Ian

I was present at the 1991 IGC meeting in Queeenstown, just a couple of
months after Rays flight, which he presented at the meeting. Perhaps I
was fouled again at an IGC meeting, but my impression was clearly that
to fly so long tasks we needed more TP:s.

We have seen all this stuff several times, I amquite sure that
eventually we will have COTS loggers apporved. Do you remember when we
went from marking the TP:s with ground markers to cameras? I think it is
called evolution.

BTW, it is more fun to debate with you Ian than to agree with you!
Have nice summer.


Robert

Ian Strachan wrote:
In article , Robert Danewid
writes

snip

When Ray Lynskey flew the first 2000K flight it was not recognized as
a world record, so consequently the SC was changed the following year
to allow 3 TP courses.


I do not think that was so, Tor Johannessen simply formulated more
flexible distance rules for badges, not at that time for world records.
In fact in the 1960s you could fly three legs for badge flights,
sometime later for reasons unknown this was restricted but is now back.

I have always thought that as long as a "straight downwind dash" is
allowed for distance and goal flights, some pretty versatile rules
should apply for flights with turn points, particularly those that start
and finish at the same place. In long thin countries like the UK and
others, the three turn point distance is particularly appropriate to
keep you away from sea effects and over good soaring terrain without
risking long retrieves if "sod's law" prevails and you land out at the
farthest extremity of the course. I recall a Lasham pilot declaring an
out-and-return to a lake (reservoir, actually) in farthest Wales, and
landing just below the lake in a remote Welsh valley. Perhaps his
retrieve car keys were in his pocket as well (I cannot recall), but that
sort of thing convinced me decades ago of the merit of motor gliders!

What DID happen, as I recall, was when the first 2000 km out-and-return
was flown in New Zealand, the photo evidence rule was that "the turn
point itself must appear on the photo". This was a hang-over from
competitions where such a rule was introduced for the convenience of
photo-assessing. But outside comps, the principle should always have
been "proof of presence in the appropriate Observation Zone". The 2000k
O&R was accepted after a delay "finding the turn point" on the photos,
but the case was used by me and others to point out the anomaly and the
requirement for the TP itself to be in the picture was dropped from the
Code. The increasing use of GPS recorders also helped. Principle won
over convenience, I am glad to say!

Ronalds flight is quite an achievement so why not use it as an
argument for a proposal to the IGC for the 2005 meeting? We will
support it!


Glad you and I agree for once, Robert ! I am merely a Committee
chairman and could not make such a proposal to IGC, it is outside the
remit of my Committee. But you Aero Club delegates can. What about my
other points on declarations and free flights?