BGA Comp rules 2007

They've been published.

http://www.gliding.co.uk/forms/competitionrules2007.pdf

From the preface:

"Despite the rule changes with respect to safety of persons outside
the airfield boundary
made in 2006, the CAA have agreed with recent AAIB findings that
gliders in competitions
flying low level approaches that are deemed not in accordance with
"normal aviation
practise", as required by the Rules of the Air Rule 5 (low flying
rule), pose a danger to the
public. Specifically, the CAA concern is about flight prior to the
finish where pilots have
been seen in the past to fly at very low level, often parallel to the
ground, sometimes
adjusting altitude to maintain minimal margin over intervening
obstructions in such a way
as to limit a pilot's view of any people, vehicles or structures close
to or in their path. To
ensure that these concerns are addressed, the definitions and
penalties with regard to
dangerous/hazardous flying on approach to the finish line and prior to
landing have been
refined in the 2007 handbook. Competitors are advised to make
themselves fully
conversant with these changes. They should additionally ensure that
they are fully aware
of and fly within the requirements of Rules of the Air Rule 5 (low
flying rule) and ANO
Article 64 (reckless flying by endangering person or property).

It is now a requirement to have the finish line so positioned to
ensure that the inbound
track from the last turn point or suitable control point is no more
than 30 degrees to the
perpendicular, takes into account conflict with any person, vehicle or
structure on the
approach and maximises the direct landing area beyond.

The finish ring may now only be specified by organisers and must be
approved by the
committee, in special cases where other airfield activity that cannot
be the controlled by the
organisers makes part of the circuit unavailable to the competitors -
e.g. Parachuting. "

From the section regards Finishing:

"22. FINISHING

22.1. Finish Line Options. The Organisation shall specify in the
Local Rules the type of finish
being used together with the flight patterns to be followed after
crossing the line. In addition,
competitors shall be reminded in the local rules that all pilots must
be aware of and fly within the requirements of Rules of the Air Rule 5
(low flying rule) and ANO Article 64 (reckless flying by endangering
person or property).

22.1.1. Finish line. A line of defined length and direction,
orientated from between 0-30
degrees to the perpendicular of the inbound track line and situated
such that gliders can safely
land directly beyond it without turning. Positioning of the finish
line and inbound track to it should take into account any potential
conflict with any person, vehicle or structure on the approach to and
around the finish line and should normally be placed near the runway
threshold to maximise the safe landing area beyond. A Control point
should be utilised as necessary to ensure compliance to the above.

22.1.2. Finish Ring. A ring of specified radius around a finish point
encompassing the airfield
and its landing circuits. The finish ring option may only be
considered for use in cases where
other airfield activity that cannot be controlled by the organisation
makes part of the circuit
unavailable to the competitors and must have specific committee
approval.

22.2. Control. Given by the glider crossing the line under its own
momentum and in the correct
direction. Gliders landing at their goal having failed to correctly
finish will be deemed to have
finished 5 minutes after they come to rest. "

Just for complete reference this is Rule 5 from the CAA website (sorry
about the poor formatting):

Rule 5 of the UK Rules of the Air 1996
Low flying
5
(1)
The prohibitions to be observed are
(a)
An aircraft shall comply with the low flying prohibitions set out in
paragraph (2)
subject to the low flying exemptions set out in paragraph (3).
(b)
Where an aircraft is flying in circumstances such that more than one
of the low
flying prohibitions apply it must fly at the greatest height required
by any of the
applicable prohibitions.
(2)
The low flying prohibitions
(a)
Failure of power unit
An aircraft shall not be flown below such height as would enable it,
in the event
of a power unit failure, to make an emergency landing without causing
danger to
persons or property on the surface.
(b)
The 500 feet rule
Except with the permission in writing of the CAA, an aircraft shall
not be flown
closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle or structure.
(c)
The 1000 feet rule
Except with the permission in writing of the CAA, an aircraft flying
over a
congested area of a city town or settlement shall not fly below a
height of 1,000
feet above the highest fixed obstacle within a horizontal radius of
600 metres of
the aircraft.
(d)
The land clear rule
An aircraft flying over a congested area of a city town or settlement
shall not fly
below such height as will permit, in the event of a power unit
failure, the aircraft
to land clear of the congested area. Page 2

(e)
Flying over open air assemblies
Except with the permission in writing of the CAA, an aircraft shall
not fly over an
organised open-air assembly of more than 1,000 persons below:
(i)
a height of 1,000 feet, or
(ii)
such height as will permit, in the event of a power unit failure, the
aircraft
to alight clear of the assembly,
whichever is the higher.
(f)
Landing and taking off near open air assemblies
An aircraft shall not land or take-off within 1,000 metres of an
organised open-air
assembly of more than 1,000 persons, except
(i)
at an aerodrome, in accordance with procedures notified by the CAA,
or
(ii)
at a landing site other than an aerodrome, in accordance with
procedures
notified by the CAA and with the written permission of the organiser
of
the assembly.
(3)
Exemptions from the low flying prohibitions
(a)
Landing and taking off
(i)
Any aircraft shall be exempt from any low flying prohibition in so far
as it
is flying in accordance with normal aviation practice for the purpose
of
taking off from, landing at or practising approaches to landing at or
checking navigational aids or procedures at a Government or licensed
aerodrome.
(ii)
Any aircraft shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule when landing and
taking-off in accordance with normal aviation practice. Page 3

(b)
Captive balloons and kites
None of the low flying prohibitions shall apply to any captive balloon
or kite.
(c)
Special VFR clearance and notified routes
Any aircraft shall be exempt from the 1000 feet rule when flying on a
special
VFR flight, or when operating in accordance with the procedures
notified for the
route being flown; provided that when flying in accordance with this
exemption
landings may not be made at other than a licensed or Government
aerodrome,
unless the permission of the CAA has been obtained.
(d)
Balloons and helicopters over congested areas
(i)
A balloon shall be exempt from the 1000 feet rule when landing because
it is becalmed.
(ii)
Any helicopter flying shall be exempt from the land clear rule.
(e)
Police air operator's certificate
Any aircraft flying in accordance with the terms of a police air
operator's
certificate shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule, the 1000 feet
rule, the
prohibition on flying over open air assemblies and the prohibition on
landing and
taking off near open air assemblies.
(f)
Flying displays etc
An aircraft taking part in a flying display, air race or contest shall
be exempt from
the 500 feet rule when within a horizontal distance of 1,000 metres of
the
gathering of persons assembled to witness the event.
(g)
Glider hill soaring
A glider when hill-soaring shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule.

Missed this bit, in the List of Approved Penalties:

"Finish and approach to finish - hazardous or
prohibited manoeuvre including :-
1) flight below 30' AGL outside the declared airfield
perimeter other than an emergency straight-in
approach where it is not possible to maintain safe
airspeed to maintain the minimum ground clearance
or in the event of an out-landing. FR evidence from
500' above airfield elevation will be used to verify
any deliberate planning of energy management that leads
to flight below the minimum limit. Such proven cases
will not be exempt from penalty.
2) any approach that does not describe a descending
flight path other than to convert from a straight in
approach to a go around or for reasons of flight
safety."

So that is what the BGA and the CAA believe will prevent any future
incident like the HusBos one.


Dan

Dan et al,

All seems reasonable to me. See my posting on uras,
posted today and last Saturday (10/2), for explanation.


If you guys over the pond are any doubt on what the
CAA can do take a look at their enforcement and prosecution
policy:

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/755/CAA%20...olicy%20%20Pro
cedures%20June%202005.pdf

(you will need to reconstruct).

Unlike some Law Enforcement Agencies in the world,
the CAA are reasonable, and are are looking for improvement
(or in my opinion back to a style of finishes that
we were doing 15 years ago). They will reasonably raise
their enforcement position if we, as a movement, don't
improve. I noted that the UK Air Accidents Investigation
Branch referred to European competitions in their report
so don't think that this is a problem to be solved
by the UK in isolation.....


At 19:01 14 February 2007, Dan G wrote:
Missed this bit, in the List of Approved Penalties:

'Finish and approach to finish - hazardous or
prohibited manoeuvre including :-
1) flight below 30' AGL outside the declared airfield
perimeter other than an emergency straight-in
approach where it is not possible to maintain safe
airspeed to maintain the minimum ground clearance
or in the event of an out-landing. FR evidence from
500' above airfield elevation will be used to verify
any deliberate planning of energy management that leads
to flight below the minimum limit. Such proven cases
will not be exempt from penalty.
2) any approach that does not describe a descending
flight path other than to convert from a straight in
approach to a go around or for reasons of flight
safety.'

So that is what the BGA and the CAA believe will prevent
any future
incident like the HusBos one.


Dan