Vicki Cain <<vicki>>
writes:

Moyes Delta Gliders have lately been confronted with numerous
pilot requests regarding the exact procedure on sprog angle measuring and the
precise ruling on certified versus prototype gliders for the upcoming Worlds.

Addressing such topics to Moyes might be attributed to the Moyes family’s strong
involvement in the meet organization, but as matters stand, Moyes as a
manufacturer is also quite lost on understanding recent CIVL officials
interpretations on Section 7 rulings in this context.

At the same time, there are currently extensive and hefty debates held on
various internet sites, where pilots are arguing pro and contra the fairness and
safety relevance of glider measuring as presently conducted by CIVL officials in
FAI hang gliding comps.

As it seems, the latest quite inconsistent and incoherent rulings on the matter
have confused and upset competition pilots and manufacturers alike, and led to
suggest that CIVL officials are measuring with different yards sticks for
different competitors:

· At the Worlds 2009 in Laragne (senior CIVL officials: John Aldridge, Flip
Koertier and Denis Pagen) e.g. Icaro factory pilot Christian Ciech attended and
competed with a 10.7m span prototype glider, declared as regular Icaro Z9 14
(span 10.45m as by specs). This one-off glider was never pitch or sprog tested
with any testing institutions as meanwhile confirmed. Despite this fact, no
actions were taken by any officials throughout the meet, as to question the
airworthiness of this model as requested by Section 7 12.2.3.3 Prototype
Gliders.

· At the Europeans 2010 in Ager (senior CIVL officials: John Aldridge, Flip
Koetsier and Denis Pagen) one year later with plenty of time to truck test,
again Christian Ciech attended with the same one-off model, still untested.
Again the same procedure: declared as Icaro Z9 14, again the same outcome: no
actions taken by any of the officials throughout the meet.

(The 10.7m model never went into production. Its sole purpose was to have a
competitive advantage over competing glider models restricted by certification
constraints and compulsive airworthiness standards.)

· At the Worlds 2011 in Monte Cucco (senior CIVL officials: Flip Koertier,
Heather Mull and Denis Pagen) the ongoing discrepancy between tested and
actually competing model was repeatedly addressed to Denis Pagen during glider
inspection. E. g. the top Icaro pilots, Alex Ploner, Christian Ciech and Manfred
Ruhmer again showed up there with new prototype gliders that not only differed
from their certified Z9 model but even differed from each other in major
construction details (crossbars, batten profiles and sprog construction). One
had to be blind to not see this. Still the same outcome: no action taken by any
officials throughout the meet.

· At the Europeans 2012 in Kayseri (senior CIVL officials: Flip Koertier and
Denis Pagen) Francoise Dieuzeide intended to compete with her new Moyes RX3.
While all frame components of this model had already been extensively tested
during certification of the earlier LS3 and LS4 model, the RX3 glider model at
this stage had not yet been truck-tested for certification, which was due only a
month later.

As Francoise was one of the first women to purchase the new RX3 model and helped
promote it from the beginning, Moyes decided to supply her with the so-called
letter for prototype gliders, a signed statement that the glider was an
airworthy prototype. Also supplied were the requested sprog settings as required
from Section 7 12.2.3.3 Prototype Gliders, reading: “Prototype gliders are only
allowed with the manufacturer’s statement that the pilot is approved to fly this
glider. Furthermore, a statement from the manufacturer must be produced
confirming that the glider is airworthy and specifying the sprog settings at
which this confirmation is valid.”

Since the RX3 model had already been flown throughout the season by about
several dozens of customers in various competitions around the world with no
signs of safety issues whatsoever, one could say this was a text book case for
allowing it into the FAI-1 competition based on the prototype glider rule.
Francoise’s case really perfectly suited the rule book.

She then at first had been allowed to compete, only to find herself being
eliminated from the meet three tasks later. The ruling given to her by the jury
president was that there had been too many protests about her competing. But
upon checking, no such protests that the Jury would have to rule upon could be
verified. As it turns out Francoise had been eliminated from the competition
solely for the Jury’s fear of a possible protest. On the other hand, no other
gliders were found unfit to fly, despite the fact that several competitors once
again competed on “mis-declared” glider models. Sadly to admit also one Moyes
pilot, who competed with an untested RX3.5 that was declared as RS-3.5.

Francoise accepted the decision imposed on her and Moyes is also willing to do
so, if this very Jury decision at the Europeans 2012 in Kayseri shall be taken
as a precedence case for upcoming/future FAI-1 events. As the rules have to be
the same for every competitor, this means that no pilot without any exception
shall then be allowed to compete in an upcoming/future FAI-1 Hang gliding
competition unless the glider model they compete on has been successfully truck
tested and approved by any of the currently approved authorities (DHV, HGMA,
BHPA).

CIVL officials will therefore have to make sure to be provided with enough
evidence, that each glider they are intending to sprog-check can first be
properly identified as the model the pilot claims to attend the meet with. It
would otherwise simply make no sense to put substantial efforts into precisely
measuring and checking sprog angles and then – be it out of ignorance,
negligence or bias towards big names - attribute them to the wrong model.

CIVL senior officials should please not waste any time now and come to a quick,
concise official statement on the matter. This needs to be addressed as soon as
possible to the registered pilots at the upcoming Worlds, so they are not
tempted to ship gliders they will likely not be allowed to compete with.