Greetings Pilots,

Please take the time to study the rules for this contest. Free flight racing is a game we play for fun; knowledge of the rules will enhance your enjoyment of the game. For any issues that are not adequately covered by this rulebook, please ask for clarification. We look forward to flying with you.

1. This document may be used for information only and may not be exploited for commercial purposes.
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Onsite Registration: Aug. 20 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Meet HQ.

Mandatory Pilot Meeting: Aug. 20, 7:00-7:30 PM at Meet HQ.

Agenda items: Safety, transport, GPS, scoring, strategy & more.

Competition: August 21-28, 2004.

Pilot Awards: August 28, 7:00 PM, at a location to be announced at the August 28 Pilot Meeting.

Official time is UTC minus 7 hours.

No official rest days are planned. No official practice days are planned. There are no rain, weather, or contingency plans to extend or postpone the competition.

Any changes in the 2004 Nationals Rulebook will be announced at the Daily Pilot Meeting and will be posted at Meet HQ for pilots to read.

Competitors should use Official Competition Transports (OCT’s) for transportation to the launch. Pilots must be ready 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time of their assigned OCT. Competitors will be allowed to transport one glider per contest day. Competitors wishing to transport additional gear must have the specific approval of the Transport Director before they may load the additional gear on an OCT. OCTs are for the use of competitors, meet officials, and personnel authorized by the Transport Director only.

NOTE: The Transport Director must specifically approve the use of any private vehicle for launch transport. Private vehicles will be assigned scheduled times for transporting pilots and gear. Private vehicles will be allowed on the road only during these scheduled times. Private vehicles must stay on the road or in designated parking areas. After unloading, private vehicles must be driven back down the hill immediately; there will be no parking available for private vehicles at launch. Speeding or driving off-road will not be tolerated. Competitors may be penalized if their crews drive off-road, speed, or operate their vehicles in an unsafe or impolite manner. Competitors will be held responsible for any road damage caused by their crews beyond normal wear and tear.

Minimum age for competitors is 16. USHGA Advanced or Master Paraglider pilot rating required.

Cloud flying is unsporting, dangerous, illegal, and against the 2004 Nationals rules. The penalty for a pilot will be a zero score for the day. The penalty for the second verified infraction will be disqualification from the meet. Photographic evidence will be required to verify infractions in all cases except where the Meet Director and/or Safety Director visually identifies the pilot violating the rules.

Pilots will follow generally accepted right of way and thermal etiquette rules. During the period when the Launch is open, pilots who have not yet crossed the start line (usually an exit start cylinder centered at Launch, but possibly an entry cylinder centered at the first Turnpoint) will make all thermaling turns in the direction specified by the Meet Director at the Daily Pilot Meeting.

Competitors involved in a collision must not continue the flight if the structural integrity of any of the involved gliders is in doubt. Pilots will be scored as if they had landed at the point of the collision. Midair collisions must be reported to the Meet Director. Individual reports from all the involved pilots are required. Severe penalties will be assessed for failure to report a collision.

It is the pilot’s responsibility to understand the 2004 Nationals Rules, to attend the Daily Pilot Meetings, and to keep up with all schedule changes, course modifications, and rule amendments.

All gliders may be subject to a safety inspection by the Meet Director and/or Safety Director at any time. Any glider deemed unairworthy by the Meet Director and Safety Director will be prohibited from flying.

Switching gliders is allowed. However, all glider switches must be approved by the Meet Director. Unapproved glider switches may result in penalties.

Glider numbers will not be required. Pilots wishing to number their gliders must do so in accordance with the 2004 USHGA Rulebook.

In the interest of safety there are no restrictions on mobile telephone use.

NOTE: All pilots and crews are requested to submit their mobile telephone numbers and intended radio frequency of choice to the Meet Director at the August 20 Mandatory Pilot Meeting.

The Meet Organizer will cooperate with national and local radio regulatory groups if pilots are found operating without a valid Amateur License or USHGA PA authorization, or for other infractions, such as using restricted frequencies.

Protective headgear meeting the approval of the Meet Director and Safety Director must be worn on the heads of all competitors during flight.

Emergency parachutes that meet the approval of the Meet Director and Safety Director are mandatory. A readily accessible hook knife is recommended.

Flight verification will be by computer using the Compe-GPS program. GPS receivers compatible with Compe-GPS are required equipment for all competitors. All Garmin, MLR, and Top Navigator GPS receivers are compatible with Compe-GPS. Pilots not using Garmin GPS receivers must provide their own data transfer cables. The mapping/scoring system is based on the WGS84 Datum and the required format for reporting landing position is degrees, decimal minutes (for example, N19° 08.165', W100° 41.678' ). Compatible backup GPS receivers are permitted.

NOTE: All competitors are required to upload the Official Waypoints from the Scorekeeper or Meet Director before the contest starts. Pilots who transfer competition waypoints from another source will not receive their 2004 Nationals Pilot ID Number Waypoint.

The Meet Director will be on-site two days before the 2004 Nationals begins. Uploads are quick and easy and they can be done anywhere—even on the hill or at the LZ. Uploads will also be available at the August 20 Mandatory Pilot Meeting and at every Daily Pilot Meeting.

Please refer to the GPS Set Up and Operation Guide included in this rulebook, for more information. There will be a seminar in competition GPS use given by the Scorekeeper after the August 20 Mandatory Pilot Meeting.

Any other equipment not specifically prohibited by the rules is permitted, however, the Meet Director and/or Safety Director may prohibit the use of any equipment for safety reasons.

The Meet Director will designate a Task Committee at the August 20 Mandatory Pilot Meeting. The Meet Director may change members of the Task Committee at any time during the meet. The Meet Director will select the daily task after consultation with the Safety Director and the Task Committee. Each day’s task will be announced at the Daily Pilot Meeting. For more information and some task examples and descriptions, see www.elltel.net/central_washington_soaring/
index.htm.

There may be alternate tasks, depending on weather and other circumstances. If alternate tasks are considered, they will be presented with the primary task at the Daily Pilot Meeting. The Meet Director, after consultation with the Safety Director, will choose the task and communicate that decision to the pilots before the first competitor launches.

Tasks will usually be cross-country speed runs from the start cylinder to a goal, with or without intermediate Turnpoints. Task variations such as single-start-time races, may also be used. The Meet Director will attempt to call tasks so that the expected flight time of the fastest pilot will be between two and four hours.

There will be a Safety Committee composed of four competitors nominated by the Meet Director. This committee will advise the Meet Director and the Safety Director on weather and other safety issues once the task has begun.

If conditions become unsuitable for competition after pilots are in the air, but before the First Start Time, the Meet Director, in consultation with the Safety Director, may cancel the task. That decision will be communicated to the pilots and verbally to pilots who have not yet launched. If weather or other conditions become hazardous after the task has begun and the Meet Director, in consultation with the Safety Director and those airborne Safety Committee members reachable by radio on the official meet USHGA frequency , decides to cancel the task, that information will be broadcast at ten-minute intervals (i.e.; 1:40, 1:50, 2:00, 2:10...) for a period of one hour. The Meet Director is the only person authorized to cancel the task. Since radio transmissions are not infallible, no pilot should make any assumptions as to whether a task has been canceled unless he/she has actually heard the cancellation announcement and has recognized the Meet Director's voice.

Please remember that pilot judgment is critical as to whether to continue the task in a hazardous weather situation. Each individual competitor is the best judge of what constitutes safe conditions for that competitor. Each pilot is completely responsible for his/her own safety at all times.

Cancelled tasks will not be scored.

Prior to the opening of the Launch (or Launches) pilots will determine the pre-launch order by lining up their gliders in the order in which they intend to launch. The launch corridors must be kept open at all times, and competitors must not leave unattended gear in the corridors. After three tasks have been completed, the top 15 pilots based on the overall cumulative standings will be allowed priority in choosing their position in the pre-launch order. A pilot moving to the Launch Area must be ready to fly. No pilot may leave his or her glider from this time on. The Launch Director will determine the Launch Order of the pilots in the Launch Area. NOTE: Be sure your GPS is ON and has acquired a position, your previous Track Log has been cleared, and a new Track Log is recording.

A pilot who fails to launch within two attempts, refuses launch, or is found by the Launch Director to be not ready will be pulled out of the Launch Order and, at the discretion of the Meet Director, either moved to the back of pre-launch order or returned to the Launch Order, if doing so will not inconvenience, or cause a disadvantage to, other pilots in the Launch Order.

The launch will open as early as 11:30 AM each day and close as late as 3:00 PM, unless otherwise specified by the Meet Director at the Daily Pilot Meeting.

A Start Cylinder, defined by GPS coordinates, will be used for all starts. An exit cylinder will typically be centered at launch, but an entry cylinder may be used instead, centered on the next turnpoint in the task, with a radius to be announced. Cylinder type, location, and radius will be specified at the Daily Pilot Meeting. Pilots must simply fly out of or into the Start Cylinder to start.

There will normally be one or several valid start times, with a pilot’s speed run time calculated from the latest start time before the pilot’s last crossing of the start cylinder. For example, if the start times are 12:00, 12:20, and 12:40, and a pilot crosses the start gate in the time span from 12:20:00 through 12:39:59, his/her time will begin at 12:20. Pilots must have at least one tracklog point inside the exit cylinder, or outside the entry cylinder, with a time later than the first start, or they will receive Minimum Distance for the day unless the launch is within the Start Cylinder and there is sufficient evidence that the pilot launched during the Launch Window and did not start prior to the First Start Time then the pilot is awarded a start time equal to the First Start Time. The pilots elapsed flight time is then moved so that it begins at the time of first start time of the pilots in goal (so that the Departure Point system isn’t compromised). If the pilot’s new (artificial) goal time is outside the announced goal closing time, the pilot is awarded distance points only. Start times will be announced at the Daily Pilot Meeting. GPS Track Logs will be the only method of determining start times.

Reflights will be allowed for pilots who land within the Start Cylinder and can arrange their own transport back to launch. Reflights will also be allowed after aborted launches, if there is no injury or damage, during the time that the Launch Window is open. Pilots must re-launch from the Official Launch and must get the Launch Director’s approval before re-launching.

Turnpoint Cylinders, defined by GPS coordinates, will be used for all Turnpoints. Cylinder radius will be specified at the Daily Pilot Meeting, but it will normally be 400 meters (800 meter diameter). Pilots must fly through (not around) the Turnpoint Cylinder to achieve the Turnpoint. To qualify, there must be at least one tracklog point inside the cylinder, or a straight line between two consecutive track points not more than 60 seconds apart, that must pass through the edge of the cylinder. GPS Track Logs will be the only method of determining whether pilots have flown through Turnpoint Cylinders. "Mark-enter" points will be accepted as additional Turnpoint evidence, but only if these points are clearly consistent with nearby parts of the tracklog.

A Goal Cylinder, defined by GPS coordinates, will be used for all finishes. The Goal Cylinder radius (usually 400 meters, like other Turnpoints) will be specified at the Daily Pilot Meeting. Pilots must fly into the Goal Cylinder to finish, and they may enter the Goal Cylinder on any heading, at any altitude. Pilots who enter the Goal Cylinder after the goal is closed will receive distance points, but they will not receive speed points.

Where practical, there will be a Goal LZ near the Goal Cylinder. Pilots are not required to land at the Goal LZ. The Goal LZ will be as close to the Goal Cylinder as practical. If the Goal LZ is outside the Goal Cylinder, it will be moved BACK along the course line whenever possible.

GPS Track Logs will be the only method for recognizing and timing Goal crossings.

Flights that end between the Start Cylinder and the Goal Cylinder will be measured by the "distance made good" method. Distance points will be based on the maximum distance recorded by the GPS tracklog, projected perpendicularly onto the course line, even if the pilot then flies back to reach a safe landing field. Pilots who land short of goal should mark their landing locations as waypoints with their GPS receivers. Pilots who land short of goal should call the Transportation Director immediately after landing to arrange retrieval.

Reporting in to Meet HQ is a required part of the task. All competitors must report in and offer their GPS Track Logs for downloading before the Reporting Deadline, which will be specified for each task. Failure to do so may result in penalties.

In addition to being part of the task, reporting in is a final safety check and "head count" of pilots at the end of the flying day. Pilots who did not fly, and those who flew and "bombed out" are still required to check in before the Reporting Deadline. Pilots who cannot get to Goal or Meet HQ before the Reporting Deadline must contact meet staff by phone or radio before the deadline.

Deliberate falsification of flight and/or landing data will result in disqualification. If there is a problem with the GPS Track Log due to equipment malfunction, a backup GPS will be called for. If no backup GPS is available, pilots may be penalized or given Minimum Distance for the day.

Performance measurement will be by computer using Compe-GPS for flight verification and RACE2003 for scoring. Great Circle Distances will be calculated to within about 0.02 km from Latitude/Longitude coordinates. Final positioning will be given as Latitude/Longitude and flight distance will be given in kilometers. As stated in §7.3, "distance made good" will be the standard for all tasks.

Penalties may be assessed or competitors disqualified for violation of any rule contained or referred to in this rulebook or in the 2003 CIVL Sporting Code Section 7, or for actions that endanger themselves, other competitors, meet officials, volunteers, spectators, or the flying site. Except where specifically stated in the rules, the magnitude of the penalty will be at the discretion of the Meet Director. Penalties may be applied to daily or cumulative scores.

As an example, a 10% day penalty will result in the competitor receiving only 90% of his/her score for that day. A 100% day penalty means that the competitor receives a zero for that day. The same principle holds for penalties applied to the competitor's cumulative score.

Before filing a protest regarding a meet decision or a disputed score, competitors should attempt to resolve the matter through discussion with the Meet Director and other 2004 Nationals staff.

Protests must be made in writing no later than 24 hours after the incident being protested. A Protest Committee will consist of the Meet Director, the Safety Director, another non-competitor, and two competing pilots, who will be selected before the first contest day. The Protest Committee will rule on any protest within 24 hours of its submission.

The protest fee is $25. All protest fees not refunded will be donated to the local club to be used for site maintenance. If a ruling is made in favor of the protesting pilot, the protest fee will be refunded.

A minimum of one round (daily task) will be necessary to declare a winner. There will be a maximum of eight rounds.

The Scorekeeper will determine each competitor's score based on distance and time flown as determined by his/her GPS Track Log and Waypoint data. Each pilot's daily score will be computed using the GAP2002 scoring formula as supported by the RACE2003 scoring software. Information about RACE and scoring formulas may be found at: www.fai.org/hang_gliding/race/.

GAP parameters selected by the Meet Director for the GAP 2002 formula:

Nominal Distance: 30 kilometers

Minimum Distance: 5 km

Nominal Goal percentage: 30%

Nominal Time: 2.0 hours.

Provisional Scores for the previous day’s round will be posted at HQ and at the Daily Pilot Meeting. Competitors are required to check the Provisional Scores and advise the Scorekeeper of any problems.

In most cases, within 36 hours after the Provisional Scores are posted, Final Scores will be posted at HQ and at the Daily Pilot Meeting. The Scorekeeper may issue Revised Scores before posting Final Scores, in which case the Final Scores will not be posted until the Revised Scores are judged accurate.

The 2004 U.S. Nationals winners will be the pilots with the highest point totals at the end of the August 28th contest day. In the event of a tie, the pilots with the highest scores before the beginning of the last round will be declared the winners. Awards will be presented to the top three pilots in the overall cumulative rankings, to the top placing female pilot, and to the top placing "Sports Class" pilot. The pilot with the highest overall score will receive the U.S. National Champion award.

The 2004 Nationals Organization will provide retrievals. On each contest day, one or more primary retrieval LZs, and a retrieval schedule, will be specified. The retrieval route will follow the daily task and likely landing times as closely as possible. Pilots are responsible for knowing the retrieval schedule, and for making their way to a retrieval LZ or to a main road along the task route. The official 2004 U.S. Nationals Retrieval Frequency will be announced at the August 20 Mandatory Pilot Meeting.

Good sportsmanship requires competitors to assist pilots who may be in trouble. Any competitor who lands to provide needed assistance in an emergency will be given a score as close as possible to the average score for the day. The official 2004 Nationals Emergency/Rescue Frequency will be 145.555 MHz.

Pilots who are not in trouble must fold their canopies immediately. A wing lying open on the ground signals: "I need help!"

Emergency positions should be reported clearly and concisely by radio or phone. The recommended location reporting format is to make a distress call, then give bearing and range to a nearby official Waypoint, followed by a brief description of the problem. For example:

"Mayday! POM is at two nine six degrees, four point seven kilometers. I am under canopy."

NOTE: This location format reduces the chance of transmission error, but it requires the GPS to be set for True North, with metric units. Reference to the closest possible Waypoint will further minimize location error.

If time and communication quality allow, potential rescuers should repeat the location information and ask for confirmation. As a backup, the location should also be given in latitude/longitude format, in degrees, decimal minutes.

The following setup is highly recommended for GPS receivers:

Competition Waypoints

All competitors are required to download the Official Waypoints from the Scorekeeper or Meet Director before the contest starts. Pilots who transfer competition waypoints from another source will not receive their 2004 Nationals Pilot ID Waypoint. See 4.7: GPS Receivers.

To verify a turnpoint or start, at least part of a track log segment must be inside that turn point or start cylinder. A track log segment is the straight line between two consecutive track log points less than 60 seconds apart. As an added security measure to ensure the GPS records an "in cylinder" segment, the pilot should mark a waypoint while in the cylinder. If the timestamp on this waypoint is consistent with the automatic track log it may be treated as a track log point.

10-Step Competition GPS Check List

1. BEFORE Launching – Turn GPS ON.

2. CLEAR previous Track Log.

3. Make sure RECORD TRACK LOG is set to YES.

4. Make sure GPS has acquired a position before Launch.

7. Landing short of goal– Record your landing coordinates as a waypoint.

8. While in Goal Cylinder-Press MARK then ENTER

9. After landing: - Turn GPS OFF.

10. Before turning a Garmin GPS receiver in to the scorekeeper for tracklog downloading, it must be in Garmin-to-Garmin interface mode.

Pressing MARK then ENTER records a waypoint that will be added to the Track Log. This is optional, but recommended where the course line deviates significantly around the turnpoint, for example in an Out and Return. To ensure an accurate timestamp, make sure to press ENTER within 5 seconds of pressing MARK.

Pilots using GPS logging with more frequent data points, say every 5 seconds or less, need not manually enter waypoints. They can simply fly the course.

Remember: If a GPS receiver doesn’t have a satellite fix it will not be recording a track log, even if it is on.

It is recommended to use 1000 mAh or better AA batteries in Garmin GPSs.