Hard Deck

‘Nuther consideration. Rules simplification has been a concern of many contest pilots, and thus the rules committee, for years. I can’t imagine how many cosine thetas John Good would have to pull out of his MIT hat to make this hard deck business lawyer proof and executable by Guy Byars our scoring “guy.�

Karl Striedieck

It's not hard. Here is what is needed. The current rule

5.6.2.3 The CD may declare additional airspace to be closed.

All that is needed is one more sentence.

5.6.2.3 The CD may declare additional airspace to be closed, and may specify penalties for such airspace. The provisions of this rule can be used to set minimum MSL altitudes in some or all of the task area, and to score pilots as landing out if they descent below such altitudes.

Period. That is all that is needed.

As for the scoring program, it works just like restricted airspace now. Put in an SUA file, the scoring program says "warning, entry to restricted airspace" and the scorer can ether put in a penalty, or in the "edit flight log" box enter the current position as the scored landing position.

One may dislike the rule, but it is not complex to write or to administer.

John Cochrane

The CD can do this...........the CD can do that..........how many of you guys have paid you'd dues and spent a week in the CD barel? I have CD'd 3 nats and more regionals than I can remember and believe me your good old CD's plate is overflowing. He's already reviewing motorglider traces to see if they motored directly to the designated release area and didn't just motor around looking for the best thermal in town. He's reviewing all traces on a thunderstorm day to see if anyone logged a little unauthorized IFR time .............yes, this happened! I reported it, but nothing was done and by the end of the week at least 4 guys did it..........I know because they told me they iced up!
Sorry about my little rant, I feel much better now,
JJ

On Tuesday, 30 January 2018 18:26:23 UTC-7, wrote:
The CD can do this...........the CD can do that..........how many of you guys have paid you'd dues and spent a week in the CD barel? I have CD'd 3 nats and more regionals than I can remember and believe me your good old CD's plate is overflowing. He's already reviewing motorglider traces to see if they motored directly to the designated release area and didn't just motor around looking for the best thermal in town. He's reviewing all traces on a thunderstorm day to see if anyone logged a little unauthorized IFR time .............yes, this happened! I reported it, but nothing was done and by the end of the week at least 4 guys did it..........I know because they told me they iced up!
Sorry about my little rant, I feel much better now,
JJ

Thanks JJ, I posted earlier a similar comment, The CD can do this, the scorer can check this and manually do this, the organizers can create a SUA file etc.

If it cannot be automated and simply implemented then it will be a burden to the contest folks.

KISS please

He's reviewing all traces on a thunderstorm day to see if anyone logged a little unauthorized IFR time ............yes, this happened! I reported it, but nothing was done and by the end of the week at least 4 guys did it...........I know because they told me they iced up!
Sorry about my little rant, I feel much better now,
JJ

Cloud flying isn't a big deal for those, like me, who learned to fly in Britain and South Africa where it is permitted. I still do it occasionally when safe to do so.

Here in the USA, my observation in contests is that no-one observes required FAR minima around clouds - in a strong thermal every pilot will keep climbing until their upper wing disappears into the wispies. I have seen many pilots enter cloud, including climbing into them, flying through them, over them and round them! Although against the rules (and possibly dangerous) it is almost never punished.

Perhaps the rules committee could come up with a formula to deal with this little problem (a challenge for our dismal scientist!).

Mike

The RC did partially address flying too close to clouds, at least pre start.. The top of the start gate is supposed to be set 500 feet below cloudbase. CDs don't frequently follow the guidance. Out on course.. well, there is no way to do this as simple as the hard deck. And, let's not invent problems that aren't there. In the wispies before start is indeed a problem. There have not been any accidents due to misbehavior of this sort on course, nor any charges that people are winning contests by seriously dangerous behavior. Not perfect, but let's leave well enough alone.

Where this is contentious is the ban on cloud flying instruments. Start a new thread if we want to tear that one up some more.

John Cochrane