open to all Member and Associated
Member countries of the FAI who may enter one team of up to 8 Class 1 hang
glider pilots (2.9.1) Entries and payments (or payment arrangements) must be
made on the official on-line Entry Form (http://www.flytec.com/Events/2006/Big_Spring/Registration.htm).
Early entry deadline is July 1, 2006. Online Registration opens March 15th,
2006.
Entry fee is $350 per pilot and $125 per team leader and assistant and must be
made at the time of entry using the on-line form. For late entry fee payment
(after early entry deadline) 25% surcharge will be applied. For mentioned fee
the organizer will conduct the pre-Worlds and provide: the following – one
month USHGA membership (for non US pilots), launching field, pilot information
package, score keeping, GPS downloads, turn point and goal information, opening
ceremony with refreshments, closing ceremony and presentation evening, and high
speed broadband wireless Internet access (2.5.1).
Applications, with fees paid, not received by the entry deadlines may be
refused.
Entry and towing fees shall be paid in accordance with information provided at http://www.flytec.com/Events/2006/Big_Spring/Registration.htm
2.0 GENERAL COMPETITION RULES
Registration
On arrival the team leader and competitors shall report to the Registration
office to have their documents checked and to receive supplementary regulations
and information. The end of the official Registration period is considered to
be the official start of the championship. (2. 16)
The following are required:
Pilot's national rating card (USHGA card, IPPI Card). Pilots must meet the
requirements of minimum "advanced" rating or IPPI 5; as well as
aerotow (AT), turbulence (TURB) and cross country (XC) sign offs or their
non-US equivalents. Aerotow rating or evidence of extensive aerotowing
experience is a strict requirement.
Evidence of pilot's nationality (passport)
Pilot's valid FAI Sporting License. If the pilot does not have their Sporting
license their NAC should be contacted to purchase a Sporting License from their
NAC.
Receipt for payment of entry fees by the closing date.
Satisfactory evidence of glider airworthiness (2. 13)
USHGA membership. The appropriate membership forms will be available at meet
headquarters.
GPS of each competitor for registration with make, model, and serial number
available including backup GPS, if any.
Radio frequency used. The frequency list will be maintained by the meet
director, be publicly displayed and pilots will be allowed to change their
frequencies on the list.
Pilot and driver cell phone number. The phone list will be maintained by the
meet director and be publicly displayed.
Registration Hours
August 4th and 5th, 2006 1:00pm to 4:00pm. The end of the official
Registration period is considered to be the official start of the championship.
The headquarters for registration will be at the
At the mandatory pilot safety briefing task, protest and safety committees will
be chosen. (2.6.3 and 2.6.4)
3.0 EQUIPMENT
Radios and Phones
Radio transceivers are permitted. Radios are for communication between
competitors, team leaders, drivers and the organizers. All pilots and crews are
requested to submit their team frequencies and mobile telephone numbers to the
competition director. This information will be used by the competition director
for safety purposes. (2. 22.2)
Numbers
No physical numbers will be provided and none are required on pilots’ wings.
Appropriate aerotow bridles
Competitors must use appropriate aerotow bridles as determined by the Meet
Director and Safety Director and their designated officials. Bridles must
include secondary releases (as determined by the Safety Director). Bridles must
be able to be connected to the tow line within two seconds. The only appropriate
bridles can be found here: http://www.ozreport.com/9.039#0
and http://ozreport.com/9.041#2.
Pilots must bring their bridles to the first pilot briefing and have them
reviewed. Pilots with inappropriate bridles may be able purchase appropriate
bridles from the meet organizer at reasonable prices.
Weaklinks
Pilots must use weaklinks provided by the meet organizers and in a manner
approved by the meet organizers. All weaklinks will be checked and use of
inappropriate weaklinks will require the pilot to go to the end of the launch
line to change the weaklink.
Weaklinks will consist of a single loop of
4.0 TAKE OFF METHODS
Staging
The take off area is the
Size and lay-out of the take-off area: Adequate
- Number of tugs: Adequate
- Tow rope length: Approximately 150’
- Weak link strength: 130 lbs
- Aero tow release height: 2500' maximum
In the event of dangerous overcrowding in the air around launch the competition
director may close the launch temporarily until congestion has eased.
5.0 WAYPOINTS
Cylinder starts will be used and these may be either entry or exit. The type of start and the dimensions may vary from task to task and will be specified at each task briefing (1.6.7.10)
Turn
Points will be cylinders of .25 miles radius (402 m) unless otherwise
specified at the task briefing (1.6.8)
Goals will be a virtual cylinder of .25 miles radius (402 m) size and
co-ordinates unless different radius value is specified at the task briefing
6.0 RETAKE-OFF
A competitor will be allowed unlimited Take-off(s) to attempt the task within the stated take-off period. Pilots must report to the Start Marshall before the second take-off attempt. (2.28.1)
7.0 TASK PERIOD
Times of window open for take-off and time for the closing of the window, turn points and last landing will be displayed in writing. Any window extension policy will also be displayed in writing. The minimum period of time that the launch window will remain open for the launch to be considered valid is 60 seconds of launchable air per pilot divided by the number of launch points that can be used (2.27.1).
8.0 SCORING AND FLIGHT VERIFICATION
8. 1 Scoring will be done according to the GAP 2000 scoring system. (2.32.2)
GAP parameters will be announced at the first pilot briefing.
8. 2 GPS track log evidence is the only way to verify and provide data for
flights. The track logs of two GPS's together may be used to provide a required
track log. To be considered valid, the GPS track log has to comply with the
current requirements in Section 7A of the FAI Sporting Code, chapter 15.
(16.2.2)
8. 3 Team scoring. Top three scores each day for a team will be used for team
scoring. (2.32.4 & 14.3)
8. 4 Scoring a stopped task. A task which has been stopped but not cancelled
shall be scored if 15 minutes have elapsed since the opening of the start gate.
(2.20.10.4)
8. 5 A pilot who lands (or limits his flight) to assist another pilot in
distress shall be scored for the day This score shall be the average
day-weighted of what he scored in the previous rounds, or the average pilot
score if this happens on the first task. However, as the meet progresses that
score will change to take into account his average day-weighted scores of the
whole meet so the score will be adjusted after each task. The competition
director may also award extra points.
9.0 REST DAY (2.24)
The competition director may declare a rest day after not less than four days of consecutive flying, unless this is the last day of the competition. The policy on rest days will be declared before the first competition day
10.0 COMPLAINTS AND PROTESTS
The organizer shall publish provisional task results in the evening of the day
the task was flown. When this is not possible (late retrievals), they will be
published at 10 AM the next day.
Competitors are recommended to request correction of mistakes as soon as
possible. A complaint in writing may be made to the Organizer, preferably by
the team leader to request a correction. The time limit for complaints is 12
hours after the posting of the previous day's results by 10 AM.
If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome, the team leader or pilot
may make a protest in writing to the Competition Director or his deputy (See
General Section chapter 5). The time limit for protests is 12 hours after
publication of the provisional results or the results of the complaint, except
that after the last competition task it is 2 Hours. The protest fee is $50 USD.
It will be returned if the protest is upheld. (2.4.7)