NEW Sporting Code rules

Silver distance rules

In the recent past, a pilot could declare a remote start point some distance from the launch / release point. Then soar to the declared start point and cross a start line to begin the task.

One example of this task would allow a glider pilot to release near the home gliderport, fly some distance (25 km) to the start line, then retrace the route back to the gliderport - overfly the gliderport and continue to a finish line 25 kilometers away before returning to the gliderport.

The pilot would have soared some 100 km to achieve the declared 50 km task to fulfill the Silver badge distance requirement, however, never being more than 25 km away.

This task required planning and soaring / navigating and judgment skills, but with reasonable judgment, avoided the risks associated with off field landings.

The only thing the new FAI rules will create is the necessity for the tow plane to tow the glider some 25 kilometers to the release point incurring more expense and a higher risk of an off field landing.

One of the principle purposes of the Silver Badge is to encourage pilots to discover the satisfaction of achieving goals.

The new rules imposes unnecessary higher risks.

Tom Knauff

On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 7:26:06 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Silver distance rules

In the recent past, a pilot could declare a remote start point some distance from the launch / release point. Then soar to the declared start point and cross a start line to begin the task.

One example of this task would allow a glider pilot to release near the home gliderport, fly some distance (25 km) to the start line, then retrace the route back to the gliderport - overfly the gliderport and continue to a finish line 25 kilometers away before returning to the gliderport.

The pilot would have soared some 100 km to achieve the declared 50 km task to fulfill the Silver badge distance requirement, however, never being more than 25 km away.

This task required planning and soaring / navigating and judgment skills, but with reasonable judgment, avoided the risks associated with off field landings.

The only thing the new FAI rules will create is the necessity for the tow plane to tow the glider some 25 kilometers to the release point incurring more expense and a higher risk of an off field landing.

One of the principle purposes of the Silver Badge is to encourage pilots to discover the satisfaction of achieving goals.

The new rules imposes unnecessary higher risks.

Tom Knauff

staying within 25 km of the home field is a local flight for any modern glider. silver distance is supposed to be about flying cross country.

I achieved Silver Distance on the second leg of a triangle flown during
one of the TSA Labor Day contests.

I'm with FAI on this. Let's not make it so easy that anyone can do it
without any sort of risk. Part of the accomplishment is the planning
and execution according to the same rules that our predecessors followed
and in much less capable ships. If they could do it, why not us? A
flight accomplished on the first try may really "wow" the current
generation but it just makes me yawn. My badges don't impress me as
much as, say, Steve DuPont's but I think they're a lot more impressive
than those flown under today's rules, with today's instruments, and in
today's gliders.

On 10/13/2015 8:02 AM, Tony wrote:
On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 7:26:06 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Silver distance rules

In the recent past, a pilot could declare a remote start point some distance from the launch / release point. Then soar to the declared start point and cross a start line to begin the task.

One example of this task would allow a glider pilot to release near the home gliderport, fly some distance (25 km) to the start line, then retrace the route back to the gliderport - overfly the gliderport and continue to a finish line 25 kilometers away before returning to the gliderport.

The pilot would have soared some 100 km to achieve the declared 50 km task to fulfill the Silver badge distance requirement, however, never being more than 25 km away.

This task required planning and soaring / navigating and judgment skills, but with reasonable judgment, avoided the risks associated with off field landings.

The only thing the new FAI rules will create is the necessity for the tow plane to tow the glider some 25 kilometers to the release point incurring more expense and a higher risk of an off field landing.

One of the principle purposes of the Silver Badge is to encourage pilots to discover the satisfaction of achieving goals.

The new rules imposes unnecessary higher risks.

Tom Knauff
staying within 25 km of the home field is a local flight for any modern glider. silver distance is supposed to be about flying cross country.

--
Dan, 5J

Exactly as Tony said.
A flight where you stay wishin glide of the airport is not a cross country flight, it is a local flight.
Another way to look at it: a flight without any risk of landout is not a true cross country flight, regardless of distance. In some places you can easily score 500km OLC flight by climbing to 18K and yoyo around the airport without ever getting out of glide. This is still a local flight, not a cross country flight...

Ramy

On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 10:03:01 AM UTC-4, Tony wrote:
On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 7:26:06 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Silver distance rules

In the recent past, a pilot could declare a remote start point some distance from the launch / release point. Then soar to the declared start point and cross a start line to begin the task.

One example of this task would allow a glider pilot to release near the home gliderport, fly some distance (25 km) to the start line, then retrace the route back to the gliderport - overfly the gliderport and continue to a finish line 25 kilometers away before returning to the gliderport.

The pilot would have soared some 100 km to achieve the declared 50 km task to fulfill the Silver badge distance requirement, however, never being more than 25 km away.

This task required planning and soaring / navigating and judgment skills, but with reasonable judgment, avoided the risks associated with off field landings.

The only thing the new FAI rules will create is the necessity for the tow plane to tow the glider some 25 kilometers to the release point incurring more expense and a higher risk of an off field landing.

One of the principle purposes of the Silver Badge is to encourage pilots to discover the satisfaction of achieving goals.

The new rules imposes unnecessary higher risks.

Tom Knauff

staying within 25 km of the home field is a local flight for any modern glider. silver distance is supposed to be about flying cross country.

We have sort of a local rule.
Do a 50 k in a 1-26 any way you want. Most go straight out to Blairstown 45 miles away.
If you have a glass ship, we expect more. Many have done it with a 140k triangle using the first turn as a remote start and the last turn as remote finish. When you do this on a 4000 foot day, common to us, it is a real cross country.
Now the IGC has basically said that you have to commit to a landing away for Silver distance
I think it is a poor decision, like Tom.
UH

On Tue, 13 Oct 2015 08:56:11 -0700, unclhank wrote:

On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 10:03:01 AM UTC-4, Tony wrote:
On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 7:26:06 AM UTC-5,
wrote:
Silver distance rules

In the recent past, a pilot could declare a remote start point some
distance from the launch / release point. Then soar to the declared
start point and cross a start line to begin the task.

One example of this task would allow a glider pilot to release near
the home gliderport, fly some distance (25 km) to the start line,
then retrace the route back to the gliderport - overfly the
gliderport and continue to a finish line 25 kilometers away before
returning to the gliderport.


When I did mine (2001, SZD Junior, off the winch) the usual briefing was
to fly to another glider field and land there. The reasoning is that
landing on an airfield you've never seen before is useful XC training and
I can't argue with that. Depending on wind direction our usual targets
are Rattlesden (68km east) or Husbands Bosworth, (70 km west).
Derigging and trailering the Junior home is also good experience for both
pilot and crew, since very few of us have much rigging experience before
we fly the Silver distance: bear in mind that this is almost always done
in a club glider and that these are kept fully rigged in our hangar.

The only difference these days is that people tend to use something with
a bit more performance (Pegase, Discus, ASW24) for their Silver distance
and to do it as an out and return to much the same remote fields. Some
also do their C distance as one leg of a larger triangle if they're
flying one of these gliders. I can't remember anybody using a remote
start to stay within 25-30 km of home.


We have sort of a local rule.
Do a 50 k in a 1-26 any way you want. Most go straight out to Blairstown
45 miles away.
If you have a glass ship, we expect more. Many have done it with a 140k
triangle using the first turn as a remote start and the last turn as
remote finish. When you do this on a 4000 foot day, common to us, it is
a real cross country.

Good one! That sounds like a proper C distance, and a most suitable
glider to do it in.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 8:56:29 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Now the IGC has basically said that you have to commit to a landing away for Silver distance
I think it is a poor decision, like Tom.

No. The pilot may do a 100k+ O&R. There is no requirement to make a physical landing at the destination. A turn point just needs to be at least 50 km from the release point.

But if the pilot can climb and stay above 2000M, then for a 40:1 sailplane it's definitely a local flight.

This new rule only handicaps a few locations that may have low thermals and airspace / terrain that precludes safely going more than 25-30km from home...

5Z

Le mardi 13 octobre 2015 14:26:06 UTC+2, a écrit*:
Silver distance rules

The only thing the new FAI rules will create is the necessity for the tow plane to tow the glider some 25 kilometers to the release point incurring more expense and a higher risk of an off field landing.

Tom Knauff

If they really wanted to force one to leave the vicinity of the home airfield, they should indeed have phrased it "50 km from the airfield of departure" instead of "from the release point"...

At 08:50 14 October 2015, wrote:
Le mardi 13 octobre 2015 14:26:06 UTC+2, a
=E9crit=A0:
Silver distance rules
=20
The only thing the new FAI rules will create is the necessity for the
tow=
plane to tow the glider some 25 kilometers to the release point
incurring=
more expense and a higher risk of an off field landing.
=20
Tom Knauff

If they really wanted to force one to leave the vicinity of the home
airfie=
ld, they should indeed have phrased it "50 km from the airfield of
departur=
e" instead of "from the release point"...

The "Soaring Performance" begins at the Release Point, not the Home
Airfield.

On Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at 6:00:06 AM UTC-4, Tim Newport-Peace wrote:
At 08:50 14 October 2015, wrote:
Le mardi 13 octobre 2015 14:26:06 UTC+2, a
=E9crit=A0:
Silver distance rules
=20
The only thing the new FAI rules will create is the necessity for the
tow=
plane to tow the glider some 25 kilometers to the release point
incurring=
more expense and a higher risk of an off field landing.
=20
Tom Knauff

If they really wanted to force one to leave the vicinity of the home
airfie=
ld, they should indeed have phrased it "50 km from the airfield of
departur=
e" instead of "from the release point"...

The "Soaring Performance" begins at the Release Point, not the Home
Airfield.

So which is the better performance?:
Tow to the start(release) point.
Or soar to the start point.
UH