Minutes of 2015 USA Rules Committee Meeting Posted

All,

The minutes of the 2015 USA Rules Committee meeting have been posted on the SSA website at http://www.ssa.org/files/member/2015...ng_Minutes.pdf .

http://www.ssa.org/files/member/2015...ng_Minutes.pdf

SSA.org Sailplane Racing Contest Rules and Process 2016 Season Rules Process Documents:

John Godfrey (QT), Chair

At 19:30 15 December 2015, John Godfrey QT wrote:
All,

The minutes of the 2015 USA Rules Committee meeting have been
posted on the
SSA website at
http://www.ssa.org/files/member/2015...ting_Minutes.p
df .

http://www.ssa.org/files/member/2015...ting_Minutes.p
df

SSA.org Sailplane Racing Contest Rules and Process 2016
Season Rules
Process Documents:

John Godfrey (QT), Chair

Scary stuff regarding FLARM and STEALTH. The discussion seems
to have completely ignored the fact that setting STEALTH mode
effects ALL other FLARM users adversely. A survey was undertaken
of all contest pilots but how many non contest pilots were consulted
and given the opportunity to give their views.
Contest pilots do not operate in a vacuum, they share airspace with
many other users who use FLARM expecting it to give them all the
information available. In the UK all these other users were ignored
prior to a short-lived mandate of STEALTH. The mandate for
STEALTH was cancelled when it was pointed out that non
competition pilots were potentially being put at risk.
I have to say it is a very bold decision to mandate STEALTH in it's
current form. Will the SSA avoid legal challenge I wonder?

To avoid misunderstanding the following is a copy of part of the
submission I sent to the BGA:

"I have been in touch with Dr Urban Mäder, CTO at Flarm. He has
informed me that if Stealth mode is set on any Flarm unit there is a
degredation of the data which that unit transmits to all other FLARM
units. Specifically:


1. The range at which the Stealth mode set unit is detected is
significantly reduced
2. Important information useful for situational awareness is not
transmitted by a unit in Stealth Mode
3. If a Flarm unit is set to stealth mode it effects all other FLARM
units irrespective of their setting."

Let the informed stealth discussion begin! For those too lazy to click, here is the relevant text

4.1.2 Proposal: Stealth required in nationals if carried. Organizer option in regionals
Long and open discussion of pros and cons culminating in the meeting's only split vote, 3-2. 9B
(Blackburn) requested his strong opposition and 'no' vote be reflected in the minutes. XM (Smith -
not attending) provided "no" vote prior to meeting in writing. XM prefers to keep as organizer
option for another year as Elmira is the only Stealth mandatory datapoint.
Recommendation: Provisional decision to mandate Stealth mode for Nationals only. Revisit in
January. Organizer option for ANY Flarm mode at Regionals - mandatory unrestricted Flarm,
Pilot Option or mandatory Stealth.
UH to coordinate with IGC/UK efforts to revise Stealth mode to increase level of situational
awareness and flexibility of action for high-altitude, high-speed, head-to-head traffic conflict
scenarios (common in strong western conditions). 60-seconds of lead time was suggested as a
target. Provide access to FlarmID or FlarmNet CN in order to preempt conflict and/or coordinate
evasive action is these scenarios.

Important points to notice:

Revisit in January, and all rules proposals are finalized when presented to SSA board of directors. RC is a reasonable bunch, they listen to personal emails (written politely) and RAS (politeness is a lost cause on RAS, but helps your point get through). If you're really steamed, you can also write your SSA director.

Even the RC is conflicted, with a 3-2 vote.

Indeed, the plan includes an effort to rewrite stealth in time for 2016 competitions.

John Cochrane.