2007 Region Nine Regional Contest: Finally

[lplehmann]

2007 REGION NINE CHAMPIONSHIP
(March 17-May 28)
PLUS
2007 REGION NINE YEARLONG X-C CONTEST
January1-December 1, 2007
INTRODUCTION
The 2007 Regional Championship will once again be a weekend cross-country contest, however this year there are considerable changes in the format. The reduction in flexwing classes is a result of the generally smaller participation in the contest over the past few years. Along those lines, if there is no increase in Paragliding or Rigid wing numbers, they too will be eliminated in any future contest.

The change in the scoring format is motivated by a desire to employ the newly available scoring tools to increase the contest’s sophistication. Gliders and pilots are far more capable than they once were, with the consequence that downwind cross-country flights are becoming increasingly constrained by geographic and airspace limitations. The new HOLC scoring format enables one to fairly score a variety of different types of flights, flights that can be accomplished despite airspace and geographic limits.

Those completely unfamiliar with HOLC might want to wade through some of what Davis Straub has posted on the OZ Report.

http://ozreport.com/11.047#2

I must emphasize that while we will be using the HOLC format for scoring, you are not required to enter the HOLC on-line contest. For fun, I would encourage all of you to do so, but it is not mandatory. And, to be honest, it is a bit confusing at the present time due to the fact that there are several competing contests.

For those unfamiliar with the process of downloading and saving flights as igc files, I would advise that they download from the web a free utility program, G7ToWin that will then download and save igc files from just about any gps that I know of. It can be found at,

http://www.gpsinformation.org/ronh/g7towin.htm

To the extent that my history-major technical skills allow it, I will gladly assist any of you in your struggles with downloading issues.


Finally, the employment of these new rules is experimental, and inevitably ambiguities and loopholes will become apparent. Please be patient.

Thanks,
Pete Lehmann

SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES FOR 2007

The changes are,

1. Reflecting reduced participation, the number of Flex-wing classes has been reduced to two:
a. Sport Class contains pilots who have flown less than fifty miles.
b. Open Class contains pilots who have flown fifty miles or better.
2. Distance measurement:
a. Sport Class pilots lacking a suitable gps may still resort to the traditional straight-line measurement rules as stated below. However, they are strongly urged to use a gps in the manner of the other classes as straight line distances will be disadvantaged. Winners will be chosen on the basis of the most MILES (either straight-line or HOLC calculated).
b. Open, Paraglider, and Rigid competitors must use a data-logging gps capable of being downloaded and transformed into the .igc format. That igc file will then be evaluated a flight analysis software to produce an HOLC calculated distance and assigned point total. The point total reflects the program’s use of multipliers for difficulty. In other words, out-and-returns, and triangles will be more valuable than their straight-line equivalent distances. Winners will be chosen on the basis of the most HOLC-calculated POINTS

Contest flights must contain at least one leg with a minimum length of 10 miles. Multiple laps will not be allowed.

Flights are no longer limited to sixty miles.


SAFETY ADVISORY
XC flying is a special type of flying that requires specific skills to be accomplished safely. The critical cross-country skills are landing skills. If you have doubts about your ability to chose and assess possible landing fields, and safely deal with the unexpected conditions encountered going into an unknown LZ, don't go cross-country. If you are whacking landings in your home lzs, places with wind streamers and familiar approaches, you have no business going XC. Period.

Neither this nor any other contest is worth getting hurt. Be careful.

REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RULES
1. DATES: WEEKENDS FROM MARCH 17-MAY 28 including Good Friday (April 6) and Memorial Day (May 28).
You may enter the contest after March 17, but your flights will only count from the day of the postmark on your entry form (or an email notice of intent to participate).
2. PERMITTED LAUNCH SITES: Contestants may launch from anywhere in Region Nine, plus from the following sites which are the principal launches of Region Nine pilots living on the periphery of the Region: Laughery Creek, IN; the Toledo,OH area tow sites over the border in Indiana; Redwing Airport in Jobstown, NJ; Santinis, Manukachunk, and Skytop in NJ, and Katydid, NY. Tow launches are limited to a maximum release height of 3,000 above the tow strip. Distance measurements are from the point at which the tow starts on the ground.
3. ELIGIBILITY: The contest is open to any current Intermediate or better USHPA pilot flying a class 1,2,or 3 hang glider. Membership in Sport class is defined as pilots who have flown less than 50 miles anywhere east of the Mississippi prior to March 15. All Class One flexwing pilots will also be ranked in the Open class. Bi-wingual pilots may fly both types of wings but will be scored in two separate classes. Paragliders and Rigid wings will, subject to adequate participation (five entrants/class), be scored separately and without further sub-division.
When relevant, the top-placing pilots whose address of record is in Region Nine on the contest's opening day will be considered for the Region's slots in the Nationals.
4. FLYING DAYS AND PERSONAL SCHEDULING: All flights are to be made on weekends, including Good Friday and Memorial Day. Pilots who work on weekends may fly on their regularly scheduled off-days whenever, and however irregularly they may occur up to a maximum of twenty-four days over the length of the contest. This implies an honor system for those pilots as I cannot verify that they didn't change their schedules to get a crack at a good XC day, or that they didn't have more than twenty-four days off. Expect to hear from me if you submit three contest-winning Wednesday flights.
Pilots who miss contest days due to previously scheduled absences may re-schedule make-up days subject to the limitations below. It is the pilot's responsibility to contact me and make arrangements for make-up days.
MAKE-UP DAYS must be scheduled at least four days in advance. In addition, no pilot may have more than four consecutive days in any seven-day period. After re-scheduling missed days, one can have the following maximum number of flying days in each month: March (6); April (11); and May, (10). This means that if you miss days in one month you will have only the limited flexibility of using one or two extra days during each of the three flying months.
5. PERMISSIBLE FLIGHTS: Distance measurement:
a. Sport Class pilots lacking a suitable gps may still resort to the traditional straight-line measurement rules as stated below. However, they are strongly urged to use a gps in the manner of the other classes as straight line distances will be disadvantaged.
Straight-line distances can be measured from launch (or the beginning of a tow on the ground) to landing location. With camera, GPS, or witness confirmation pilots may use a remote start point after hill launches (not tow launches).
b. Open, Paraglider, and Rigid competitors must use a data-logging gps capable of being downloaded and transformed into the .igc format. That igc file will then be evaluated by means of flight analysis software to produce an HOLC-calculated distance and assigned point total. The point total reflects the program’s incorporation of multipliers for difficulty. In other words, out-and-returns, and triangles will be more valuable to achieve than their straight-line equivalent distances.

Contest flights must contain at least one leg with a minimum length of 10 miles. Multiple laps will not be allowed.

6. FLIGHT REGISTRATION: Upon completion of a flight, download and save the tracklog on your computer as an igc file. You may immediately e-mail me that .igc file, and I will score and save it. Or, you may choose to wait until the contest is over before sending me the igc files of your three best flights no later than June 15. I will send all contestants a reminder shortly before the end of the contest.
In the event of very close results, I reserve the right to conduct my own measurements, and they will be final.

7. WINNER DETERMINATION:
-Winners of the Sport Class will be determined by the largest total MILES accumulated in three flights.
-Winners of all other classes will be according to the largest total of HOLC POINTS awarded for three flights.

The tie-breaker will be the single-longest flight.

There will be plaques for the first three places in all classes, and I will submit to Hang Gliding an article detailing the results.
8. ENTRY FEE: $15

2007 YEARLONG REGION NINE X-C CONTEST RULES
This contest provides recognition for the single longest flight in Region Nine. It is common that there will be different winners in the two contests. The Regionals, with its three flights and the sixty-mile flight limit, measures consistency, while the Yearlong contest emphasizes attitude. Ya gotta be there, ya gotta go a long way, and, ya gotta be a bit lucky. Winners will receive award certificates and achieve immortality in the pages of Hang Gliding magazine. Distances will be measured using the HOLC software.
ELIGIBILITY: There’s no formal requirement to enter this contest. All pilots entered in the Regionals are automatically entered in this one too.

If you intend to enter ONLY this contest, please fill out and email/mail/fax me the Entry Form. It is not required that you do so, but it makes it less likely that I will miss including your long flight in the results.
SITES: Anywhere in Region Nine plus the exceptions listed in the Regional's rules.
DATES: January 1-December 1, 2007
NO FEE

[mcelrah]

Thanks, Pete. Since I am encouraging you to keep doing this, guess I had better participate. There will be an extra level of complexity in downloading my GPS to a Mac, right? (Worse than history - I majored in religion!) I also need a tutorial on how to make my GPS plot the start and end point and the cookie crumbs in between, housekeeping of the track files, etc. This would be cumbersome on line, but if there is a volunteer who is willing to go over it with me face-to-face with the GPS in hand, I would appreciate it. All I really use the GPS for in hang-gliding at present is ground speed so I have an idea of the direction and velocity of the wind and speed made good over my intended course... - Hugh

[deveil]

There will be an extra level of complexity in downloading my GPS to a Mac, right? - Hugh

a mac? extra level of complexity?
probably just create a file folder on the desktop,
plug the device in and its icon will appear on the desktop,
drag-and-drop the contents into the desktop folder.
it's then on the computer and you can open it with any progam you want (again, drag and drop).

[deveil]

There will be an extra level of complexity in downloading my GPS to a Mac, right? - Hugh

a mac? extra level of complexity?
probably just create a file folder on the desktop,
plug the device in and its icon will appear on the desktop,
drag-and-drop the contents into the desktop folder.

if you just drop it onto the 'desktop' itself, the contents will probably dissappear once you unplug the device. i do this with cameras and music and stuff all the time. don't even need the devices software programs

it's then on the computer and you can open it with any progam you want (again, drag and drop).

if you've got a newer mac with the intel chip, and you want to be on the 'same page' with everyone else, you can even buy and run the windows operating system itself, straight up. beware, you're computer would then have the same susceptiblilities to all the viruses, worms and junk of a 'windows pc'. but you probably don't even need to go there.
besides, mike chivalry (sp? ) will probably pop on here and then you'll have the straight dope from someone who knows the whole 'skinny'.

[mcelrah]

Chevalier? I thought he was a carpenter?! Duh, do I have a USB cable for my GPS? - Hugh

[deveil]

Chevalier? I thought he was a carpenter?! Duh, do I have a USB cable for my GPS? - Hugh

so was 'you know who'. you got something against carpenters? what is this - carpenter profiling?

[mchevalier]

Get MacGPS. I used it for years with OS 9, it was easy. You'll have to make or buy a cable, not difficult or expensive. Haven't tried it on OS X yet.

Once carpenter, always a carpenter, it's a way of life.

[mcelrah]

MChevalier - Maurice? "Mimi, you little good for nothing, Mimi! Am I the guy?" "Oui, nous n'avon pas de banane."

There s a Jean-Paul Chevalier HG pilot in Albuquerque - used to drive sailplanes in Maryland...

Hiya, Mike! Care for some visitors this summer? - Hugh

[Flying Lobster]

Posted my response to the wrong thread--see the GPS 76 thread.

marc

[mchevalier]

I'm up for visitors. Very few visitors so far. The best time to fly here would actually be in September, things can be a bit rough during the summer. Villa Grove launch is about 45 minutes away and most pilots say is the best site in the state. Launch is at 9600, LZ is big and at 8000ft. Gotta have it together with the landings. Haven't flown yet this year, I think the snow has probably melted off enough but the road has washed out and we need to work on it first. Mike

[mcelrah]

OK, man, some talk about a trip in the early fall. Ya, high altitude launches and landings are different! even at 7k/5500. I'll work on the GPS stuff... - Hugh
P.S. Sleeting here - probably make us hike up the back of Woodstock this weekend...

[John Simon]

Hi Pete,
thanks for running the comp again! I'll be signing up hoping to get some miles in this spring. Anyone even mildly interested please sign up, it's too much fun.

Take care,

John