Those of you following the thread on COTS for GPS loggers with (I hope) some
amusement may be interested to know that I'm coming up with a Plan B - let's
call it the Treasure of Sierra Madre Gambit ("Badges - we don't need no
stinkin' badges").* The logic of the TSMG is essentially as follows:

1. COTS loggers are becoming increasingly acceptable to local governing
bodies (e.g. the Soaring Society of America, Gliding Federation of
Australia) for contests and records, even up to the national level in some
cases.

2. IGC "approved" loggers are therefore becoming a smaller market appealing
only to those in international competition, FAI badge flying, and in nations
where "approved" loggers are required for their competitions. Given a
decreasing market and fixed production costs, prices can only go up. In
the past, many of the most strident supporters of excess security and
complexity have stood to gain financially - clear conflict of interest.

3. Local governing bodies are already charged with administering the FAI
Badge process. Although the standards are handed down, the cost of
administration and processing are borne at the local level. This means that
a lot of the talent to deal with this issues already exists outside of the
IGC.

4. The value of badges in particular is primarily one of personal
achievement, especially for the entry-level badges. The impact of abuse
from a financial or other perspective is minimal, limited primarily to the
conscience of the abuser.

Therefore, I will be submitting a proposal to the SSA that the United States
break away from the FAI badge program insofar as the requirement for "Secure
Loggers" is concerned. All other aspects, including the standards for the
various badges, rules, etc. would be followed, with the possible exception
of Altitude Measurement. The net result would be that SSA badges would
indicate the same achievements as the "official" FAI badges, but they would
not be internationally sanctioned.

I want to be perfectly clear that this would certainly cause some serious
repercussions, and I have yet to think through all of them. A few obvious
ones:

1. Given a shrinking market, developing secure loggers according to existing
IGC standard might become commercially prohibitive, resulting in some
"issues" for world competition and records.

2. Ideally, a separate "breakaway republic" of like-minded local governing
bodies would agree on standards which might then be re-introduced to the IGC
with a chance of getting passed.

3. The dissention and animosity created in this approach might lead to a
situation as has happened in the US between various automobile racing
organizations (splinter factions and a general decrease in the popularity of
that sort of racing).

4. There does need to be a standard for COTS security and process, and
these would need to address the same issues as the current IGC approved
loggers. However, by removing the entrenched bureaucracy, these standards
should be developed and released within months, not years.

5. Some very dedicated, talented, hard-working individuals might be
alienated and say to hell with all of this. This would be a loss, but there
are many more equally talented people just waiting in the wings who lack
only the political "legitimacy" of the IGC stamp.

Maybe the above will stir the pot a bit....


*Note: This is a famous American movie (based on a book of the same name)
with a now legendary scene in which a Mexican bandit utters the above
statement. Astute observers might comment that my approach would be better
called the George Bush Gambit, but I think the connotation there might be
fatal to future international cooperation.