Todd,
You are absolutely correct that the pilot,
not the instrument, makes the declaration. Nevertheless,
'electronic declarations' do exist and are accepted
by the FAI. And the content of a full declaration
includes the date of flight, not just the date at which
the pilot defined the task. Quoting from my Colibri
manual 'the selected task is automatically declared
after takeoff'. This declaration, even though it is
implemented by the instrument, is acceptable for FAI
purposes. So if it exists, it is the latest declaration.
Agreed, the pilot may make paper declarations after
entering the FR task but before the flight, but if
he wants to make the paper declaration valid it is
his responsibility to deselect or disable the electronic
one prior to takeoff. And since the FR data is required
to document the flight, it is hard to pretend that
any associated electronic declaration does not exist.

I guess that if someone really wanted to flex the
spirit of the rules, he could carry a sheaf of paper
declarations and have several FRs running, then decide
after takeoff which one he wanted to use today - then
the latest declaration would be the one in the pilot's
head as he started his task, or maybe what he recalled
postflight as his last pre-start intention ??

Soaring season must be winding down.

Ian




At 23:06 15 October 2004, Todd Pattist wrote:
Ian Cant wrote:

In the case of the Colibri, the declaration is made
automatically when logging starts, which is when you
reach forty knots or so on the takeoff roll. A little
hard to make [and photograph ?] a paper declaration
after that..?
Ian

Only a pilot can make a declaration, not a Colibri.
The
declaration was made when the pilot entered data into
the
Colibri. That declaration could be superseded by a
subsequent paper or electronic declaration, regardless
of
what the Colibri does at 'forty knots or so on the
takeoff
roll.' :-)
Todd Pattist - 'WH' Ventus C
(Remove DONTSPAMME from address to email reply.)