"Marc Ramsey" wrote in message
...

The difference between true geometric and calibrated pressure altitude,
for something like a Diamond altitude gain, can be well over 1000 feet.
Geometric and pressure altitude measure two different things. The
first thing that would have to happen is that the IGC would have to
decide to switch to using geometric altitude measurements, which they
have not done as of this moment.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but regardless of whether pressure altitude and
Geometric (ie. GPS) altitude differ during a flight, if you use a constant
reference (ie. always use GPS), then the consistency is similar, at least
over the altitudes we typically use. I checked literally dozens of my logs
over the last two years, and although there is a difference of perhaps
100-200 feet between altitude measured by pressure and altitude measured by
GPS, the difference is consistent within that range throughout the flight.
So, I'm not sure why it would be such a quantum leap to make this decision
for badges, especially things like Silver or Gold. If there is a
mathematical reason why the degree of variation increases for say diamond
climbs, then they could be excluded.


A fair number of people are concerned that using a COTS handheld GPS
unit for badge documentation its tantamount to awarding badges on the
"honor system". What it comes down to is someone is either going to
have to come up with a proposal which will address these concerns, or
convince everyone that the "honor system" is, in fact, adequate...

Well, I think this is exactly the point. The OO system has ALWAYS been an
honor system. There are dozens of very significant records out there where
wives/husbands/best friends have handled this critical function. If that's
not truly an "honor system", I don't know what is. Unless the FAI is
willing to mandate that OO's be impartial third parties who are subject to
random lie detector tests (with violations punishible by having to sit in on
committee meetings to discuss COTS proposals), then I come back to my
primary point. There is effectively NO DIFFERENCE in the degree of
security between the two methods. There are differences in the type of
technical prowess required to defeat the system, but level of security is
effectively the same.

At the end of the day, what we've done is exactly the mistake I pointed out
in the beginning. We've allowed paranoia over a few folks who may want to
fudge their gold distance flight or silver climb lead to a situation that
literally requires people to stick with 1940's technology or fork over an
extra $500 for an "approved" logger. For this cost we get what exactly?
The satisfaction in knowing that, if a guy wants to fly his Silver Distance
in a Nimbus IV, at least he didn't cheat? Am I the only one who sees a
certain irony in this????


Marc