The Torrey Pines Classic

On March 29th and 30th 2008

The Torrey Pines Gulls will be hosting the annual F3F slope race at historic Torrey Pines Gliderport. Racing begins at 11:00am both days and goes till the wind quits. All pilots are encouraged to attend. Sign ups begin January 1st. The slope is open to all pilots during the race, however the race course will be closed to all non-participants and frequency priority will be given to the participants. More information can be found by emailing the contest director David Klein at djklein@ucsd.edu.

Come race, volunteer, or spectate, but by all means come have fun.

 

Entry Form

Pilot Roster

Rules and Procedures for the Torrey Pines Classic

Rules

All Site Specific rules take precedent, and supersede any other slope racing rules. All Pilots must have current AMA membership, and carry their current card as proof to the race.


Torrey Pines Gliderport is a special venue. Here, R/C planes must coexist and share airspace with manned aircraft. Special attention must be paid to the airspace.


Spotters-

Every pilot must have a spotter assigned to watch the airspace for the pilot. The pilot roster will be split in two, one half spotting for the other. This order will be established in the pre-contest pilots meeting. For example, with a roster of 30 pilots, the roster will be split into two groups, each with 15 pilots. Pilot #16 will be pilot #1’s spotter; Pilot #17 will be pilot #2’s spotter. When pilot #16 is ready to race, pilot #1 will be the spotter for pilot #16. In the event of an odd number of total pilots, a group of three will be established. During the event, no pilot will be allowed to launch without a clear and present spotter. This buddy system is established in order to ensure an uninterrupted event. Any person can spot for any pilot; this buddy system just ensures that you should have an available pilot.

Additionally, each person operating the turn buzzer is also a spotter. If a hanglider, paraglider, or other aircraft is encroaching on the airspace of the race, the turn judge should remove the cable from the turn signal. This will set off the buzzer at the pilot’s feet, alarming the CD and pilot of the situation.

Radio Impound-

A radio impound will be established for the event. All pilots must turn in their transmitters to the Impound prior to the event. The transmitter can be checked out of the Impound 5 pilots prior to their turn. The transmitter must be returned to impound immediately following the safe landing of their airframe. The Impound is used to insure safe frequency control between contest pilots and local fun fly pilots.

During the race, the Gliderport’s airspace will be open to non racing pilots. The race course and its immediate vicinity is closed for racing. Also, priority for radio frequencies will be given to the race contestants. Sport fliers who wish to fly during the event will have to submit their transmitters to the impound. Their airtime will be worked into each round, between the conflicting pilot’s heats.
 

Safety lines-

Safety is of utmost concern at this event. There will be many spectators, bystanders, paragliders, pilots, models, and children. Safety lines will be established during the pilot’s meeting. No pilots shall fly over the gliderport building or spectators viewing area. All landing patterns will be attempted from the north. Safety violations will not be tolerated. Any pilot deemed to be flying or promoting an unsafe practice will be ejected from the event.
 

Landing area-

A landing area will be established with orange cones. The landing area will be addressed in detail during the pilots meeting. Any landing which occurs outside the landing area will be addressed by a 100 point penalty to the pilots overall score.
 

Procedure-

 

The race will begin with a pilots meeting at 9:00am in the office of the gliderport. All rules and regulations will be discussed. All pilots must complete the Gliderport’s release of liability forms and produce their AMA card. As part of the pilots meeting, all pilots must view the Gliderport’s training video. This will familiarize each pilot with the rules and procedures for gliderport and all of its forms of flight. This is mandatory. Any pilot who is late to the meeting will have to stay after and watch this video.

Upon completion of the pilots meeting, all pilots will be asked to impound their transmitters to the events impound located in the pilots area. See above for details. At 10:15 am all pilots will gather with their airframes for a group photo. This will allow us to take a photo with all of the attending pilots. The race will begin at 10:30 am on Saturday March 29th. We will begin with a zero round in order to even out the wind conditions as well as getting the pilots used to the procedure. There will be a minimum of 2 AMA qualified contest directors running the contest. The contest shall not be flown without a CD in the CD chair, a pilot, a spotter assigned each pilot currently flying, and a spotter/turn judge at each turn. The official contest director for the event will be David J Klein. Any questions concerning rules or procedures should be addresses to him.

As a pilot completes the round, the assigned spotter will walk the pilot back to the landing area. Upon completion of the landing, the pilot will impound his/her transmitter and go directly to one of the turn judge positions. The pilot will go to which ever turn the pilot preceding him didn’t go to. The pilot should then be relieved by the pilot 2 spots behind him. Any pilot ignoring pole duty can be assigned a 50 point penalty by the CD.

The contest shall be run strictly to FAI F3F rules and regulations listed below.

F3F slope racing rules and procedures

CLASS F3F - RADIO CONTROL SLOPE SOARING
Provisional Rules established by the FAI - Effective 2006

 
5.F.1. Definition: This contest is a speed event for radio controlled slope gliders. A minimum of four rounds must be flown. The organizer shall run as many rounds as the conditions and time permit. 5.F.2. Characteristics of Radio Controlled Slope Gliders

Maximum surface area (St) ..............150 dm2 (2330 sq in)

Maximum flying mass .........................5 kg (177 oz)

Loading on St ...........between 12 and 75 g/dm2 (4 – 24.5 oz/sq ft)

Minimum radius of fuselage nose 7,5 mm in all orientations (see F3B nose definition for measuring technique). [Updated 01/2006]

The radio shall be able to operate simultaneously with other equipment at the normally used spacing in the allocated R/C bands, i.e. 72 MHz [USA]

The competitor may use three models in the contest [Updated 12/2001] . The competitor may combine the parts of the models between the rounds provided the resulting model used for flight conforms to the rules and that the parts have been checked before the start of the contest. Addition of ballast (which must be located internally in the model) and/or change of angles of setting are allowed. Variation of geometry or area is allowed only if it is actuated at distance by radio control.

5.F.3. Competitor and Helpers: The competitor (pilot) must operate his radio equipment personally. Each pilot is permitted one helper. The helper is only to assist and advise the pilot until the model is passing Base A for the first time and after the timed flight is completed.

5.F.4. Definition of an Attempt: There is an attempt when the model has left the hands of the pilot or his helper.

5.F.5. Number of Attempts: The pilot has one attempt on each flight. An attempt can be repeated if:

a) the launching attempt is impeded, hindered or aborted by circumstances beyond the control of the pilot, duly witnessed by the official judges;

b) his model collides with another model in flight or other impediment and the pilot is not to blame on that account;

c) the flight was not judged by the fault of the judges.

d) The model (i.e the centre of gravity) fails to pass above a horizontal plane, level with the starting area, within five seconds of exiting the course, due to circumstances beyond the control of the pilot, duly witnessed by the
official judges. [Updated 03/31/03]

The reflight shall happen as soon as possible considering the local conditions and the radio frequencies. If possible, the model aircraft can stay airborne and has to be brought to launching height, launching speed and launching position before the new 30 second period is started by the judge. [Updated 01/2006]

5.F.6. Cancellation of a Flight: A flight is official when an attempt is carried out, whatever result is obtained.

A flight is official but gets a zero score if:

a) the pilot used a model not conforming with FAI rules;

b) the model loses any part while airborne;

c) the helper advises the pilot during the timed flight;>

d) the model is controlled by anyone other than the pilot;

e) the flight is not carried through;

f) the model lands outside the assigned landing area;

g) the model is not launched within one minute from the moment the starting order is given.

h) The model (i.e. the centre of gravity) fails to pass above a horizontal
plane, level with the starting area, within five seconds of exiting the course. [Updated 03/31/03]

5.F.7. Organization of Starts: The flights are to be performed round by round. The starting order is settled by draw in accordance with the radio frequencies used.

The pilot is entitled to three minutes of preparation time from the moment he is called to the ready box.

After the three minutes has elapsed, the starter may give the order to start. After the starter has given the order to start, the pilot or his helper is to launch the model within one minute. The pilot or his helper is to launch the model by hand from the starting area indicated by the organizer.

 
If possible, the starting area, including the audio system, shall be situated in the middle of the course (equal distance from Base A and Base B).

The time from launch to the moment the model enters the speed course must not exceed thirty seconds.

If the model has not entered the speed course (i.e. first crossing of Base A in the direction of Base B)] within the thirty seconds, the flight time will commence the moment the thirty seconds expires. If the model has not entered the speed course within the thirty seconds, this is to be announced by the judges.

5.F.8. The Flying Task: The flying task is to fly 10 legs on a closed speed course of 100 meters in the shortest possible time from the moment the model first crosses Base A in the direction of Base B. If some irremovable obstacles do not allow 100 m the course may be shorter but not less then 80 m. This exception does not apply for world or continental championships. [Updated 01/2006]

5.F.9. The Speed Course: The speed course is laid out along the edge of the slope and is marked at both ends with two clearly visible flags. The organizer must ensure that the two turning planes are mutually parallel and perpendicular to the slope.
Depending on the circumstances, the two planes are marked respectively Base A and Base B.

Base A is the official starting plane. At Base A and Base B, an Official announces the passing of the model (i.e. the fuselage nose of the model) with a sound signal when the model is flying out of the speed course. Furthermore, in the case of Base A, a signal announces the first time the model is crossing Base A in the direction of Base B. [Updated 01/2006]

5.F.10. Safety: Safety: The organizer must clearly mark a safety line representing a vertical plane which separates the speed course from the area where judges, other officials, competitors and spectators stay. Crossing the safety line by any part of the model aircraft during the measured flight will be penalized by 100 points subtracted from the sum after conversion, the penalty not being discarded with the result of the round. The organizer must appoint one judge to observe, using an optical sighting device, any crossing of the safety line. [Updated 01/2006]

5.F.11. Judging: The flights are judges by two judges who do not have to be the same for all competitors.

The judges' task is to control that the flights are performed according to the rules, to be time keepers and to ensure that the right distance is flown.

5.F.12. Scoring: The result of the flight is stated as the time in seconds and hundredths of seconds obtained by each pilot. For the purpose of calculating the result of the round, the competitor's result is converted this way:-

P1

1000 X --------

PW

where PW is the best result in the round, and PI is the competitor's result.

5.F.13. Classification: The sum of the competitor's round scores will determine his position in the final classification. If more than three rounds were flown, the lowest round score of each competitor will be discarded and the others added to obtain the final score which will determine his position in the final classification. If more than fourteen rounds were flown, the two lowest round scores will be discarded. [Updated 01/2006]
To avoid ties in the classification concerning the five best scores, "classification rounds" are flown until the ties are broken. If this is not possible, the result of the discarded round will determine each competitor's position in the final classification.

5.F.14. Organization of the Contest: The competition must be held at a site which is suitable

5.F.15. Changes: Any changes in the flight and landing areas may be made only between flight rounds.

5.F.16. Interruptions: A round in progress must temporarily be interrupted if:-
a) the wind force unintermittently is below 3 m/sec or more than 25 m/sec. (6 –55mph)

b) the direction of the wind unintermittently deviates more than 45O from a line perpendicular to the main direction of the speed course.
If these conditions arise during the flight the pilot is entitled to a reflight. [Updated 01/2006]

A round in progress is to be cancelled if:-

a) the interruption lasts more than thirty minutes;

b) fewer than 50% of the competitors have been able to perform the task caused by marginal conditions. Without the condition "unintermittently" (i.e. 20 seconds) have been met and thus automatically caused reflights.

3.5.3 All other AMA rules apply including the FAI maximum weight of 11.023 Pounds or Max wing loading of 24.57 oz/sqft for total projected area.

For FAI Official data on F3F, visit their website at: http://www.fai.org/documents/

Pilot Roster

Yellow-   Approved pilots frequency. Please move all of your models to this frequency for the race
Red-       Frequency conflicts, please try to change to an unused frequency or prepare to share.

Entry Form

Entry fee is $50 includes day use fees to the glider port and lunch on both days.

Make your check payable to Torrey Pines Gulls.   Mail your Check to David Klein or,,

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