Ian Cant wrote:
The Colibri automatically makes a flight declaration on takeoff. It
always has the same pattern, takeoff then startpoint then turnpoints
then finish point then landing place.

For badge purposes, if I want to declare a flight using release point
via turnpoints to unknown landing point, how do I go about it ? Can
I choose after the flight to use the actual release point and actual
landing place ? If my actual landing place is not the declared
finish or landing place, is that OK ? If I skip the declared
startpoint and go straight from release to first TP, is that OK ?

I asked "the (SSA) badge lady", Judy Ruprecht, about this in April 2005.
You might want to get an update from her, since it's been more than a
year. She wrote:

The dilemma you describe has inspired discussion of future procedural
changes, but nothing's been adopted to date.

You can use release as the Start/Finish Point, but bear in mind
you'll have to Finish within 1,000 meters of this location in order
to "achieve the goal" per Sporting Code 4.3.4. (Yes, I know this rule
refers only to Finish Points and is mute on the topic of Start
Points... but a closed course requires "a return to the Start Point
at the finish of the Soaring Performance.")

For a Free O&R or Free Triangle, you needn't declare any waypoints
before the flight, but you DO have to mind that "return to the Start
Point" stuff, as well as the requirement to enter the Finish Point OZ
and pass within 1,000 meters of the Finish Point.

For a speed or distance O&R or Triangle per SC3 1.4.6, the BEST thing
to do is declare coordinates for a Start/Finish Point located near
the area where you plan to release. (This removes all ambiguity from
the equation and allows you to use these coordinates for navigation
purposes, rather than try to remember where - exactly - you
released.) Just bear in mind: you must finish by entering the OZ AND
flying within 1,000 meters of the declared Start/Finish coordinates.

If you prefer to use actual release as the Start/Finish Point,DO NOT
try to leave Start and Finish blank in the electronic declaration,
even if the Cambridge allows it. (Per Technical Standards regarding
electronic declarations, the FR REQUIRES a declared location for a
Start Point - skipping this leads to the intended Turnpoint being
listed in the electronic declaration as the Start Point. This is an
irredeemable error!

There are two ways to work around this:

(1) If your FR will permit it, declare a Start/Finish Point at
00000/000000 (or something equally as improbable... 30:00.000N/
110:00.000W would be fine, flying out of Ephrata, for example.) NAME
this point "RELEASE" and enter both the coordinates and the name in
the electronic declaration as both the Start and the Finish Point.
(It will not display properly in evaluation software without being
"massaged," but this is OK. It will stick out like a sore thumb and
the name "RELEASE" makes it clear what you intended.)

Once a totally pristine flight file is downloaded and tucked away, a
second copy can be tinkered with in software to confirm the release
location and "amend" the declaration accordingly to check OZ
penetration, Start & Finish time & altitude, etc.. At the risk of
being redundant: DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS EVALUATION TECHNIQUE ON THE
ORIGINAL FLIGHT FILE!

(2) Do what you want/need to do in the FR if it incorporates nav
functions, but in any case turn it on BEFORE you make a paper
declaration and have it signed by an OO at a time CLEARLY after the
time at which the FR was turned on. If an old declaration is resident
in the FR when turned on, it will register the date and time as if it
is the declaration intended - and a written declaration made before
this time will be invalid per Sporting Code 4.2.2(a). Nasty surprise!


Hope this helps!

Judy

--
Note: email address new as of 9/4/2006
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA

"Transponders in Sailplanes" on the Soaring Safety Foundation website
www.soaringsafety.org/prevention/articles.html

"A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org