Silver Badge Fun (?)

On 9 Jul 2003 12:41:55 -0700, (Kirk Stant)
wrote:

While on the subject of badges, I wonder why we don't have any speed
badges to go with the distance ones - since speed is what is now one
of the main objectives of XC soaring. Something like 50 kph (30 mph)
over 50 km for Silver Speed, 100 kph (60mph) over 150 km for Gold
Speed, and 150 kph (90 mph) over 300 km for Diamond Speed.

Interesting idea. Sounds fun too.

We sort of have that in the UK at a fairly low level: there's a
national 100 km diploma which has two parts. Part (a) is just doing
the 100 km task and part (b) requires a handicapped speed of greater
than 65 kph, using the standard BGA glider handicapping.

OTOH, although you can get away with being slow for the 300 km
Gold/Diamond Goal flight, I'd have thought its self limiting after
that: you just can't do 500 km or further unless you've learnt to fly
fast.


--
martin@ : Martin Gregorie
gregorie : Harlow, UK
demon :
co : Zappa fan & glider pilot
uk :

X-no-archive: yes
In article , Martin Gregorie
writes
I'm certain there are hang overs from the old days, but under the
current rules you can do the distance with an uncalibrated barograph
and witnesses to the take-off and landing. The barograph is only there
to make sure you didn't get a relight along the way.

That is just the point! The soaring performance is just as valid if it
is done with a Flight Recorder or with Camera & Barograph. The rules
have to allow for both.

Declarations: It is the last declaration before Takeoff that is the only
valid declaration, It does not matter if it is a Paper Declaration or an
Electronic Declaration, both do/should have a Time/date stamp (but make
sure that any paper declaration has the time zone as well as the time),
and the latest one is the one and only true declaration. If you happen
to declare something inadvertently by a bad attack of button pushing,
then you have only yourself to blame.

It would seem from the experience of the originator of this thread that
at least part of the failure was due to his peers not giving sufficient
instruction on the do's and Don'ts required to verify the flight. There
is a basic assumption that a pre-silver pilot (except Al) does not have
an in depth understanding of the requirements and it is up to whoever
briefs him/her on the flight to advise on who preparations to make.

If you get it wrong on a Silver attempt (which is fairly easy to do
again) you should learn how to get it right for more difficult flights.

Tim Newport-Peace

"Indecision is the Key to Flexibility."

At 16:48 09 July 2003, Mark James Boyd wrote:

snip


If you think the 50km undeclared flight to a landing
is
wrong and would like this eliminated, I'd understand,
and this would make the rules consistent. Then
there is a goal flight required in the Silver just
like
the Gold (which very specifically says pre-declared

O&R or triangle).


Are you saying that the 300km straight distance flight
no longer qualifies for gold distance? The last sentence
above describes a diamond goal flight as well as a
gold distance flight.

Running out of memory is from the %^&** pilot not clearing the memory
before the flight. I set it for 9 second intervals and get 24 hours or
so I think.

So make sure the logger doesn't have any courses in it,
make sure you have enough battery power for the flight (or
seperate power source), and make sure you've cleared the
memory so there is some for the flight. Surprisingly
complex, not just a "turn it on and everything
will be fine" deal.

I can't wait for eTrex or Garmin to make
one with oooodles of memory, doesn't use much battery,
uses WAAS so no calibration, and has a good interface (that
doesn't auto-declare either). Oh and does .igc real well.
And costs $200.

In article , says...

Running out of memory is from the %^&** pilot not clearing the memory
before the flight. I set it for 9 second intervals and get 24 hours or
so I think.

So make sure the logger doesn't have any courses in it,
make sure you have enough battery power for the flight (or
seperate power source), and make sure you've cleared the
memory so there is some for the flight. Surprisingly
complex, not just a "turn it on and everything
will be fine" deal.

Some flight recorders, such as the Cambridge units, don't require the
flight traces to be deleted, but simply start overwriting the oldest
ones. Also, the recorder automatically records only during flight
(plus a minute or two before and after), so it won't run out memory
even if it's left on before and after the flight. And, at least for
the "secure" recorders, there is no need to keep it powered after
landing while waiting for your OO to show up. So, at least for the
Cambridge recorders, it is a "turn it on and everything will be fine"
deal. In fact, I have my recorder switch on with the master switch so
I can't forget to turn it on.
--
!Replace DECIMAL.POINT in my e-mail address with just a . to reply
directly

Eric Greenwell
Richland, WA (USA)

On Wed, 9 Jul 2003 10:15:05 -0700, "Al"
wrote:

Thats part of it Mark.

At the end of the day you fly for your own satisfaction.
If getting badges is your bag baby then so be it.

Mine is just the shear fun excitement and fear involved in long distance
flying with a bit of Acro thrown in for fun.

Al

I am perpetually amazed at how the speech enabled chimpanzees of Sol
III keep erecting artifical hoops for themselves to jump through. Most
of these hoops have little to do with the real task at hand. It's as
if the physical universe isn't difficult enough as it is.

Mike

In article ,
says...
Third attempt

It was the day after the 5 hour flight. Figured out how to
declare electronically. Got off tow, flew the out and return
total over 160+ km. Didn't have a landing witness. Apparently
towpilot verifying the logger is in the glider and then
towing and releasing is not enough.


This should have qualified as well. I don't believe the landing
witness has to actually see you land.

When using GPS flight recorders, IGC requires the witness to see your
takeoff and landing, and record the time and location on the runway
that you lifted off and set down. The witness doesn't have to be the
official observer, but someone acceptable to them. The idea, I
believe, is to have at least two points of actual observation (a
reality check so to speak) to match to the flight file.

Personally, I'd like the requirement to be changed to only one
observed point for badges, at least for 500K and below. The tow pilot
can usually serve as the witness at the start; and it avoids the
problems of getting a witness at the landing, when you might land off-
field or at a different airport, or after everyone has gone home.

I find the simplest thing to do is to seal the recorder to the glider
in accordance with IGC procedures, then the OO doesn't have to be
present for the landing or takeoff, as control of the recorder is
assured by the sealing.
--
!Replace DECIMAL.POINT in my e-mail address with just a . to reply
directly

Eric Greenwell
Richland, WA (USA)

aren't electronics fun... just do it the old fashion way.. with cameras and
baro..

can't help a baro spring breaking during calibration.. Sh%% happens..

your crew finding you at the remote airport is not a "landing witness"??
hmmm

BT

"Mark James Boyd" wrote in message
...
I really think that a pilot who flies from release
to a point more than 50km away should get Silver
distance (as long as that point meets the altitude
loss requirements).

I also think it's probably so hard to falsify an
.IGC file that verifying the logger and the pilot
are in the plane for takeoff can be an alternate
method instead of needing a landing witness.



My first Silver badge attempt

flew to an airport 55km away. Circled for an
hour waiting for the tow/retrieve pilot to
show up and witness the landing. Sent in the
paperwork, sent the baro for calibration. Baro spring
broke during calibration. Couldn't calibrate.

Second attempt

Volklogger auto-declared some random course for me. Invalidated
previous declaration on paper. Flew 5+ hours, furthest point
was 80+ km away. Came back and landed. Sent in paperwork.
Got altitude and duration only, no distance. (Fortunately
the logger altimeter calibrated fine).

Third attempt

It was the day after the 5 hour flight. Figured out how to
declare electronically. Got off tow, flew the out and return
total over 160+ km. Didn't have a landing witness. Apparently
towpilot verifying the logger is in the glider and then
towing and releasing is not enough.

Fourth attempt

Took off for an out and return of 300km. Made it halfway,
then started back and landed out about 60+ km from off tow.
Since I got off tow at 2800, despite hovering over the
landout at 5000 for a while, at landing there was too
much altitude loss. No Silver distance.

Fifth attempt

Plugged the logger in, then got the declaration signed.
Flew a 120km+ triangle just as declared, including 10K+
altitude gain. Since the more recent declaration (written)
counted and the flight was completed, and one leg was greater
than 50km, it counted for silver distance. Observer watched
the landing (but had to wait around to witness it).

Does this seem a little complex?

I got my Silver about a week ago at AirSailing x-c camp in Nevada.
There's no fancy equipment in my LS-4, so I did it the old fashioned
way with a barograph, official observer, etc. Meeting all the
requirements seemed important, so I put some energy into getting them
right. I'd like to say the distance/altitude was a piece of cake, but
I was flying a good glider in good conditions -- not everyone is so
fortunate.

I suppose as xcountry flights go, the Silver is a baby step, but for a
low time pilot like myself, it was a big deal. I think Silver is
really about cutting the aprion strings to Mother Airport -- I know
there was a lump in my throat as I made the big leap across Highway
80. From there on, I was amazed at how easy it was.

The 5.5 hour flight gave me a pain in my right arm (from tight
thermalling), a lot of time to appreciate the high desert country, and
a tremendous sense of satisfaction when I came down.

When I first started flying I thought badges were stupid, but I no
longer feel that way. Badges are good clear markers along the route to
becoming a competent pilot. They help to tell you where you are (so
long as you don't get hung up on that). I don't fly for badges, but I
like to fly with something concrete in mind, and sometimes that's a
badge.

Flying seems completely different to me after completing Silver. It's
not that I'm a good x-country pilot (I'm not), but I'm heading off in
a new direction with a lot of fascinating new stuff to master, and
I've got a big enthusiasm for it.

check out www.lvcm.com/btiz for a Silver Cross country and a Gold Distance
Attempt (Jean to Lone Pine)

BT

"Matt Herron" wrote in message
om...
I got my Silver about a week ago at AirSailing x-c camp in Nevada.
There's no fancy equipment in my LS-4, so I did it the old fashioned
way with a barograph, official observer, etc. Meeting all the
requirements seemed important, so I put some energy into getting them
right. I'd like to say the distance/altitude was a piece of cake, but
I was flying a good glider in good conditions -- not everyone is so
fortunate.

I suppose as xcountry flights go, the Silver is a baby step, but for a
low time pilot like myself, it was a big deal. I think Silver is
really about cutting the aprion strings to Mother Airport -- I know
there was a lump in my throat as I made the big leap across Highway
80. From there on, I was amazed at how easy it was.

The 5.5 hour flight gave me a pain in my right arm (from tight
thermalling), a lot of time to appreciate the high desert country, and
a tremendous sense of satisfaction when I came down.

When I first started flying I thought badges were stupid, but I no
longer feel that way. Badges are good clear markers along the route to
becoming a competent pilot. They help to tell you where you are (so
long as you don't get hung up on that). I don't fly for badges, but I
like to fly with something concrete in mind, and sometimes that's a
badge.

Flying seems completely different to me after completing Silver. It's
not that I'm a good x-country pilot (I'm not), but I'm heading off in
a new direction with a lot of fascinating new stuff to master, and
I've got a big enthusiasm for it.