USA Competion: 2014 Proposed Rules Changes

[John Godfrey (QT)[_2_]]

All,

The proposed rules changes summary for the 2014 season (and one important change planned for 2015) have been posted in the Rules and Process section of the SSA website. The comment period ends on Saturday January 18. Send comments to quebec dot tango at gmail dot com

Although the changes document seems long, there are only a few changes that impact the way tasks are flown (items 2, 3, 4 plus 5 and 6 affect only motorgliders). The rest are mainly of concern to contest officials plus some errata.

Here is a "summary of the summary":

1. Notice of 2015 Proposed Change: Club Class Nationals to be Separate Contest from Sports Class Nationals

2. Restricted Airspace: CD Discretion to Allow Overflight of Designated Restricted Airspace

3. Sports Class: Minimum Achieved Distance is Handicapped Distance

4. Regionals: Grand Prix Style Start Allowed in Regional Contests

5. Motorglider Engine Run Procedure Prior to Start Revised

6. Motorgliders Can Now Earn Airport Bonus

7. CD Discretion to Change Scores after a Day Becomes Official

8. Guidance Revised: Task Setting

9. Guidance Revised: Setting Minimum Finish Height

10. Guidance Revised: Weighing Procedures

11. Guidance: Aerotow Route Selection

12. Guidance: Flight Log Publication

13. Guidance: Remote Finish is Available by Waiver

14. Errata: Finisher’s Score is Never to be Less than Non-Finisher with the Same Distance (Cylinder Finish)

15. Errata: Replacement of the Word "Shall" with "Should" in Multiple Rules

16. Errata: Include Handicapping Scoring Formulas in FAI Rules (No Rule Change)

The full document is available here:

www.ssa.org/files/member/2014_Rules_Changes_Summary1.pdf
and
www.qtsolutions.com/2014_Rules_Changes_Summary1.pdf

John Godfrey(QT)
Rules Committee Chair

[Sean F (F2)]

LOVE the GP start.

On Wednesday, January 8, 2014 12:56:06 PM UTC-5, John Godfrey (QT) wrote:
> All,
>
>
>
> The proposed rules changes summary for the 2014 season (and one important change planned for 2015) have been posted in the Rules and Process section of the SSA website. The comment period ends on Saturday January 18. Send comments to quebec dot tango at gmail dot com
>
>
>
> Although the changes document seems long, there are only a few changes that impact the way tasks are flown (items 2, 3, 4 plus 5 and 6 affect only motorgliders). The rest are mainly of concern to contest officials plus some errata.
>
>
>
> Here is a "summary of the summary":
>
>
>
> 1. Notice of 2015 Proposed Change: Club Class Nationals to be Separate Contest from Sports Class Nationals
>
>
>
> 2. Restricted Airspace: CD Discretion to Allow Overflight of Designated Restricted Airspace
>
>
>
> 3. Sports Class: Minimum Achieved Distance is Handicapped Distance
>
>
>
> 4. Regionals: Grand Prix Style Start Allowed in Regional Contests
>
>
>
> 5. Motorglider Engine Run Procedure Prior to Start Revised
>
>
>
> 6. Motorgliders Can Now Earn Airport Bonus
>
>
>
> 7. CD Discretion to Change Scores after a Day Becomes Official
>
>
>
> 8. Guidance Revised: Task Setting
>
>
>
> 9. Guidance Revised: Setting Minimum Finish Height
>
>
>
> 10. Guidance Revised: Weighing Procedures
>
>
>
> 11. Guidance: Aerotow Route Selection
>
>
>
> 12. Guidance: Flight Log Publication
>
>
>
> 13. Guidance: Remote Finish is Available by Waiver
>
>
>
> 14. Errata: Finisher’s Score is Never to be Less than Non-Finisher with the Same Distance (Cylinder Finish)
>
>
>
> 15. Errata: Replacement of the Word "Shall" with "Should" in Multiple Rules
>
>
>
> 16. Errata: Include Handicapping Scoring Formulas in FAI Rules (No Rule Change)
>
>
>
> The full document is available here:
>
>
>
> www.ssa.org/files/member/2014_Rules_Changes_Summary1.pdf
>
> and
>
> www.qtsolutions.com/2014_Rules_Changes_Summary1.pdf
>
>
>
> John Godfrey(QT)
>
> Rules Committee Chair

[[email protected]]

On Wednesday, January 8, 2014 1:27:46 PM UTC-6, Sean F (F2) wrote:
> LOVE the GP start.
>

> On Wednesday, January 8, 2014 12:56:06 PM UTC-5, John Godfrey (QT) wrote:
>
> > All,
>
> > 4. Regionals: Grand Prix Style Start Allowed in Regional Contests
>

I'm a bit surprised at silence here, except Sean. The GP start rule allows GP style races in US regional contests.

We generalized it a bit. There is a "last start time" that can be substantially later than the start open time. So if the CD sets start open at 12:00 and last start at 1:00, you can go on course any time from 12:00 to 1:00 and scored as usual. If you go on course any time after 1:00, your start time is 1:00.


This would let people go early if they don't want to play the GP game, or if they get a thermal too good to lose. Allowing earlier starts should make the GP start a bit more relaxing; less mad gaggling, scraping, staring at clock and GPS in the minutes before the start.

Otherwise it's all US rules -- handicaps (if sports or handicapped FAI), US start cylinder, TAT and MAT allowed as well as AST, credit for distance in the turnpoint, cylinder finish etc.

A CD can use this to create a real GP, or just to cut short hours of start gate roulette and get everyone off on course.

I hope someone tries it next year. If it sounds good to you, bug your local CD.

John Cochrane

[John Carlyle]

I didn't comment since the GP start is described as "optional". I don't know, but I would suppose its proposed use would be mentioned prior to the contest, or at least in the first pilot's meeting. That way someone like myself could either avoid going to the contest where a GP start was contemplated, or lobby for a long time between gate open and last start time so I could do a normal, un-congested start.

-John, Q3

On Thursday, January 9, 2014 12:54:11 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> On Wednesday, January 8, 2014 1:27:46 PM UTC-6, Sean F (F2) wrote:
> > LOVE the GP start.
>
> > On Wednesday, January 8, 2014 12:56:06 PM UTC-5, John Godfrey (QT) wrote:
>
> > > All,
>
> > > 4. Regionals: Grand Prix Style Start Allowed in Regional Contests
>
> I'm a bit surprised at silence here, except Sean. The GP start rule allows GP style races in US regional contests.
>
> We generalized it a bit. There is a "last start time" that can be substantially later than the start open time. So if the CD sets start open at 12:00 and last start at 1:00, you can go on course any time from 12:00 to 1:00 and scored as usual. If you go on course any time after 1:00, your start time is 1:00.
>
> This would let people go early if they don't want to play the GP game, or if they get a thermal too good to lose. Allowing earlier starts should make the GP start a bit more relaxing; less mad gaggling, scraping, staring at clock and GPS in the minutes before the start.
>
> Otherwise it's all US rules -- handicaps (if sports or handicapped FAI), US start cylinder, TAT and MAT allowed as well as AST, credit for distance in the turnpoint, cylinder finish etc.
>
> A CD can use this to create a real GP, or just to cut short hours of start gate roulette and get everyone off on course.
>
> I hope someone tries it next year. If it sounds good to you, bug your local CD.
>
> John Cochrane

[[email protected]]

On Thursday, January 9, 2014 12:54:11 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> On Wednesday, January 8, 2014 1:27:46 PM UTC-6, Sean F (F2) wrote: > LOVE the GP start. > > On Wednesday, January 8, 2014 12:56:06 PM UTC-5, John Godfrey (QT) wrote: > > > All, > > > 4. Regionals: Grand Prix Style Start Allowed in Regional Contests > I'm a bit surprised at silence here, except Sean. The GP start rule allows GP style races in US regional contests. We generalized it a bit. There is a "last start time" that can be substantially later than the start open time. So if the CD sets start open at 12:00 and last start at 1:00, you can go on course any time from 12:00 to 1:00 and scored as usual. If you go on course any time after 1:00, your start time is 1:00. This would let people go early if they don't want to play the GP game, or if they get a thermal too good to lose. Allowing earlier starts should make the GP start a bit more relaxing; less mad gaggling, scraping, staring at clock and GPS in the minutes before the start. Otherwise it's all US rules -- handicaps (if sports or handicapped FAI), US start cylinder, TAT and MAT allowed as well as AST, credit for distance in the turnpoint, cylinder finish etc. A CD can use this to create a real GP, or just to cut short hours of start gate roulette and get everyone off on course. I hope someone tries it next year. If it sounds good to you, bug your local CD. John Cochrane

I'm quite pleased that the progression of the Club class is going as planned.
Now we just need an organizer, preferably in the west, to agree to run the Club class natioinals in 2015. West is preferred so as to not conflict with Sports at CCSC and to initiate the concept of havin Club and Sports on opposite areas of the country.
Good job RC.
UH

[[email protected]]

> I'm quite pleased that the progression of the Club class is going as planned.
>
> Now we just need an organizer, preferably in the west, to agree to run the Club class natioinals in 2015. West is preferred so as to not conflict with Sports at CCSC and to initiate the concept of havin Club and Sports on opposite areas of the country.
>
> Good job RC.
>
> UH

Dang, don't tempt me UH...We put in a bid to get the 15 meter Nationals in Nephi, UT for 2016 but maybe we can fit in the Club Class Nationals for 2015...

Bruno - B4

[[email protected]]

On Thursday, January 9, 2014 12:17:57 PM UTC-6, John Carlyle wrote:
> I didn't comment since the GP start is described as "optional". I don't know, but I would suppose its proposed use would be mentioned prior to the contest, or at least in the first pilot's meeting. That way someone like myself could either avoid going to the contest where a GP start was contemplated, or lobby for a long time between gate open and last start time so I could do a normal, un-congested start.
>
>

It is definitely "optional." It's an experiment for sure and no requirement for anyone to call it.

It's also something that the CD can call on some days and not others. It might be fun to have a "grand prix day" thrown in with the task mix in regular regionals. In a grand prix focused contest, it might be a very good idea not to call grand prix on marginal days, and call regular TAT or MAT on such days

The last start option allows a lot of additional flexibility beyond traditional grand prix starts. For example, the CD might use a short (15 min) gate open interval to get more head to head but without all gliders tightly packed together. Or use a longer gate open interval (1+ hours) simply to make sure everyone gets out on course in time to get home and head off start gate roulette on days where it appears likely to happen, without really doing any sort of "grand prix"

John Cochrane

[[email protected]]

On Thursday, January 9, 2014 2:51:12 PM UTC-6, wrote:
> > I'm quite pleased that the progression of the Club class is going as planned.
>
> >
>
> > Now we just need an organizer, preferably in the west, to agree to run the Club class natioinals in 2015. West is preferred so as to not conflict with Sports at CCSC and to initiate the concept of havin Club and Sports on opposite areas of the country.
>
> >
>
> > Good job RC.
>
> >
>
> > UH
>
>
>
> Dang, don't tempt me UH...We put in a bid to get the 15 meter Nationals in Nephi, UT for 2016 but maybe we can fit in the Club Class Nationals for 2015...
>
>
>
> Bruno - B4

Club has the added advantage of no water from an organizer perspective. And likely fewer numbers...You can also run club and 15 at the same time... Can't wait to try Nephi!
John Cochrane

[[email protected]]

Big thanks to the RC for allowing the progression of the Club Class concept here in the U.S. ...

And please invite Club Class to Nephi Bruno!

Tim EY

[Sean F (F2)]

On Thursday, January 9, 2014 7:12:15 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> Big thanks to the RC for allowing the progression of the Club Class concept here in the U.S. ...
>
>
>
> And please invite Club Class to Nephi Bruno!
>
>
>
> Tim EY

LIKE!!!