View Single Post
  #8  
Old January 12th 15, 10:59 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
John Cochrane[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 351
Default Minutes of Fall 2014 USA Rules Committee meeting posted on SSA website

The Iphones really aren't the problem. Flight computers with AHRS, miniaturized ones you can keep in your pocket, and the fact you can cloud fly with a fast update moving map GPS is the problem. We had a bunch of wildly complex rules about disabling AHRS in flight computers, which nobody was paying any attention to. The clamor for simpler rules is also loud.

VFR flight only is expressly part of the rules and philosophy.

No voice or data communication from people on the ground will be a clear and explicit part of the rules and philosophy.

As you said, we have to rely on unsportsmanlike conduct for these. Writing rules and enforcement procedures to ban carriage of the equipment is just not feasible any more. If you're going to have a crew sending up data, and you start winning contests, you're going to have to put a lot of effort in to keeping it a secret.

BB