A Beginners Guide to Soaring Competitions

Derek Ruddock Southern Cross Gliding Club, Sydney November 2009 The material below is the opinion of the author and no official endorsement by Southern Cross Gliding, Club or its Training Panel and instructors, the Gliding Federation of Australia or anyone else is claimed or implied.

FOREWORD
The purpose of this guide is to encourage pilots who may be contemplating entering a soaring competition, or participating in a competition with an experienced pilot in a 2 seater. The material is based on the rules and regulations of the New South Wales Gliding Association (NSWGA), but is applicable to soaring competitions in any State or Territory. Some of the material may also apply to countries other than Australia; however note that local rules, and certainly radio frequencies are likely to differ. Whilst the target audience is primarily the novice competitor, there may be useful information in this document for pilots who have already flown in a competition. Any comments, corrections and contributions to this document are welcome and should be sent to me via the Secretary at Southern Cross Gliding Club.

INTRODUCTION
For some pilots, going solo is the pinnacle of their achievement in gliding, and they either then give up gliding altogether, or are content to stay within gliding distance of the airfield for the remainder of their time in the sport. For other pilots, the lure of cross country flying is irresistible, and they look forward to flying away from the airfield at every opportunity, aiming for longer and longer flights. Attending a cross country camp, or gatherings like the Narromine Cup, present an opportunity to mix with like minded pilots, who are mostly approachable and willing to assist the novice cross country pilot. Some people are competitive by nature, however many of the pilots in soaring competitions compete not because they want to beat everyone else but because they enjoy a personal challenge: no matter how good a pilot you think you may be, when you enter a competition, you will discover that there are better pilots, and this is the incentive to improve. The word competition may itself be daunting to the average pilot, creating visions of aggressive pilots and near misses and other dangerous manoeuvres. This is not the case: with one or perhaps two exceptions, pilots at a competition are gregarious, approachable and helpful, and all too willing to offer advice and help to the new competition pilot just dont ask them when performing a daily inspection. There are two type of soaring competition in Australia, the Nationals, which decide the national champion and last for 2 weeks, and are perhaps at too high a level for the target audience of this document, and the State Competitions, which are a lower key affair lasting for 7 days. This document will only cover the State Competition, although there may be items that apply at the National level. As the State Competition is handicapped, it is not essential to own the latest and greatest glider: indeed many entrants are using club gliders.

CLASSES
Gliding competitions in NSW are split into various classes, and all gliders are handicapped. The classes are: Open Class Any glider may compete 18m Class Maximum wing span of 18 meters (20m 2 seaters have been allowed to compete in this class) 15m Class Maximum wingspan of 15 meters Standard Class Maximum wingspan of 15 meters, no flaps Club Class For older gliders (criteria apply). No waterballast allowed The Club Class is ideal for the novice competition pilot.

PILOT REQUIREMENTS
To enter a gliding competition in NSW, the pilot must meet the following requirements: At least 25 hours solo in gliders. Silver C plus at least one 300km flight. Knowledge of GFA MOSP in regard to the Rules of the Air. Current flying practice in competition and/or cross-country gliding as defined by the GFA

Current membership of GFA, Current FAI Competition Licence, Annual check flight within the previous 12 months If flying in their first or second competition (either National or Regional) a statement signed by the CFI of their club stating that in his/her opinion the pilot is competent to fly at the Championships.

PREPARATION
One of the keys to a successful competition is to be prepared before you arrive. Turning up having done no preparation whatsoever, while not a disaster, will certainly reflect in your results. Requesting help from other pilots in loading turnpoints or setting tasks as they about to tow to the launch point is going to win you no favours.

Competition Rules
In NSW, there are 2 sets of rules that the budding competition pilot should be familiar with, the Competition Rules of the NSWGA, plus the Local Rules of the competition, which provide additional information, such as the local CTAF frequency, and any other relevant local information. In addition to listing the mandatory requirements for entry, the rules dictate the operation of the competition, such as the starting and finishing procedures and describe the type of task and how the tasks are to be set and verified, in addition to any penalties that may be applied in the event of the rules being broken. Pilots should make themselves familiar with both sets of rules.

The Glider
While many pilots at soaring competitions have their own aircraft, it is not essential. If you are fortunate enough to own your own glider, time spent on waxing and polishing the wings is probably a waste of time for your first competition. For all pilots, whether a private owner or not, you should spend your time getting comfortable in the glider, deciding the best position for the seat and pedals, and which cushions to use. This is even more important if you are flying a club glider. Your performance in the competition will be more influenced by avoiding irritating distractions than by fine tuning of the glider itself. Familiarise yourself with the operation of the instruments, particularly the vario, the flight computer and the radio. Read the manuals and, if necessary practice the operation on the ground. If the instruments are complex, make brief notes that you can refer to in flight as a last resort. Ensure you know how the oxygen system, if fitted, works, and how to fill and dump the waterballast, if you are going to use it. Serious structural damage can be done to a glider if waterballast is loaded incorrectly. Ensure you know how to change frequencies on the radio, as you will need to do this. If you have personal equipment such as a PDA, ensure that you are familiar with its use. A crowded thermal is not the place to be fiddling with unfamiliar equipment. Ensure you know how to program the GPS or flight recorder with the days task, and how to download the details of the flight from the flight recorder after the flight. Make sure you are familiar with how to rig and derig the glider.

Mandatory equipment
Under NSW competition rules, the following equipment MUST be fitted to a participating glider: A Parachute. Familiarise yourself with its use, and ensure you know how to bail out of the glider. Ensure that the glider has been repacked within the last 6 months, and that it has the repacking slip. A flight recorder. This may be either a FAI approved logger, such as the Cambridge 302 or Colibri, or a Garmin hand held GPS, providing that it records pressure altitude. A Flarm may be used. A functioning radio. The radio must be capable of operating on all the frequencies specified in the local rules, typically: o 126.7 CTAF frequency which varies depending on location used < 5000 agl within 10km o 122.7 En route/Gaggle frequency o 122.9 Start/local frequency, typically used > 5000 agl within 10km of aerodrome o 121.5 Emergency frequency A Flarm. This may also be used as the data logger An audio vario At least 1 litre of accessible drinking water must be carried.

Other equipment
In addition to the mandatory equipment, the following items should be regarded as essential:

Each glider should have a tie down kit securely fastened in the glider. A hand held radio is useful when marshalling (towing the glider to the launch point), or perhaps for retrieves. A battery charger to charge the glider battery, plus chargers for your mobile phone, PDA, camera, laptop etc. All cables, card readers and adaptors etc to enable the download of the flight details from the flight recorder Containers and hoses for filling with water, when required. Make sure you know how much water you can carry without overloading the glider. Many gliding sites have water taps available at the tie down points Buckets, sponges and chamois etc for cleaning

Checklists
Checklists, while a particular obsession of American pilots, can be useful to ensure that you have not forgotten an essential item of equipment or check. In a competition there is more to remember than going for a local flight at your home airfield. If you are the type of pilot who benefits from written checklists, then checklists for the following scenarios may be useful. See the Appendixes for suggestions What to take: talk to other competition pilots in advance of the contest, read as much as you can. Ensure you have the required documentation. A Rigging/De-rigging checklist, useful for club gliders where you may not be too familiar with the procedure Marshalling checklist: before you hook up to your car and tow to the launch point: do you have your lunch? Sunglasses, extra water, batteries etc. Have you left your keys in your pocket rather than the car? Have you entered the task for the day into the flight computer? Note that a pre-takeoff checklist should NOT be used. You should use CHAOTIC.

Documentation
There are several items that you need before you can register for a competition: The maintenance release for the glider Evidence of third party insurance cover for competition flying Repacking slip for the parachute Other documentation as in Pilot Requirements above viz: o Current GFA membership card, or equivalent o Current FAI Competition Licence. o Logbook showing evidence of an annual check flight within the previous 12 months o Endorsement from the CFI if required. This usually forms part of the entry form

Maps and Charts

In these days of GPS and flight computers it seems odd to carry a map; however GPS units have been known to fail. Electrical issues can also cause GPS failure. Maps provide an essential backup, and are also useful for marking with such details as the weather or useful phone numbers, and may be of use in an outlanding, if you need to walk to the nearest town. Most competitions provide a laminated map of the contest area, often showing the contest turnpoints and radio frequencies, for a nominal cost. It pays however to be prepared with your own, if such the competition organiser do not provide them. Buy a WAC chart of the contest area, and mark it up with the turnpoints. Draw circles at 10 km intervals around the airfield, and with laminate it, or cover with clear plastic

Flight Computers and recorders

All competitions these days are verified and scored by the use of flight recorders, which record the position with a high degree of accuracy every few seconds. If you are using a PDA or flight recorder, other than a Flarm, to navigate, ensure that it has been loaded with the official list of turnpoints, which can be downloaded from the official contest site. Ensure that the home airfield is correctly set in the flight computer and read the manual ensure you know how to program the task. As tasks in Australia are set in km, you should ensure that metric units are used in the flight recorder. The datum of the recorder must be set to WGS84. You normally have to submit your flight details within an hour of landing, so ensure you know how to download the flight, and have the correct cables to do so. This is something you can and should practice at your home field before leaving for the competition. Some flight recorders, such as the older Cambridge models are removed and physically taken to the scorer for download. If this is the case, make sure you know how to remove and replace the recorder, and that the recorder is securely labelled with your contact details. All those Cambridge black boxes look the same. Use of the recorder when flying tasks will be covered later in this document.

Hydration
In summer Australia it can get very hot on the ground, and the tension of participating in a contest can increase your rate of sweating, so it is easy to become dehydrated even before takeoff. Dehydration can severely affect the decision making process, cause cramping and increase fatigue, leading to poor flying and accidents. In extreme conditions dehydration may result in unconsciousness and heart failure. It is essential to maintain your levels of hydration both before and in flight. From first arrival at the airfield it is essential to keep sipping water, especially if preparing the glider in the heat. A separate supply of drinking water should be kept for the flight. Although the rules require 1 litre, a minimum of 3 litres should be carried. If room permits a spare litre or so is useful in the event of an outlanding: you may be in the searing heat in a paddock for hours. Do NOT drink sparingly hoping to avoid the need to urinate in flight, as this will inevitably lead to becoming dehydrated. One good indicator is the colour of your urine: it should be a pale straw colour, or even colourless. If it is yellow, you are already dehydrated: drink copious amounts of water.

Relief tubes
The solution of remaining hydrated in flight results in problems with the disposal of urine. Flying with a full bladder presents a serious distraction to a pilot, and in a competition this is an unacceptable risk. Many private owners have a permanently plumbed relief system used in conjunction with an Irish Condom or male external catheter; however this option is not available for the pilot flying club gliders. In this case the best solution is to take a large ziplock bag. After use the contents and bag can be disposed of through the clear vision panel. If the absorbent part of a toddlers nappy is placed into the bag, this absorbs the liquid effectively, reducing the risk of spills. Other methods are available, such as incontinence pants, and the Urijohn, which resembles a 35mm film canister with a screw cap, but contains a large rubber bladder to hold the urine. If using bags, take a spare (or two)

Crew
It is unusual these days to find a pilot with a crew, unless it is the long suffering partner. Most pilots in NSW competitions do not have a crew, but rely on the goodwill of other pilots in the competition. Often pilots from the same club agree to crew for each other. In the event of an outlanding, the pilot will have to wait for one of his buddies to return from his flight before being able to come to his aid. On rare occasions when a mass outlanding occurs, there is usually a pool of people at the field who are able to assist in retrieves. This may result in a long wait for some, but it always works out in the end.

THE COMPETITION
Competitions such as the New South Wales Championships are organised on behalf of the NSW Gliding Association, who nominate a club to run the competition, and also the type of tasks to be set and the start and finish procedures. The following notes are a summary of the rules: competitors should study the official rules and be familiar with them.

Personnel
No contest could work without the dedication of a number of people. Some of these fly in addition to performing their roles, some stay on the ground and presumably just enjoy being in the dust, the heat and the flies . The important roles are: Contest Director - The contest director is appointed by the NSWGA in writing to organise the competition, and has control over the operations and administration of the rules. Safety Committee the safety committee consists of 3 pilots selected at the first briefing and is responsible for the safety of the competition Task Setting Committee the task setters are responsible for setting the tasks for the competition, and consists of an experienced pilot selected at the first briefing. In addition to the task setter, one pilot from each competing class will be chosen daily to participate in the task setting Mentors experienced pilots are invited to become mentors for less experienced pilots, offering counselling and airmanship advice Penalties Committee consists of the contest director and one pilot from each competing class.

Protest Committee consists of the contest director and two other pilots, elected at the first briefing Weatherman the weatherman is responsible for giving the briefing of the weather on a daily basis, and is selected from the experienced pilots attending at the first briefing. Scorer the scorer takes the log file from the days flight and used a computer program to determine the results Radio operator/telephone operator this person mans the radio and telephones, and broadcasts radio messages to competitors eg the opening of the gates, and records any outlanding reports, whether by radio or phone Marshals these unpaid helpers ensure that gliders are lined up correctly at the launch point, connect the tow rope and run the wing in the heat and dust and the flies: thats dedication for you. Known in the USA as line boys.

Tasks
Three types of task are used at the NSW competitions: Assigned Speed Tasks (AST) Assigned Area Tasks (AAT) RUN tasks

Assigned Speed Tasks (AST)

This type of task consists of a number of turnpoints that must be visited in order. Each turnpoint is surrounded by a zone of 500m diameter, centred on the turnpoint. You must have at least one data point logged in this zone to count as being visited, otherwise you will have considered to have outlanded for scoring purposes. The rules also cater for a zone similar to the old photographic sector, i.e. a 90 degree arc centred on the turnpoint and bisected by the inbound and outbound tracks. If you have logged data points in this sector, you are considered to have rounded the turnpoint. Generally it is not a good idea to make use of this, as you will have travelled further to be in this sector

Bisector 500m Turn Zone Turn zone

Turnpoint Inbound Track

Outbound Track
. Figure 1 Turn Zone and Turn Sector for AST task

Assigned Area Tasks (AAT)

This type of task consists of a number of turnpoints that must be visited in order. Each turnpoint is surrounded by a zone of many kilometres in diameter. The pilot must visit each zone in order, and have at least one logged data point in each area. In addition, a minimum time is set for the task. It is up to the pilot to decide how far into each sector he must fly, depending on the conditions. The pilot should aim to cross the finis line as close to the task time as possible, but not before. The scoring is determined by dividing the distance travelled by the time taken to complete the task. When an AAT is announced for the days task, there are 3 distances quoted: the scratch distance, which is the distance to the centre of each circle, ie the turnpoint, the minimum distance, calculated by just touching each of the circles, and the maximum distance.

Scratch Distance Longest Distance Shortest Distance

Figure 2 AAT with 3 turnpoints

Start/Finish

RUN Tasks
This type of task consists of a number of turnpoints that must be visited in order. Each turnpoint is surrounded by a circle of radius 500m. A minimum time is set, and the pilot must cover as much distance as possible in the allocated time, visiting each turnpoint in sequence before heading home. The turnpoints can be visited more than once.

Start/Finish Alternate route home for slower gliders

Figure 3 RUN task with 6 turnpoints showing alternate paths for slower gliders

Start Procedure
In addition to the turnpoints, the contest organisers declare 9 start points. These are grouped in threes: A1, A2, A3, B1 B2, B3 and C1,C2 and C3. Each pilot is allocated one of these start groups daily, and the pilot has to ensure that he visits and logs a data point in at least one of these start points before commencing the task. Failure to log a point in his allocated group of start points attracts a 150 point penalty; if no start point is visited the pilot scores zero for the day. You can start as many times as you wish, however note that once you have started, you cannot land and be launched again (a relight). Pilots may not start a task until all the gliders in a class have been launched, and the Contest Director has opened the Start Gate. This is notified to all pilots by radio, typically 30 minutes after the last glider in a class has been launched. Note that the Contest Director may also close a gate, to encourage gliders to set off on task. The local rules will dictate the radio frequency to use, for example to remain on the CTAF frequency of 126.7 while below 5000 feet, then switch to the starting frequency of 122.9. In addition the local rules will dictate the thermalling direction, usually to the right, to be used when within 15km of the airfield.

Finish Procedure
The emphasis on finishing a task is one of safety: the high speed low level beat ups that are posted on You Tube, while spectacular, are discouraged in competitions, certainly at the State level. Often the Competition Director will declare a maximum speed to be flown within the finish zone, which discourages low level finishes. Any pilot finishing in a manner that is deemed to be unsafe will be penalised. The finish zone itself is a circle of at least 1km diameter centred on a point in the airfield. A competitor with a logged point in this zone is considered to have finished, even if they land off the airfield. The local rules of the competition dictate the finish procedure: usually competitors must call on the finish frequency at 20km, and again at 10km giving their callsign, height and approach direction. At the 10km call the pilot will be told of the preferred landing direction. No penalties are applied if the pilot chooses to land in another direction, but the pilot must be mindful that there may be many other gliders arriving at the field at the same time that will be landing in the nominated direction. Maintaining a good lookout and listening carefully to the radio is essential.

AT THE FIELD
Rigging
Competitions are well organised affairs; sometimes the competition organiser will have tiedown spaces specifically allocated to gliders, especially if they have a large span. If not there is usually a defined area in which the sailplane should be tied down after rigging, and also where the trailer should be stored. Trailers should be secured with stakes for safety. If staking the glider down, take care to note the position of the water pipes; these are usually shallowly buried and run in straight lines between the taps, and it is easy to puncture one with a carelessly placed stake.

Airport Etiquette
The airfield at which the contest is being held may have specific rules, but in addition there are some unwritten rules of which every pilot at a competition should be aware: Drive slowly around the airfield, no more than a walking pace: if you throw dust clouds in the air you will not be popular with any pilots who have just washed their glider. Never drive any taxiway or runway unless in the act of towing a glider. Use the perimeter road Your trailer and car should be clearly marked with the registration of your glider When leaving your car at the takeoff area, leave your keys in it: It may need to be moved, and it may be needed to retrieve you Always have a full tank of fuel in your car in case of retrieve Be considerate to the helpers: they are giving up their annual leave so that you can fly and have fun.

Registration and Mandatory Briefing

The contest begins with a registration and mandatory briefing on the first day of the competition. Pilots who arrive late must ensure that they are individually briefed by the organisers before flying. The briefing will cover the operational aspects of the contest such as the daily briefing times, the housekeeping arrangements and any mandatory requirements of the airfield. When you register, you will also receive an information pack including a printed list of the official turnpoints, and any other relevant information, such as the local radio frequencies, phone numbers and a diagram of the airfield with the runways and car parking areas.

Navigation
Prior to the competition, entrants will have been informed as to the location of the official turnpoint list. This list is available for download from the internet. Competitors should ensure that all loggers, GPS and PDAs have the correct list of turnpoints. Note that, in the event of a discrepancy between the electronic and paper version of the turnpoints, the paper version takes priority.

Practice Day
For the State Competition, the registration day is also nominated as a practice day: after pilots have registered and attended the mandatory briefing, pilots are able to familiarise themselves with the contest area and ensure the correct functioning of their equipment such as PDAs and GPSs.

Radio Use
Radio etiquette is important in a competition. As the number of frequencies is very limited, chatter is strongly discouraged, unless it is a matter of safety. These frequencies are common across Australia, and from height a range of 500km is not unknown, so congestion can be an issue. The use of frequencies other than the official published frequencies is prohibited. Other means of communication, such as the use of mobile phones is also prohibited in flight. Note that the use of radio to assist other pilots is regarded as team flying, and is prohibited under NSW rules. The exception to this is where an experienced competitor is assisting a less experienced pilot under a mentoring scheme that has been declared in advance to the Contest Director. The local rules will state which frequencies and distances are to be used. Typical uses are: Launch Frequency. This is usually the CTAF frequency of the airfield, eg 126.7. The pilot should set this frequency and maintain a listening watch while below 5000 feet. As this is a common CTAF frequency, calls heard may be from airfields many kilometres distant. Calls must not be made on this frequency unless in the interest of safety, or operational necessity, for example entering or leaving a runway when towing a glider to the launch point or circuit calls in preparation to land for a relight. The opening of the start gate will be broadcast on this frequency in addition to the start frequency. Start Frequency. This frequency, typically 122.9 should be used when the pilot has climbed to over 5000feet AGL and is within 20km of the airfield. The opening of the start gate will be broadcast on this frequency in addition to the launch frequency. It is NOT necessary to make a start call, ie to inform launch control that the pilot has started on task. The en-route frequency may be used for this purpose if required. En-Route Frequency (Gaggle Frequency). This frequency, typically 122.7 should be monitored when more than 20km from the airfield. Calls should be restricted to those required for safety or operational necessity, for example to warn a glider that you are in his blind spot. This frequency may also be used to notify a crew of a start. Finish Frequency. This is the CTAF frequency, typically 126.7. An inbound call is mandatory at 20km and 10km , giving the call sign of the glider, the distance, the approach direction and the height, for example Stations Narromine, Glider Zulu Alpha Yankee inbound from the South West 20km, 2500. At 10km the response from the Competition Control will advise the preferred landing direction. Landing. Normal CTAF procedures eg downwind calls should be observed on the Finish frequency. CTAF procedures will have been advised during the briefing. Area Frequency. This is a frequency assigned by Airservices Australia to geographic areas in Australia. A note should be made of the area frequency as passenger and power aircraft monitor the frequency. If no glider can be raised on the contest frequencies, a passing aircraft may be contacted and asked to pass on a message. Emergency Frequency. This frequency is the internationally recognised distress frequency of 121.5. This frequency is monitored by airline traffic If an outlanding appears imminent, it is advisable to make a broadcast of the gliders position while still airborne, as the radio range is greater. Bear in mind that an outlanding is a stressful situation: radio calls must not be made if they are likely to compromise a safe landing. After outlanding, if mobile telephone contact cannot be made, contact should be attempted via the contest glider frequencies: failing this the area frequency can be tried, or, as a last resort, the emergency frequency. There is no problem with using the emergency frequency to report your position if all else fails: It is preferable to the Contest Director having to declare a Search and Rescue emergency if a pilot is still missing at nightfall

Navigation
All competitions are now scored by the use of GPS flight loggers of some description; however GPS equipment has been known to fail, through electrical problems: flat battery, blown fuse or pilot error. It is therefore essential to carry a map, which is also useful in the case of an outlanding. On the first flight from an unfamiliar airfield, the novice competition pilot should make a careful note of the location of the airfield in relation to local landmarks, if any. Narromine, for example is at the Northern end and between two long ranges of hills. Forbes is in a similar location at the Southern end. Lake Keepit is at the Southern end of the large lake. Temora unfortunately is in the middle of nowhere On the first flight it pays dividends to make a note of any obstacles close to the airfield, such as cranes, power lines, canals, ditches etc. Any potential outlanding fields in the vicinity of the airfield should be noted, and preferably noted on the map, along with access points, just in case the final glide does not work out as planned: any fields that should be avoided at all costs should likewise be noted.

CONTEST DAYS
Preparation
Every contest day begins with the preparation for the days flying. It is preferable to get to the field early, as it gives plenty of time to finish the preparations before the daily briefing, and before it gets hot.

Washing
The first task is to wash the accumulated dust from the glider, starting with the canopy, using copious amounts of water.

Daily Inspection
The daily inspection should be performed as normal and noted in the maintenance release. There are plenty of pilots available if a positive control check is needed. Remember to set the altimeter to the field elevation (QNH). The tyres should be carefully checked, including the wing walker and tail dolly, as very large thorns are present on some airfields. Once the daily inspection is complete the canopy cover can be replaced and the glider tied down once more, depending on whether waterballast is being carried

Waterballast
As the target audience of this paper is the newcomer to competitions, it is likely that the pilot is entered in Club Class, where waterballast is prohibited. If however this is not the case, the waterballast should be loaded at this point. Always fill to the maximum takeoff weight: waterballast can always be dumped in flight, or even before flight, but more cannot be loaded. Waterballast does not change the performance of the aircraft: it increases the wing loading. This has the effect of moving the polar to the right, increasing the cross country speeds, albeit at the expense of climb rate.

Briefing
The time of the briefing will be announced at the compulsory briefing on registration day, usually at 9-30. Pilots should arrive with the folder of information provided at registration, a notepad and pens, a map and the logger, PDA or GPS. It is not necessary record the details of the flight in the Flarm. Many pilots also bring a laptop computer. The briefing will normally be held in the hangar, clubhouse or marquee, depending on the available facilities. The items that are covered at the briefing are as follows:

Admin and Housekeeping

Any administrative and housekeeping announcement will be made. Normally this opportunity is taken to deliver some light hearted fines for errant behaviour on the previous day, such as being fined for producing clouds of dust. Such fines usually go towards providing funding for the Junior Nationals. A volunteer from each class will be requested to assist in the next days task setting. This is an excellent opportunity for t he novice competition pilot to discover the processes and decisions of task setting and I recommend that new pilots should volunteer for this role. The start points for the days task will also be distributed to competitors.

Previous days results

The first three positions will be announced for each class in reverse order, with the winner receiving the daily prize, normally a bottle of wine. The winner will normally be asked to provide a How I dun it explanation.

Weather
The weatherman will provide a synopsis of the weather, and the results of the temperature trace flight from earlier in the day. The weatherman will normally advise on the likelihood of cumulus formation, but normally the interpretation of the data, including likely thermal strength is left to the pilot.

Task
The task setting committee normally meet at 8:30, and, armed with the weather forecast and temperature trace, decide on the type of task to be set, the turnpoints to be visited, and, in the case of an AAT, the radius of the turn circles, and the minimum time. Each class will be assigned 2 tasks, and A and B task, which differ in distance by at least 20%: setting 2 tasks allows some flexibility in the event of the weather differing from forecast. The task for each class is announced at the briefing. Pilots should note the type of task and the turnpoints. For AATs the size of the circles and the min, scratch and max distances should be recorded. The task should be marked on the map and if using a PDA or flight recorder the details of the task should be entered. The details of the alternate task should be carried I the glider, as it is not unknown for the task to be changed on the grid, or even after launching. After the tasks have been announced, the Contest Director will announce the marshalling (gridding) sequence and launch time, depending on the weather.

Marshalling (Gridding)
Marshalling is the process of towing the gliders out to the launch point and arranging them into a suitable position to enable launching to take place. As room is restricted, there are normally marshals directing the Gliders are arranged by class, and the order of classes is rotated daily.

Once the briefing has completed the competitors may have an hour or two to spare. This time goes quite quickly and should be used to finish any last minute fettling of the glider, grab a sandwich for lunch pop to the toilet and discuss tactics with fellow pilots. The tactics associated with marshalling are thankfully gone: in years past gliders used to stack (line up) from the front, and pilots dawdled, trying to be the last t line up. These days the gliders stack from the back, and the first pilots to be on line are the last to launch. This has the advantage of making the flying time shorter, and ensuring that plenty of thermal markers are in the air before them. Some pilots leave for the launch point immediately after the briefing, while others leave it to the last minute. Somewhere in the middle is fine if it can be achieved. Before towing out to the launch point, pilots should ensure they have everything they need for the flight: a checklist is useful to ensure nothing is forgotten (unless it is the checklist). If the route to the launch point is via an active runway, a call must be made on a hand held radio on the CTAF frequency to alert power traffic (Traffic Narromine, glider Zulu Alpha Yankee on tow entering runway 22 for the glider launch area). Needless to say a very careful lookout is essential because some country traffic do not carry, or do not use, radios. Note that once launching has commenced no glider can be moved from the tiedown area to the launch area. Note that release checks are NOT performed on the flight line.

Launching
Once the launch window arrives, the Competition Director will launch a glider, or a request a self launcher to launch, to assess the conditions and determine if there are thermals. Once this glider (the sniffer) is able to say aloft, then the launching of the rest of the fleet will start in a flurry of activity. A number of tugs are used, and the pilot should ensure that he is prepared to launch long before a tug lines up in front of him. The official in charge of the launching will select the next glider to be launched; the tug lines up, the tow rope is attached, slack is taken up and the glider is launched with no input from the pilot apart from attaching the rope. The rate of launching is impressive to watch, and the complete fleet of 60 gliders is often launched in an hour. Needless to say, an unready pilot can interfere with, or even completely halt the smooth launching of the fleet. If a pilot is unable to launch for whatever reason they should let the launch director know, and be pushed off to one side. If flying with water, and wanting extra speed, a quick call is appreciated to the tug Papa India Juliet Delta Golf India is full 80 knots please Launches are to 2000 feet agl, and the pilot should release promptly at this height. Hanging on to the tow for a few moments or worse still minutes to gain extra height is not only considered bad form, but it slows the rate of launching. Any pilot guilty of this should expect a fine in the naming and shaming session in the following days briefing. If a pilot releases with no tension in the rope, which makes it difficult for the tow pilot to feel, a quick call is appreciated to avoid the tug climbing with no glider ( Delta Golf India gone, thanks). As many tugs are airborne at the same time, with the exception of the preceding call, ensure that the registration is known and included in communications with the tug to avoid confusion.

Relights
Although the Contest Director will ensure that launching of the fleet does not start until there is lift, and gliders are able to climb, there will be occasions when a glider is unable to find lift and stay up. This may be exacerbated if pilots are in the habit of taking aerotows to 3000feet rather than practicing climbing from low altitudes. In such cases the pilot must land and wait to be launched again. In may cases the glider will be retrieved and launched again as soon as safely possible, in some cases , for example where it would be difficult to return to the launch area, it may be necessary to wait until all the class is launched. The exact procedures to be used in the event of a relight will be covered in the briefing, including any mandatory radio calls. There may be several tugs in circuit at the same time, so an effective lookout is essential. Fortunately, unless the pilot is one of the first to launch, there will be several gliders acting as thermal markers.

Before the start

Initial Climbs
After launch the pilot should remain on the launch frequency. All turns should be made to the right when within 15km of the airfield, or as otherwise set by the local rules. When a good climb has been established, the radio should be retuned to the start frequency when passing 5000feet agl.

Gaggles
Thermalling with other gliders is a pre-requisite e to competition flying. The pilot should be comfortable with thermal joining techniques, and being able to thermal at steep angles of bank. The major surprise for most new competition entrants is the sheer number of gliders that may be sharing the same thermal, especially before the start gates open. In a competition the pilots are attempting to climb as fast as possible and on occasion this may threaten to overwhelm the novice competition pilot. If that becomes the case, the pilot should leave and find a less crowded thermal. Needless to say, a good lookout is absolutely essential when thermalling: it is extremely dangerous for a pilot to have his head in the cockpit fiddling with equipment. It is essential to maintain an effective scan ahead, above and to the

sides, especially over the shoulder, and not to become fixated on any particular glider. If , in a right hand turn a glider is turning more steeply and presenting a plan view to another pilot, it is likely that the glider on the outside of the turn is in the blind spot of the other, and he should manoeuvre into a better position, by leaving and rejoining the thermal if required. When joining other gliders in a thermal from cruise speed, a sharp pullup should be avoided. This is a highly dangerous manoeuvre in a crowded thermal and at best you will not be too popular. Another no-no is to cruise at high speed through the middle of a gaggle without turning: this is a dangerous manoeuvre for all the obvious reasons. Some pilots at competitions regularly perform both of the above manoeuvres: a pilot soon gets to recognise the perpetrators and takes evasive action.

Flarms
In heavily populated thermals the Flarm will be lit up like a Xmas tree: Flarms contain algorithms that are supposed to suppress alarms from other gliders when circling but they are not infallible so the Flarm alarm tone can be ignored in thermals, unless a pilot believes he is the only glider in the area, in which case a good look in the direction of the alert or alarm should be made.

Assessing the conditions

The period between being launched and the start gate opening should be used to explore the area on track and assess the conditions: are good climbs available? Are the clouds working? Are brown paddocks giving off thermals? What about wooded areas? Mines? If there are clouds, where is the best lift? On the upwind side or the sunny side? Often a pilot may fly dozens of kilometres on track to assess the conditions; the pilot should beware if the start gate has opened in the interim, as there may be a number of gliders heading on task at high speed on a reciprocal course.

Change of task
In the event of t he weather conditions changing significantly, the Contest Director may announce a change in task after the fleet has launched. The alternative task will be announced on the start and launch frequencies. On rare occasions, after marshalling but before launching the Competition Director may change the task. In this case he will get the signature of all pilots to acknowledge the change of task has been conveyed.

Starting
Each pilot is allocated 3 starting points per day, and it is up to the pilot to decide which one to use. For AAts There is a school of thought that says the furthest start point from the first turnpoint should be used, as this gives the greatest distance covered, however the choice of start point is dependent upon the weather: if there is a massive cumulus giving great climbs next to one of the alternative points, then there is a compelling incentive to use that one. For an AST it pays to use the closest start point to the first turn, as this reduces the distance to be travelled. Each start circle is a minimum of 1km in diameter, and the pilot must ensure that at least 1 point is logged within the circle. There is no maximum height for a start in Australian competitions, other than the prohibition from entering controlled airspace; however the Contest Director may, in the interest of safety to declare a maximum speed to be used in the vicinity of the airfield. Deciding when to start is one of the first of many decisions to be made on the day: should a pilot start as soon as the start gate opens, or should he wait until others have started and hope they will act as thermal markers down track? Others may wait in the hope of following the top class pilots. This tactic is known as leeching, and is universally despised in racing circles (). The leech makes no decisions and relies on the better pilot for all tactical and strategic decisions, just following blindly and hoping to use him t improve their own position. For many competitions, the better pilots hold back until the last possible moment before starting. This is especially true on blue days when there are no clouds to mark the thermals, resulting in dozens of gliders milling around at the top of a thermal waiting for someone else to start.. The disadvantage of this is, unless the pilot can maintain a high cross country speed, is that the day may die and lift run out before the late starting pilot makes it home. The Contest Director may choose to close the start gate, especially if the day is likely to be short, to force glider to leave on task. This decision will be announced in advance on the start and launch frequencies. For his first competition, the novice pilot should aim to start within 30 minutes or so of the gate opening, and accept that faster pilots will catch up, and then leave him behind. Radio calls announcing that a pilot has started are no longer required.

Flying the task

Assigned Area Task
In the AAT, the pilot should aim to return to the field as close to the elapsed time as possible, but not before. This task is scored by dividing the distance travelled by the time taken to give an average cross country speed, then applying a handicap. There is no advantage to be gained by flying in excess of this time, as the increased flying time decreases

the average speed for the task. The one exception to this rule is if a cloud street or wave exists, and the pilot can cover a large distance at cruising speed without turning. Once started on task, the decision is where to go and how deep to penetrate each area in the AAT. There are two schools of thought on this Penetrate deeply on the first turnpoint. If the weather is good at the first turnpoint, this school of thought encourages the pilot to fly to the maximum distance possible into the first turnpoint zone. The advantage of this is that the weather at the other turnpoints is unknown at this time. After covering the maximum possible distance, the remaining turnpoints need to be barely entered in turn before heading for home. The major disadvantage is that if the weather is better at the remaining turnpoints, no advantage can be made of it: as the minimum task time would be exceeded. Estimate probable speed and determine the distance required. A novice comp pilot can make a conservative estimate of his cross country speed, and determine the distance required from that, for example on a cross country speed of 80kph, the pilot could cover 240km on a 3 hour task. Before starting the pilot should plot this distance on his map using the centre of the turnpoints as a guide and use that to determine the turnpoints to be actually used. The advantage of this approach is that if the conditions are better, or the achieved cross country speed is higher the pilot can modify his plan and penetrate further to suit. The disadvantage is that it requires an estimate of t he cross country speed, which may not bear any resemblance to the achieved speed.

Assigned Speed Task

In this task the decisions of where to turn have been removed and the pilot has merely to fly to each turnpoint in turn. The task is scored on the time taken, as each competitor is covering the same distance.

RUN Task
In this task the pilot has to fly to each turnpoint in turn, the main difference between this and the AAT is that the pilot decides the last turnpoint he is going to use, and then heads for home. As in the AAT, the task is scored on the average speed for the task ie distance covered divided by time taken. Again, as in the AAT, there is a minimum time limit, and the pilot should aim to arrive home as close to the time limit as possible, but not before.

Final Glide and Finishing

Final Glide
GPS systems and glide computers have made final glide calculations more accurate than in the past and final glides are often started when the airfield is well out visible range Modern glide computers display the height required to finish the task, and when this is zero the final glide should be started. If the day is still working well, experienced competitors will start their final glide while still below final glide height hoping to pick some height up on the way home. If none is found, and outlanding is however, inevitable. An inbound call is mandatory at 20km and 10km on the finish frequency , giving the call sign of the glider, the distance, the approach direction and the height, for example Stations Narromine, Glider Zulu Alpha Yankee inbound from the South West 20km, 2500. At 10km the response from the Competition Control will advise the preferred landing direction.

Finishing
The finishing area is a circle, of at least 1km diameter, centred on the airfield. As noted in Finish Procedure above high speed worm burners are strongly discouraged at the State competition level where many gliders may be in circuit at the same time, may incur penalty points, and will certainly incur a fine at the following days briefing.. The finishing pilot should listen carefully to the radio to determine the intentions of other gliders in the circuit, and fit into the pattern and land without obstructing other pilots, making the mandatory circuit calls as described at the briefing. After stopping the pilots should move his glider off the runway immediately. Unlike competitions in the USA, steering a glider off the runway is prohibited.

Housekeeping
After the glider has been securely tied down, the battery removed and the canopy cover replaced, there is one more task to do before the cold beer reckons. That is to hand in you log file to the scorer. Many clubs these days have a wireless LAN available, and it may be as simple as placing the logger file onto a server, assuming the pilot has the equipment to download the trace. If not, the logger should be taken to the scorer in person to enable the downloading. The exact detail for the handling of the logger files will be explained at the briefing. Under NSW State rules, the pilot has one hour after landing to submit his log file. Now its time for that cold one

Outlanding
Outlandings are less common in gliding competitions than used to be the case, especially since the introduction of the AAT, however it should be recognised that an outlanding may occur, and be aware of how to deal with it: competitors

should be in current outlanding practice but the huge paddocks in Australia make outlanding a non-event compared with landing in Europe. Once safely on the ground, contact should be made with the Operations Control, preferably by phone. If no signal can be found, an attempt should be made on the on the finish frequency, and failing that other contest frequencies. If Ops Control still cannot be contacted, an attempt should be made on the area frequency. As a last resort, to avoid an emergency being declared for a missing pilot, the emergency frequency can be used. If the pilot has landed within walking distance of a homestead, and the pilot decides to walk to the house to use the phone, it is recommended that a strobe light is fitted to the glider, as it may be dark before the pilot returns. It is essential to take all water if walking. Farmers in the country are usually welcoming on visitors who drop in and are happy to assist in derigging, or running a wing in the case of an aerotow retrieve but beware there are some that are definitely not.

PLAYING THE GAME

Competing in a soaring competition involves more than turning up and flying: some of the other issues are:

Fitness
Although gliding appears to be a sedentary sport, but the stresses it puts on the body can be considerable. Pilots should make every attempt to get into a reasonable physical shape before competing. This may involve something as simple as walking for an hour daily in the weeks leading up to a competition, cutting down on the excess food and losing some weight, and cutting down or stopping smoking altogether.

Setting realistic goals

Every pilot competing for the first time probably secretly hopes that they will do well in the results. The pilot should realise he is up against other experienced pilots who may have been competing for years, set his expectations accordingly and not become despondent at coming last on the scoreboard, after all, the only way from there is up!

The learning experience

There is always something to learn from better pilots and a competition is possibly the best environment in which to observe how good pilots do it: being able to analyse their logger traces is invaluable for this. Most competition pilots are happy to offer hints and tips to newcomers, providing they are asked at the right time: in the bar after the days flying is ideal.

Having Fun
The most important part of a flying contest should not be forgotten: to have fun. Glider pilots are a friendly bunch of people and competitions are no exception. Everyone is there to enjoy themselves and have a good time.

FURTHER READING
Some suggestions for the novice competition pilot: Cross Country Soaring Helmut Reichmann: The bible for cross country pilots Winning on the Wind George Moffat: DatedI isights into this American champions thoughts Winning on the Wind 2 George Moffat: Updated version Soaring Cross Country Bill Scull: Introduction to cross country flying from a British perspective Soaring Competitively John Delafield : Introduction to flying in soaring competitions Competing in Gliders Leo & Ricky Brigliadori: recent book on competing in gliders

Checklists
Some suggestions for checklists are below. They are by no means comprehensive, but can be used as a basis for forming your own

Glider and Trailer

Trailer registered Tyres (including spare) in good condition and inflated Tie down stakes and hammer for trailer Tie down stakes for glider Tie down kit (with hammer) inside glider Hoses or water containers for ballast Bucket, sponge and chamois Lead and adaptor for trailer lights Parachute(s) repacked within the last 6 months Oxygen system

Items to Take
Laptop PDA Mobile Phone Handheld radio Battery chargers o Laptop o PDA o Glider o Phone o Camera o Radio Cables for downloading from flight logger Flight logger (if not fixed in aircraft) Logbook Glider maintenance release Insurance certificate Competition licence Ziploc bags and nappies (diapers) Maps of contest area Camera (for mementos) Grease Rags Pens, ruler etc for map marking Writing paper Camelback or other water container Hat Sunscreen Insect repellent Outlanding Kit: o Money for phone o Tissues o Food (muesli bars)

o o o o

Signalling mirror (old CD) Rain jacket Stroboscope More water

Marshalling Checklist
Before hooking up the glider and towing to the launch point: Task loaded into flight computer/PDA? Maps marked up and stowed? Parachute stowed? Oxygen turned on? Lunch stowed? Outlanding Kit stowed? Outlanding tiedown kit stowed? Drinking water stowed? Waterballast loaded? Waterballast hoses disconnected? Glider untied? Hat and sunglasses? Sunscreen on? Insect repellent on?