Peter - PK  Wave flying in the Task Area - Overhead Diamond M Turnpoint
PK in Wave over Diamond M

 

The VSA Race Series for 2010

 

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1B joining on PK for a mug shot

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Jim
Contest Director*

 

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Bob
Scorer*

 

The VSA Race Series for 2010

The first year of the VSA Race Series was in 2004. The first Race Day of each year is typically held in March, with the last one being near the end of the soaring season, the same day as the WSC Oktoberfest.

This racing series is intended to encourage soaring pilots to enjoy cross country flying. The tasking format is designed with safety, probability of completion, strategy, and degree of challenge with the variety of weather conditions in mind. This series is not intended to be a training or entry point of novice cross-country pilots. This series is not an SSA sanctioned contest. The VSA Race series is our attempt to have a competition - given the circumstances of long tows and limited number of tow planes. Normal contest rules are dozens of pages in length, but we are limiting our rules to this single page, thus, some flexibility must be allowed. If you have questions or concerns, the CD will make a ruling prior to the first launch on any given race day and that ruling then becomes part of the rules. Rule interpretations by the CD may be necessary in post flight analysis, and will be done with the purpose of fairness to all.


The underlying purposes for the race series are:

- Add to the enjoyment of soaring
- Provide an arena for, and to encourage competition
- Encourage pilots to challenge themselves
- Establish a set of Standard Courses
- Encourage pilots to sharpen their racing skills
- Recognize the pilots who win.

The standard courses are described in the task list shown below.

Pilots are encourage to communicate with the other pilots as to which Starting Gate they are planning to start from and which course they are attempting to complete, thereby allowing other pilots to compete on the same courses with each other. All pilots should monitor 123.3 most of the time. Team flying is not allowed, but mentoring pilots who may need assistance is allowed, as long as the attempt is made to have the information being shared appears to be understandable to all pilots on the frequency. False reporting or stating misleading info is not allowed. If cockpit workload permits, pilots should reply with position and altitude when requested to do so.

 

The Rules for 2010

The Race Series

In 2010, The Race Series will be held on Saturdays as defined in the Schedule of Race Days - see calendar below.

Thanks to the generosity of Williams Soaring Center, the overall series winner will be recognized at the Annual WSC Oktoberfest and will receive a purse of $500 in credit for tows and rentals if qualifying flights are completed as described below.

Open to all Pilots that are registered for this contest.

In order to be registered for this contest, your name must be added to the Score Sheet by the Contest Director or by the FBO. To register you must be a current, paid-up member of the VSA, and have contest level experience. The Race Series is not intended to be a training or entry point of novice cross-country pilots

Only one pilot needs to launch on a scheduled race day in order to have his flight scored.

Schedule

See the schedule on the Williams Today Page -2010 Events & Bulletins or see the calendar below.

Tasks

A contestant may choose to fly any one of the authorized tasks. Note: for the 2010 Series, tasks may be flown only in the direction shown in the task list (no reverse tasks).

For the 2010 Series, a given task may be scored only one time (once you score a particular task, it’s no longer on the list of available tasks for you).

Handicap

The pilot’s raw score will be handicapped using the latest available SSA Sport Class Handicap List. Pilots are allowed to carry water ballast; however, pilots with water ballast will carry an additional 3% handicap.

Scoring

The pilot who posts the fastest speed for the day (after the appropriate handicap has been applied will be awarded 1000 points for that day. Other pilots will receive a percentage of the 1000 points, based upon their own speed relative to the speed of the winner. Points will only be awarded for speed (no points will be awarded for "distance only" or for incomplete tasks).
To allow for the increased challenge posed by longer tasks, bonus points will be added to total points scored for each flight as follows:
100 points for each 200k task
200 points for each 300k task or longer

To allow the completion of tasks on a marginal day, special "s" tasks may be allowed at the discretion of the CD. If "s" tasks are to be allowed, the CD will make his determination and announce it at the pilot’s meeting. Allowing the use of "s" tasks on a given day does not preclude a contestant from completing a standard task. All "s" tasks will be devalued as follows
s100 task = 300 points penalty
s200 task = 200 points penalty
s300 task = 100 points penalty

The CD may apply a penalty that he feels appropriate for any rule violation, unsafe flying or unsportsmanlike conduct.

Maximum number of flights: A contestant may "fly" any number of different courses on a single race day, but only one course (and it must be one the pilot has not previously scored on an earlier day) will count for scoring. The pilot must identify on the landing card the flight that will be scored.

The winner of the prize money is the pilot who has that most points amongst those who have qualified by completing at least one triangle in each of the three groups: 100 km, 200 km, and 300km. Note that the "s" courses and the courses that are not closed triangles do not qualify.

Pilots may fly different gliders or may change configurations at their option, with an appropriate change in handicap as determined by the CD.

The start and finish gates will be one statute mile radius cylinders and 5,000 feet above the stated elevation of the gate turnpoint.

Gates are: Tree Farm (max. start altitude 9,200’), 3 sisters (max. start altitude 7,000’), and WSC (max. start altitude 5,100’).

Starting through the top of the gate is allowed.

Two Minute Rule applies to the start (contestant must remain below maximum gate altitude for the two minutes immediately prior to starting).

Time on course begins when exiting the start cylinder and ends at one mile from the finish point.

Distance flown is the published distance for each task. Speed is calculated as the published distance for the task divided by the 'time on course.

A pilot will be scored as having reached the turnpoint if at least one fix from his flight trace is located within a one statute mile radius of that turnpoint. The scoring distance will always be to the turnpoint itself regardless of where in the one mile cylinder the turn is made.

Tows and self-launches: CD coordinates with the FBO to get the max number of the contest ships in the air ASAP. Some limitations on launch sequence, tow location and altitude may be imposed, but you have the option of waiting for a later tow and not being a part of that first series of launches that bear limitations. Motorgliders will comply with the specified limitations if they launch during the first series of tows.

Landouts: Defined as- landing other than WSC or a motorglider engine start outside of 1 mile from WSC. If a pilot lands out he is done for the day and receives zero points - although he may continue to fly for fun. However, relights are allowed.

Relights (only allowed at WSC): Relights are allowed if it appears that no start was made. Relights will occur only after the last contestant has launched.

Claiming and submitting flights

Flight record/ log must be submitted/ posted in order to receive points. Only flights recorded by GPS flight recorder acceptable to the CD will be considered for scoring in the race series and the flight record/log must be submitted to the scorer in a media form that is acceptable to the CD.
• The Landing Card must list the specific course that is claimed on that date. The scorer will not try to guess which course you are claiming.
• If a log is submitted claiming a task previously scored, the pilot gets no score for the day. Duplicating tasks is not allowed.
• Flight logs and landing cards should be submitted the same day, but not later than the next morning via email.

 

The Tasks

The following three tables all depict the same tasks. The only difference between each of these tables is that one depicts the distance of each task in KM, one is in NM and one is in SM (Mi).

Note: Tasks 1 - 12 are designated as 100k, Tasks 13 -18 are designated as 200k, and Tasks 19 - 32 are designated 300k or longer.

 

The cup file for use in See You

The cup file, VSA race-2010, may be downloaded here.

 

The Database of Turnpoints

The turnpoint data base (current version is "wsc10"), may be downloaded here.

 

Schedule of Race Days

 

* Editor's Note: Jim Darke - 1B and Bob Ireland - BI each have decades of aviation experience, and both are highly experienced in all facets of Glider Competitions. The VSA and WSC are indeed fortunate to have such highly qualified pilots who are willing to volunteer their time and efforts so that we may all enjoy the sport of racing gliders. On behalf of all participants, thank you Bob and Jim. Your efforts are truly appreciated by all.

 

 
 
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