John Aldridge <<john>>
writes:

The minutes of the recent CIVL Bureau meeting can be found here:
www.fai.org/hang_gliding/meetings/bureau/2010_oct

Highlights from the minutes:

Sprogs: more information on minimum safe settings and best
practice coming through from manufacturers. Some pilots had to change on the day
as they did not know what figures would be used. Need to publish figures in
advance. For next year, new non-certified gliders will have been out for 4
months so figures should be available in advance. It should be easier now for
pilots to check their own settings. 100% testing should not be necessary at next
Cat 1s. Need centrally published information.

Wider problem with virtual lines as it is difficult to detect the landing in
software, so we don't know if pilot flew or walked over the line. Cylinders are
better in this respect and S7 rules already allow for physical reference line.
Also issue with Flytec / Brauniger GPS units converting non-valid track log
points to valid points in GPS dump, but not in Flychart. Referred to
Software Work Group.

Although more collapse resistant, new style paragliders are harder to
recover, so reserves deployed more often, and gliders more likely to sustain
damage when they collapse.

Use of live tracking devices: organiser has sent through some useful
information. The devices appeared to work well for retrieve logistics and were
regarded as an asset to safety. There was some effort involved to set them up.
New features expected next year will improve them further.

Airspace infringements: need to establish standard ways of setting airspace
shapes to be read the same by all instruments and scoring software. Change to
Altitude Verification addendum might be required if limits set in altitude amsl
and not Flight Level.

Also steward pointed out that rules for infringements of vertical and horizontal
airspace have different limits and different penalties. These could be
interpreted as two offences.

CIVL is the only commission to publish such detailed Jury Reports on our
website. CIMA publishes short reports. John Aldridge has been questioned by the
FAI Secretariat whether we really should be putting these reports, which
highlight safety issues and even fatalities, in the public domain. Not a good
way to promote our sport to potential sponsors, to organisers, etc. John
Aldridge and Bureau agrees with this. Ideas for alternative options include:
sending out JP reports to Delegates in same way as Steward reports; informing
delegates that reports are available on request; publishing an extract from
reports; storing full reports in intranet document store with password access;
or as part of competition record (with results etc) which can be controlled with
permissions systems. Bureau recommendation is to no longer publish full reports,
to remove reports currently published, but to make reports available to
delegates on request. Jury reports for this year's Category 1 competitions have
not been published since the Asian PG championships.

No report received from Oyvind Ellefsen. It is disappointing that there has been
so little contact from the hang gliding sub committee chairman. There has been
little activity on the mailing list. However, there has been some activity among
hang gliding sub committee members in the safety area, following a meeting in
July. Ideas have been progressing on building an online resource of useful
information (articles, videos etc). Need regular material from top pilots that
don't appear to be on safety, but will highlight safety actions in a positive
way (performance, etc).

13. 1.6 WXC

Ágúst Guðmundsson proposes to make it an official contest. Not all current
contributing competitions have an administrator. May have to limit it to those
which validate flights. Once official, WXC would probably attract sponsorship,
so could be self-financing for prizes etc. In principle, Bureau supports the
idea.

13. 1.8 Live trackers:

Feedback shows they are working well. Key issues are: aid to safety, easy
retrieve, and are now being used for scoring (80% equivalent to GPS scoring
results). Some disadvantages such as effort to set up, discipline to bring back
and recharge, etc.

13. 1.9 Acceptance of new scoring programmes for Cat 1 events

There are only a few Cat 1 competitions each year. CIVL has a free, supported
scoring system. (FS) Validating an alternative scoring system will require
considerable time and effort to ensure that it is functionally equivalent to FS,
the system authorised for use in Cat 1 competitions, and widely used in Cat 2s.
There are long term support implications also to ensure that subsequent versions
of multiple scoring systems remain equivalent. Decision: The CIVL Bureau
recommends that a single scoring system be consistently used at all Cat 1
events. However, CIVL welcomes continuing cooperation with scoring system
developers for their continued use in Cat 2 events. Action: John Aldridge to
inform 2011 Cat 1 organisers.

13. 3 Helmet Work Group Report

A report was distributed in June by Stéphane Malbos. Although the Work Group
lacked technical expertise to investigate in depth, it concluded that EN966
helmets were the only ones suitable for airsports, and that the CIVL rule should
be upheld. Helmets were checked at all Cat 1s this year. Some organisers
were more efficient than others in checking. It was clear that a database of
EN966 approved helmets should have been compiled and made available earlier in
the year. A list of known EN966 certified helmets has now been compiled.

14. 1 FAI Sporting Licences:

Fewer organisers are checking licences at Cat 2s. Things will improve
once the database is online and populated. But then we will probably see a
reduction in the number of pilots with licences on our ranking system.

14. 2 hang gliding Sport Class ranking

The hang gliding sport class ranking has just been added to the WPRS.

14. 3 hang gliding competition validation

Some hang gliding competitions are not being validated, or not even being
sanctioned due to low numbers of competitors. Action: Louise Joselyn to add to
hang gliding sub committee Agenda to review minimum numbers rule in conjunction
with review of qualifying criteria for Cat 1 events...

20. 2 In particular, we are concerned that FAI is planning to impose a levy on
some sanction fee income received by commissions in order to support its
expanding secretariat. We are still unsure of precisely how we are going to
benefit from the increased staff levels, and we are especially troubled about
the lack of consultation initially and lack of communication on changes already
in progress, such as the new FAI web project.

21. FAI Sporting Licence Database update

Ágúst Guðmundsson agrees with FAI statement that the database should be made
mandatory (from January 2011). We need to have an interface in place swiftly
for correlation with the WPRS for licence checking. Ágúst Guðmundsson was in
communication with past FAI personnel about this, and has asked FAI for the
contact person to work on the interfacing. Another commission also wants to do
the same. We expect to have some flexibility for the first year, with acceptance
of a printed licence at physical registration, even if it is not in the
database. Ágúst Guðmundsson believes that once the database becomes mandatory,
some NACs will consider the opportunity of not issuing paper licences. Other
countries will prefer to have a physical document signed and stamped.