Minutes of 2015 USA Rules Committee Meeting Posted

[John Godfrey (QT)[_2_]]

All,

The minutes of the 2015 USA Rules Committee meeting have been posted on the SSA website at http://www.ssa.org/files/member/2015_Rules_Meeting_Minutes.pdf .

http://www.ssa.org/files/member/2015_Rules_Meeting_Minutes.pdf

SSA.org > Sailplane Racing > Contest Rules and Process > 2016 Season Rules Process Documents:

John Godfrey (QT), Chair

[Don Johnstone[_4_]]

At 19:30 15 December 2015, John Godfrey QT wrote:
>All,
>
>The minutes of the 2015 USA Rules Committee meeting have been
posted on the
>SSA website at
>http://www.ssa.org/files/member/2015_Rules_Meeting_Minutes.p
df .
>
>http://www.ssa.org/files/member/2015_Rules_Meeting_Minutes.p
df
>
>SSA.org > Sailplane Racing > Contest Rules and Process > 2016
Season Rules
>Process Documents:
>
>John Godfrey (QT), Chair

Scary stuff regarding FLARM and STEALTH. The discussion seems
to have completely ignored the fact that setting STEALTH mode
effects ALL other FLARM users adversely. A survey was undertaken
of all contest pilots but how many non contest pilots were consulted
and given the opportunity to give their views.
Contest pilots do not operate in a vacuum, they share airspace with
many other users who use FLARM expecting it to give them all the
information available. In the UK all these other users were ignored
prior to a short-lived mandate of STEALTH. The mandate for
STEALTH was cancelled when it was pointed out that non
competition pilots were potentially being put at risk.
I have to say it is a very bold decision to mandate STEALTH in it's
current form. Will the SSA avoid legal challenge I wonder?

To avoid misunderstanding the following is a copy of part of the
submission I sent to the BGA:

"I have been in touch with Dr Urban Mäder, CTO at Flarm. He has
informed me that if Stealth mode is set on any Flarm unit there is a
degredation of the data which that unit transmits to all other FLARM
units. Specifically:


1. The range at which the Stealth mode set unit is detected is
significantly reduced
2. Important information useful for situational awareness is not
transmitted by a unit in Stealth Mode
3. If a Flarm unit is set to stealth mode it effects all other FLARM
units irrespective of their setting."

[John Cochrane[_3_]]

Let the informed stealth discussion begin! For those too lazy to click, here is the relevant text

4.1.2 Proposal: Stealth required in nationals if carried. Organizer option in regionals
Long and open discussion of pros and cons culminating in the meeting's only split vote, 3-2. 9B
(Blackburn) requested his strong opposition and 'no' vote be reflected in the minutes. XM (Smith -
not attending) provided "no" vote prior to meeting in writing. XM prefers to keep as organizer
option for another year as Elmira is the only Stealth mandatory datapoint.
Recommendation: Provisional decision to mandate Stealth mode for Nationals only. Revisit in
January. Organizer option for ANY Flarm mode at Regionals - mandatory unrestricted Flarm,
Pilot Option or mandatory Stealth.
UH to coordinate with IGC/UK efforts to revise Stealth mode to increase level of situational
awareness and flexibility of action for high-altitude, high-speed, head-to-head traffic conflict
scenarios (common in strong western conditions). 60-seconds of lead time was suggested as a
target. Provide access to FlarmID or FlarmNet CN in order to preempt conflict and/or coordinate
evasive action is these scenarios.

Important points to notice:

Revisit in January, and all rules proposals are finalized when presented to SSA board of directors. RC is a reasonable bunch, they listen to personal emails (written politely) and RAS (politeness is a lost cause on RAS, but helps your point get through). If you're really steamed, you can also write your SSA director.

Even the RC is conflicted, with a 3-2 vote.

Indeed, the plan includes an effort to rewrite stealth in time for 2016 competitions.

John Cochrane.