CIVL 2018 PLENARY - HANG GLIDING COMMITTEE REPORT JamieShelden

SummaryofActivitySinceLastPlenary

HGWorlds–Brasilia:Thecommittee,alongwiththeStewardandBureaumanagednumerousissuesrelatedtothelocalregulations,includingairspacechanges,airspaceviolationpenalties,staffingmatters,allocationroundsandvariousqualificationandexemptionandsportinglicenseissues.Registrationandallocationwasslowanddifficultattimesduetothelackofauniformonlineregistrationsystem.Inaddition,therewereissueswiththeappointedscreeningcommitteehavingdifficultiesmakingdecisionsonmultipleexemptionrequests.Ultimately,mostexemptionsweredenied.Also,justpriortotheeventitself,thecommitteeandBureauhadtoaddressthequestionofmultipleBrasilianpilotsregisteringtocompeteforothernations.

HGWomen’sWorlds–Brasilia–Adecisionwasmadeduringthe2017Plenarytoallowforaseparatewomen’stitleduringthe“open”worldsatBrasiliaiftherewereenoughwomen(8womenfromatleast4countries).However,itappearedbeforetheeventthattherewouldnotbeatleast8womenregistered,sothedecisionwasmadetoallowthewomenthatdidregistertocompetefortheirteamsintheopenchampionship.ItishopedthattherewillbeabidcomingfromFYR Macedoniaforacompletelystand-alonewomen’schampionshipinthenearfuture.Ihavebeenintouchwithapotentialmajorsponsorforawomen’sonlyeventanditishopefulthatthiscompanywillparticipateatsomelevelinthenextwomen’sworlds.

CreationofsoftwareworkinggrouptodealwithIGCspecifications:Whilethisisprimarilyasoftwarematter,theissuearoselastyearregardingtheneedforapublishedlistofinstrumentsthatwouldbeacceptedatCategory1events.AworkinggroupwascreatedandtheyhavepreparedanIGCspecificationdocumentaswellasanever-evolvinglistofacceptedinstruments.Therewasdiscussionamongstthecommitteeofreleasingthelist(althoughstillverymuchinprogress)priortotheHGworldsinBrasiliatocertainhanggliding“media”sothatpilotswouldbeawareofwhethertheirinstrumentswerecompliantforuseattheworlds.Nolistwaspublishedatthetimethough.

MinimumNumbersforCategory2Events:TherehasbeendiscussioninthecommitteeofSection7rulechangeregardingminimumnumbersinCategory2competitions.AproposalwaspresentedandapprovedatthePlenaryin2015.However,therulechangewasinadvertentlynotincludedintheSection7update.Anotherproposalhasbeensubmittedforthe2018Plenaryandwillverylikelybeapprovedagainandimplementedthistime.

AustrianGuestFlyingList:Austriareleasedalistofcountriesthatwouldbeincludedinitslistofapproved“guestpilots.”MultipleNACscomplainedaboutnotbeingincludedonthislistandweregiveninstructionsonwhotocontactattheAustrianNACtoaddresstheproblemandseekinclusiononthelist.

DHLPartnership:TheFAIwasapproachedbyarepresentativeofDHLofferingto“partner”withtheCIVLtoprovideassistancetohanggliderpilotsforglidertransporttoBrasiliaforworlds.ThisassistanceapparentlyonlyappliedtoEuropeanpilotsand,asitturnsout,wasnotparticularlyusefulinanyevent.

2018EuropeanHGChampionship:Theplanned2018EuropeanchampionshipsthatwereapprovedforAger,Spainwerecancelledbytheorganizers.WewereveryluckythatFYR MacedoniasteppedupandagreedtohosttheEuropeanchampionshipsagain.ThecommitteeandBureaureceivedandreviewedabidfromFYR Macedonia,approvethebid,setdatesandapprovedlocalregulations.BecausethemostrecentEuroswerehostedbyFYR Macedonia,itwasagreedthatnoformaltesteventwouldberequired.Thedatesaresetforthemaineventthissummerandastewardandjurymembershavebeenappointed.

MinimumnumberoftasksforfullWPRSvalidity:Aproposalwasapprovedatthe2017PlenarytotheWPRSformulavariablerelatedtothenumberoftasksatanygivencompetitionandhowthattasknumbereffectsWPRSvalidity.ThatchangehasbeenimplementedbyJoergEwaldintheappropriatesoftware.

Class2WorldsinFrance:FrancesuccessfullyhostedaworldchampionshipsinClass2(Swift/Archaeopteryx-typegliders).Althoughparticipationwasexpectedlylow,aproposalhasbeenintroducedtothecommitteeforallowingfor“self-launching”Class2glidersanditishopedthatthiswouldincreaseparticipationinfutureevents.

Class1WorldsandTestEventinGemona,Italy:The2019Class1worldswereawardtoItaly.Astewardhasbeenappointedandisworkingwiththeorganizerstopreparethelocalregulationsforthetesteventthissummer.Sofar,thetesteventappearstobeoversubscribed.

DecreasingMaximumPilotsNumbersinCategory1Events:Pilots,delegatesandCIVLofficialsat

theworldsinBrasiliadiscussedpossiblydecreasingthemaximumnumberofpilotsallowedtoenteraCategory1event.Manypilotsandmemberofthecommitteebelievethat150pilotsistoomanyandreducessafety.AproposalhasbeensubmittedbytheUSNACanddiscussedinthecommitteeviaBasecamp.

GliderVisibility:ThecommitteehasbeendiscussingviaBasecampvisibilityofhanggliders.Withnewdarkersailmaterialsbeingused,Class1glidersarebecominglessandlessvisibleandthereisconcernthatmid-aircollisionsaremorelikely,particularlyinCategory1eventswithmanypilots.ThecommitteehasintroducedaproposalforincreasingglidervisibilitybyrequiringCat1organizerstosupply(andmandatetheuseof)highlyvisibleglidernumbersoncompetitors’leadingedges.

StandardizingAirspaceInfringementPenalties:AproposalhasbeendiscussedandsubmittedforconsiderationatthePlenaryregardingstandardizationofairspacepenaltiesinSection7.TheproposalprovidesforagradualpenaltyapproachaswasusedattheworldsinBrasilia.

UpcomingCategory1CompetitionsandBids:

Noneyet.TherewasdiscussionofabidfromMexicoforasportclassworlds.However,nobidwasreceived.