Improvements in US Airspace/Airport data at www.soaringdata.info

On Dec 4, 8:11*am, John Cochrane
wrote:
And that's exactly the problem. *Because people find your airspace
files on TP exchange they think they have some "official" status.
they then get to a contest and find the scorer's airspace database
come from a completely different source. Maybe some contest pilots are
not even aware of the issue and won't be until a database difference
costs them a contest day.

I'm not criticizing you Lynn, you are doing a great job of providing a
set of data and John is doing a great job of making it available.
However, contest pilots need to know what database will be used by the
scorer and that exact database needs to be available to all pilots
before the contest starts.

Andy

Most scorers are aware of this, and use John Leibacher's site to
distribute turnpoint and airspace files that they will use during a
contest. They have figured out this saves a long night of pilots lined
up to download files from the scoring computer, complain about
different file formats, and so on.

A big effort to have one "official" airspace file for all US contests
seems like a bad idea, and the current system seems to work pretty
well. Airspace files need to be updated; many computers can't handle
very large files (entire US); contest officials have the right to
impose their own airspace restrictions, and sometimes (by waiver)
remove airspace restrictions; many pilots *like to edit airspace files
for a contest to remove all the clutter that doesn't cost points (moa,
parachutes, etc).

John Cochrane

Never suggested one database for all contests. Just that the official
airspace database for each contest should be be defined and be
available before the contest starts. Talk to QT off line if you don't
think it's been an issue.

Andy

"Andy" wrote in message
...

Never suggested one database for all contests. Just that the official
airspace database for each contest should be be defined and be
available before the contest starts. Talk to QT off line if you don't
think it's been an issue.

This issue is addressed in the 2010 SSA Competition Rules:

5.6.4 Pilot's Kit
At registration, each entrant will receive a package of contest-related
information and documents, as follows:
5.6.4.1 Required

snip

* Designation of the current database versions for control points
(Rule
5.6.1) and closed airspace (Rule 5.6.2)

This rule, or similar wording, has been in the SSA contest rules since 1997.
Unfortunately, not all pilots or contest personnel are as familiar with the
rules as they should be.

Oldtimers can tell you that this is a "Bartell Rule", because it resulted
from an incident involving Bill Bartell at the 1996 USA 15m Nats.

Gary Ittner P7
"Have glider, will race"