I don't think I've met anyone in soaring who would cheat on a badge flight.
What would the point be?
Badge flights are about personal accomplishment. If there is an individual
in this sport so sad as to cheat on a badge flight, let him/her.
Record flights deserve the higher level of scrutiny because we are comparing
performances between individuals.

Brent


"Marc Ramsey" wrote in message
. com...
Papa3 wrote:
I had proposed at some length to one of the well known names in this
"debate" that the use of COTS units for badges and records below the
level
of national (e.g. State records here in the US) is a no-brainer.
Without
going into detail, the crux of my argument was that these units are no
less
secure than the existing alternative (camera and barograph). Since the
COTS units are becoming widely available and reliable, what possible
reason
can there be to prohibit their use? I can certainly understand a higher
level of security for national or world records where there might be
some
slim chance that these results could drive monetary gain (ie. the
incentive
to cheat might be higher), but for a Silver Badge ... get real!

The rules for US State and National records are set by the SSA (the
National Aeronautic Association may have some say over US National
records). So, there is no point to discussing those issues with the IGC.

As for badges, there are two primary objections. First, how do you
prove that the flight actually took place, and wasn't simply uploaded
into the GPS at some point before, during, or after the flight? Second,
given that all badge altitude performances are currently documented
using calibrated pressure altitudes, can adequate altitude documentation
be provided by use of either GPS (geometric) altitude, or uncalibrated
pressure altitude (as would be the case with the pressure sensor
equipped COTS units which lack a fixed sensor calibration)? Until these
points are addressed in a fashion acceptable to a majority of delegates
to the IGC, the rules won't be changed...

Marc