A question for you racing rules makers out the

Does the closed airspace rule (loss of all points plus 100 pt penalty)
apply if, following a task abort on course (with enough distance on
task to score for the day), a pilot then overflies class C airspace
(legally, and in contact with approach, etc), enroute to a safe
recovery back at the home base?

The question really boils down to: Are you still "on task" after you
make a decision to abandon the declared task for reasons of safety -
say weather blocking other routes - or to avoid a landout, or both,
then legally overfly airspace on the way home? Since the task scoring
ends where you abandon the task and assuming you abort outside closed
airspace, one could argue that the return flight is the same as an
aero retrieve, where the penalty wouldn't apply, since it's perfectly
legal and easy to overfly lots of airspace out here in the west.

As currently interpreted, this rule makes you potentially fly a
riskier and/or longer route when you are probably trying to get home
late in the day, which seems counter productive and potentially
unsafe. And there is precedent in the airfield landout bonus for
rewarding a safer decision over "pushing on regardless".

I have no objection to the closed airspace rule while still on task,
although the 500 ft minor and 100 ft major violation vertical
distances seem a bit draconian and encourage "clock watching" a bit
too much - not a good idea if everyone is blasting along under a
cloudstreet at 17499'. Perhaps we should look at the FAI rules and
see how they handle it?

Anyway, enough sniveling...

Cheers,

Kirk
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