http://www.fai.org/hang_gliding/node/1099

The dominant theme of the 2009 CIVL Plenary meeting was how to improve competition safety. With an increasing number of accidents and incidents at recent international competitions, both the FAI board and CIVL delegates are strongly motivated to address safety issues swiftly and effectively. FAI Secretary General, Max Bishop addressed the Plenary with an unequivocal message. “Safety is the most important topic on FAI and CIVL agenda. The level of accidents in recent competitions is totally unacceptable."

He continued: "The responsibility for these accidents is shared between pilots, equipment manufacturers, organisers, FAI officials, and the people who make the rules,” he said. “CIVL can and must make the sport a great deal safer. If not, there is a strong probability that the FAI Executive Board might reluctantly intervene to cancel future events.

Specifically related to hang gliding, the Pitch Stability Working Group is to dramatically step up its activity concerning measuring sprog settings. HG sprog settings that are set too low below manufacturers specifications are considered to be a major factor in accidents involving tumbling. The issues are complex, however, in how to take the measurements, within what tolerances are acceptable, who will make the measurements, and how to limit liability. Then there is the matter of setting and imposing penalties. The WG includes representatives from the pilot, manufacturer and organiser communities, as well as FAI officials. Importantly, the WG must report back, hopefully with workable solutions, at least one month before the World HG Championships in June this year.

There are many issues still to resolve, especially how to categorically prove cloud flying. Short of insisting that all pilots fly with a video camera, it seems that it is difficult to amass real proof using flight instrumentation. Penalties for cloud flying are extremely harsh, which, some say, discourages pilots from reporting cases, and organisers from imposing penalties. There is a view that introducing a lesser penalty for a first offence may overcome this reluctance, thereby establishing more firmly in pilots’ minds that cloud flying will be penalised. The opposing view is that any leniency on such a serious matter sends the wrong signals to pilots.

What competitions was Max Bishop referring to? Which accidents was he referring to? Are we only talking about fatal accidents? How do we know that sprog settings are a major factor in accidents involving tumbling? What representatives from the manufacturers are on the workgroup? Gerolf? Steve Pearson? Scott Barret? Who exactly is on the work group?

Does CIVL just have to show the FAI that it is doing something even if it doesn't know what to do that is useful? Is there a big difference between paragliding and hang gliding competitions?