On Sunday, May 14, 2017 at 3:32:23 PM UTC-7, wrote:
-Are LXNAV products with AHRS available by software key allowed? They are not on this list:
-The "restricted device policy" claims there will be a list published of acceptable software. And unacceptable software. That might be useful. Where is it?
-This antique discussion thread implies that XCSoar (which as of 2017 still has a not-very-good AH option) is illegal. Is it? Do I have to run some forked version of it?
-In the year 2017 is anyone in the US competing using XCSoar as a flight computer? On a phone with no SIM card installed?


Since no one here is interested in answering these questions, is there anyone at SSA I should be emailing? Calling? Sending a letter?

The SSA "Guide to Competition" also says exactly nothing about flight computers, instruments, etc....

I do not fly in many contests so I am not an authority, but from what I can tell it is entirely up to the contest organizers to enforce this, and few (or none?) of them do. First, you would need to confiscate everyone's cell phone. I have seen no one using a cheap analog burner phone. Second, anyone with an LX system with the capability would need to demount it and leave it in the car. With an Air Avionics (Butterfly) there is the ability to disable the AHRS for a period of time to include the contest interval. This method has been approved by the SSA. The log generated by the Air Avionics ISU will state whether the AHRS is available for the scorer to see. This is ludicrously easy to defeat: simply turn in a log from another logger.

I have flown in SSA contest with the AHRS available, and made no secret of it. It isn't a piece of safety gear I will willingly defeat. If I use it to escape from a cloud and live to tell the tail, your damn right I am going to be telling the tail around the campfire that night!