Perhaps some of the readers here (if there are any left) aren't clear on just what the differences are between US and IGC rules.

1. Units. IGC rules specify kilometers, meters. If you're serious about practicing IGC rules, switch out your instruments. This is serious. At least one US pilot missed a podium from miles vs. km switch

2. Scoring formula. This is the big one. As the number of landouts increase, both US and international rules give more distance points and less speed points. The IGC switch is much stronger, so that by the time you have 100% landouts (including slow finishers) you are fighting for 1000 distance points.

This has major strategic implications. Depending on the number of landouts, you change from "speed mode" to "distance mode." It's what makes sticking with the gaggle, and playing start roulette even to the point of guranteed landout, more important at worlds. The reward for being the only finisher is much smaller. The penalty for being the only landout is much more severe.

One consequence is that you really need a team captain on the ground relaying landout information. Another consequence is that you land out more often and really need a crew or a motor.

The scoring formula also leads to some weirdness. It is sometimes advantageous to deliberately land out just short of the airport. Again, you need deep understanding of the rules and a captain to pull this off.

Fortunately, many at the IGC are starting to recognize that this scoring formula is behind many problems, and they might fix it. That will lead to major changes in tactics. Teams who are really good at the tactics that exploit the pathologies of the scoring formula will likely object.

3. Start and finish. These are minor, but the geometry is different. IGC has limited altitude starts with no 2 minute rule. Hence wind up inside the cloud and dive under the line works. If you don't want to do that, watch out for the other guys who do. Unlimited altitude option means getting into cloud and wave are possiblities.

The typical finish now allows speed points for a landout a few miles from the airport. This too is a technique to practice. Hmm.


4. Communication. Team flying is allowed, and ground to air communication is allowed. Right now, teams are assembling ground based flarm receivers to relay long distance information. Needless to say you need a dedicated weather person.

Pilot to pilot communication is now allowed at US regionals, and seems not to be a big issue. I don't see why we don't allow more communication at nationals.

The big difference is not in the rules. The worlds tend to call more assigned tasks than we do, and they tend to fly in more hopeless weather than we do. Like in the US, there are a lot more points to be made on the turn area task days when people go their own way. If there were demand for it, it would be easy enough to call longer assigned tasks in the rain in the US too..

European contests in general attract far larger numbers of gliders. As in last post, that's a huge difference.

Most smaller countries don't try to have nationals in every class. If we wanted a large contest experience, we should do what they do, and have national contests that mix FAI classes with water and handicaps. That option exists in both our rules and IGC rules.

Most of IGC rules are not really rules, but the details are left to local procedures. Someone has to write those.

On many issues the IGC rules are more a set of guidelines. The US rules are much more precise about times, protests, and so forth.

Yes, the IGC doesn't have MAT, but in response to much complaining the unrestricted or one turnpoint MAT is not much used in US nationals. I've had some great MAT flights, like a nearly 1000k ridge flight at Mifflin, under MAT rules.

John Cochrane BB