Royal Victorian Aero Club - Competition Rules
- Phone
- +61 3 9580 0088
- flying@rvac.com.au
- Address
- Moorabbin Airport,
Mentone, Victoria, Australia
Aero Club
Competition Rules
THE COMPETITION RULES
CONTENTS
01 FLYING COMPETITIONS
02 COMPETITORS LIST
03 AIR JUDGES
04 BOOKINGS & COMPETITION CHARGES
05 COMPETITION PROCEDURES
06 SCORING
07 OFFICIAL SCORER'S DUTIES & CO ORDINATOR.
08 PRE FLYING & POST FLYING.
09 ADMINISTRATION
10 COMPETITION AIRCRAFT
11 PROTESTS
12 MISCELLANEOUS: Regulations, Limitations & Passengers.
13 EMERGENCY POWERS AT COMPETITIONS
14 PENALTIES
15 AMENDMENTS
ISSUED BY THE FLYING ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE.
Revised January 2007, and approved by General Committee on 31/1/2007
1.1 Organisation and conduct of the monthly RVAC Flying Competitions is the responsibility of the Flying Activities Committee. This committee consists of its Chairman (who is a member of General Committee appointed to this role), the Chief Air Judge, representatives of each of the four Flights, and any persons co-opted to the committee for particular reasons.
1.2 Competitions shall be conducted on the first Sunday of each month, commencing in February and ending in October (see 1.3).
1.3 The Flying Activities Committee may vary the date, to a Sunday before or after to avoid holidays or other events.
1.4 Up to nine competitions shall be held each year, the month of November being reserved for a possible Field Day at which a Lightning Personal Championship may be held.
1.5 Types of competitions shall be selected by the Flying Activities Committee from the following:
Mini Navigational Trial Streamer Cutting
Forced Landing Spot Landing
Flour Bombing Accurate Flying from Left Hand Seat
Accurate Flying from Right Hand Seat Balloon Bursting
Instrument Flying Instrumentless Circuits
In-flightDeductive Course Reckoning Medley
Balloon Bursting & Spot Landing Streamer Cutting & Spot Landing
Hands off Control Column & Glide Approach Accurate Slow Flying & Streamer Cut
Hands off Control Column & Streamer Cutting
and such other competitions as may be approved by the Club's Flying Activities Committee.
1.6 Administration of competitions shall be conducted by The Flying Activities Committee.
1.7 Rules for each competition and each section's maximum scores are shown on the Competition Score Sheets.
2.1 Competitors must be: (all of a to f)
a. Financial Royal Vic Club Members. b. Holders of a Student Pilot's Licence or higher.
c. Officially enrolled as Flight Members. d. Enrolled on only one Flight Members List.
e. Holders of a current Medical Certificate and AFR.
f. "Current" to fly with an Air Judge. (or else an Instructor).
with a Membership of one of the following categories:
g. Life. h. Honorary Life.
i. Flying. j. Provisional Flying.
k. Country Member.
2.2 The Flight Leader is to keep an up to date Competitors List on the Competition Board.
2.3 Other Club (non RVAC) Members may fly in any competition, for their enjoyment and a personal score. Their score will not count as a "Flight Score".
2.4 Other Club (non RVAC) Members may fly the Field Day competition, Navigation Trial, or any other Special event. Should they win it, they will be recognised by a Club letter and Awarded a Highest Score Tankard. But if they are not Royal Vic Members they are not
eligible to be Club Champion for that event, or have their name on the Perpetual Trophy.
3. AIR JUDGES.
3.1 An Air Judge is a RVAC Flying Member who acts in a competition scoring flight as Air Judge for scoring purposes, and monitors the safety of the flight at all times.
3.2 The Flying Activities Committee will nominate a Chief Air Judge, who will be the C.F.I.’s delegated representative in relation to safety of competition flying, selection of Air Judges, and any competition matters that are of concern to the C.F.I.
3.3 Notwithstanding the Air Judge’s role, the competitor is pilot in command of each competition flight.
3.4 A competitor who is also an air judge must fly his or her own competition scoring flight with an Instructor or an Air Judge who is a member of different flight or team (unless given an Air Judge as a result of a random allocation made by the Control Centre during Competition Sunday – ie the officiating Air Judge is not privately arranged.)
3.5 If possible Air Judges still to do their own scoring flight should do so before acting as a Judge for other competitors. This is not always achievable.
3.6 Competitors who are student pilots below GFPT stage must have a qualified Instructor as Air Judge, any additional expense being borne by the student member.
3.7 The Chairman of the Flying Activities Committee, or by his delegation the Chief Air Judge, may hold and chair meetings of all Air Judges at such times as are necessary to maintain a two way flow of information concerning safety, the skills of air judging; etc. The Club President and the C.F.I. can elect to attend such meetings on an Ex-Officio basis. At such meetings, suggestions for improvements to competitions are welcome.
3.8 Seven days notice of all meetings of Air Judges should be given.
3.9 Minutes shall be kept of all meetings and a copy supplied to the Club Committee.
3.10 While acting as Air Judges on a competition flight Air Judges are deemed to be agents and officers of the Club, and carry certain exemptions from liability and indemnities from the Club to the extent provided by Clauses 5 and 148 of the Club's Articles of Association.
3.11 Club members wishing to act as Air Judges must be approved as such by the C.F.I. and Flying Activities Committee each year. The C.F.I. or his delegated representative shall conduct such flight checks he considers necessary. The cost of checks (both aircraft cost and instructor cost) will be borne by the Club.
3.12 Club members wishing to apply for the first time to be an Air Judge should have PPL status at minimum, have at least 250 hours of logged powered flying and should have scored well in competitions over at least two years. New applicants should approach the Chairman of the Flying Activities Committee. The C.F.I. or his delegated representative shall confirm or otherwise the candidate's acceptance as an Air Judge.
4A. BOOKINGS.
4.1 Bookings for each competition may be made from the date of the previous competition, in defined time allocations.
4.2 Competitors should report to the Control Centre at least fifteen minutes prior to the start of their booked time.
4.3 Members reporting for competition flights without a booking or reporting late, must take second place to booked competitors until they can be fitted in.
4.4 Members reporting late for the last time slot, may find the competition closed, and not be able to fly.
4.5 The booking sheet should be designed to leave the last time slot as a reserve time only.
4B. COMPETITION CHARGES
4.6 Hourly VDO rates for monthly competition flights will be at current Members’ solo rates, plus a competition fee as determined by the General Committee to cover costs of operating the competitions.
4.7 Total charges must be paid on the day of the competition scoring flight, by cash, cheque or credit cards accepted by the Club.
4.8 Failure to pay the total charges on the day of the flight disqualifies the competitor and the score shall not count for the Flight or the competitor's individual score.
4.9 Competition aircraft owners flying their own aircraft in a competition must pay the competition fee in cash or cheque and have the word "OWNER" written in the appropriate places on the cash sheet and score sheet.
5. COMPETITION PROCEDURES
5A. SELECTION OF JUDGE OR AIRCRAFT.
5.1 Competitors may select a particular aircraft type, if available on the day. For this purpose Cessnas, Warriors and Archers are considered as different types.
5.2 Competitors are not entitled to select a particular individual aircraft if another of the same type is available. In this context, Piper Warriors (PA-28-151 and PA-28-161) and Piper Archers (PA-28-181) are considered to be of the same type.The owners of competition aircraft may select their own aircraft, but in so doing must comply with booking rules.
5.3 Competition flights must only be carried out in competition aircraft as defined in Rule 10.
5.4 In order for the score to be recognised, a competition flight must only be conducted with an Air Judge who has been formally approved under rule 3.11, or an Instructor.
5.5 The members operating the Control Centre must at all times endeavour to allocate a competitor to an Air Judge of a different Flight to that of the competitor.
5.6 A competitor is permitted (once per competition) to decline to fly with any particular Air Judge. But the competitor is NOT PERMITTED to select a particular Air Judge as the only person with whom that competitor will fly.
5B. EARLY TERMINATION OF A COMMENCED COMPETITION.
5.7 In the event of the forced suspension, or any other early termination of a competition, it will be deemed completed if 50% or more of booked competitors (including pre fliers) have flown.
5.8 In the event of the forced suspension, or any other early termination of a competition, it will be declared cancelled if less than 50% of booked competitors (including pre fliers) have flown. All Flight and Personal scores will be cancelled.
5C. THE MINI NAV.
5.9 If the Mini Nav has not commenced on the set date and no details of the competition have been disclosed, but it is cancelled due to weather or for any other reason, the Flying Activities Committee has the option of re scheduling it to a later Sunday or organising an alternative competition.
5.10 If it appears at 8.:30 am that the competition can be fully flown, the competition will be started.
5.11 If the Mini Nav has been started, then:
If flying later in the day becomes impossible; the competition will become a ground scores only competition, if less than 50% of those booked can fly.
5.12 The Mini Nav times are all to be recorded from a clock at the Control Centre.
5.13 The Mini Nav is to be scored by the Official and Assistant Scorers.
6. SCORING.
6A. POINTS AWARDED.
6.1 The maximum score in each competition is 100 points.
6.2 No points will be given for a particular competition flight if the competitor fails to comply with the direction of an Air Judge.
6.3 Awarding of points shall be in accordance with the instructions shown on the Score Sheets.
6B. NUMBER OF SCORES COUNTED.
6.4 Flight or Team scores for each competition shall be calculated by totalling the countable number of scores, made up from the best scores of those who are on the Competitors List.
6.5 If a competition is declared completed in accordance with Rule 5.7, the scores counted for the Flight or Team Championship shall be determined as follows. The scoring competition flights to be counted toward each Team score shall be the number flown by the Team flying the least competitors.
7. COMPETITION DUTIES
7A. OFFICIAL SCORER DUTIES.
7.1 The Official Scorer shall be responsible for the keeping of statistics of each competitor's results and each Flight's results, for each competition and progressively for the year.
7.2 If practicable, an Assistant to the Official Scorer should be appointed.
7.2 On competition day the Official Scorer will collect the score sheets and verify that scores are correct. Score errors to be edited by the Computer Operator.
7.3 The Official Scorer to determine the flight or team scores, checking for errors of applying correct scoring procedures and correct adding of scores.
7.4 Provisional Team scores and the relative position of each Team or Flight, 1st., 2nd., 3rd. etc shall be announced on the day, if at all possible.
7.5 After final verification, the Official Scorer will arrange to have the Official Results printed out and distributed to the Members of Flying Activities Committee.
7.6 Scoring ambiguities, other than calculation errors, should be reported immediately to the Chairman of the Flying Activities Committee for reference to the parties concerned and clarification, if possible, on the day of the event. If the matter cannot be clarified on the day of the event, it is to be referred to the next Flying Activities Committee meeting for decision.
7.7 The Official Scorer will be responsible to ensure that the Assistant is familiar with the scoring operation.
7.8 The Assistant to the Official Scorer shall assist in checking the score sheets, but must advise the Official Scorer of any ambiguities.
7.9 In the absence of the Scorer, the Assistant Scorer must be prepared to assume the duties of Official Scorer for that period, advising the Official Scorer of results as soon as practicable.
7B. COMPETITIONS CO ORDINATOR
7.10 A Competitions Co-ordinator may be appointed by the Chairman of the Flying Activities Committee to perform such duties as are delegated to him or her.
7.11 These duties will relate to the effective implementation and operation of normal competitions procedures, including pre- and post-flying.
8. PRE-FLYING & POST FLYING.
8A. DEFINITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
8.1 Competition Day to be known to as Competition Sunday.
8.2 The day before Competition Sunday is to be known as Practice Saturday.
8.3 Pre Flying occurs if a scoring flight takes place prior to Competition Sunday, and post-flying occurs if a competition flight takes place after Competition Sunday.
8.4 Competitors on pre- or post-fly scoring flights must fly with an Air Judge from a DIFFERENT TEAM, or with an Instructor. ( On Competition Sunday the desk has discretion to allocate Air Judges according to their availability.) Flight Leaders should assist competitors in obtaining an appropriate Air Judge for pre-or post flying.
8.5 For all pre- and post-flying of competitions, including on Practice Saturday, practice and scoring is permitted if a minimum time-gap of a 1 hour on the ground is observed between the practice and scoring flights. The competitor is responsible for booking an aircraft for the scoring flight with Ops.
8.6 The pre- or post flying scoring flight is to be a single, specifically nominated flight (observing the 1 hr gap).
8.7 All Pre and Post score sheets, must:
a. have the Pre/Post box TICKED.
b. have a RECEIPT No._______
c. Show the DATE of the Flight.
8.8 Pre- and post-flying of field competitions is permitted on one specific day per competition, subject to adequate field crew and equipment being available. All Teams are to be notified of any proposal to pre- or post-fly a field competition .
8.9 Rostered Air Judges, Flight Leaders, their 2IC's, Scorers, Competition Co ordinator and any On Field assistants shall have the option of pre flying competitions at anytime during the ten days prior to Competition Day.
8.10 Infringements of the pre- and post-flying conditions are to be reported by the scorer to the Committee. Rules not observed can incur an immediate penalty of 10 points.
8.11 Pre-flying scores will be counted toward team scores, but post-flying is for personal scores only. Post-flying must take place within 30 days of Competition Day, and in any case by the subsequent Competition Day. A competitor is allowed a maximum of two post-flys in a year.
8.12 Mutual Air Judging for pre- and post-flying is permitted ONLY if no other Air Judge is available, and is subject to the Flying Activities Chairman's approval 48 hours prior the flights. The Chairman should endeavour to arrange an alternative Air Judge before granting such approval.
8.13 Notwithstanding the provisions in 8.11 above, post-flying of the final team competition in October is not allowed. This is to provide a final outcome for all awards in time to ensure that trophies can be engraved or obtained for presentation in November. Without this rule the major awards (such as Club Champion, the Team Championship and various “best pilot” awards) would remain undetermined for a further 30 days.
8B. APPLICATIONS TO PRE- AND POST-FLYING FOR SPECIAL REASONS.
8.13 Applications will need an acceptable reason, such as being interstate, overseas or strong personal reason. 48 hours notice is required, giving the date of the booking.
Applications are to be made to the Flying Activities Chairman who may arrange the Air Judge.
8.14 Each pre flying request is to apply to one Competition only.
9. ADMINISTRATION
The Chairman of the Flying Activities Committee has discretion in the application of any Rule to allow a fairer outcome, and is to ensure the following duties are carried out personally or by delegation:
9.1 Confer with the Chief Flying Instructor or a Deputy well before each competition to check safety and legal matters, and to allocate and reserve Club operated aircraft for competition use (see Section 10).
9.2 Ensure that an adequate supply of balloons, gas, streamers, flour etc; and necessary ground equipment, such as tapes, fences, markers, score sheets etc; is available and serviceable.
9.3 Roster and brief sufficient Personnel to staff a Control Centre and maintain field activities for the full day.
9.4 Prepare a booking sheet for the next month's competitions and to have it available at the Operations Desk to encourage bookings for the next competition.
9.5 Supervise the correct setting up of necessary ground equipment, for any particular competition.
9.6 Accurately keep aircraft time sheets, collect payment from competitors and record cash receipts in order to balance at the end of the day. Only cash, cheques or credit cards accepted by the club are accepted for payment for competition flights.
9.7 Arrange allocation of competitors to aircraft to ensure minimum delay in departure.
9.8 Keep and summarize all scores for the day and prepare lists in Flights showing Team, Flight & Divisional scores.
9.9 Lodge all score sheets with the Scorer and return flight records, cash sheets and balanced cash to Operations Staff at the end of each Competition Sunday.
9.10 Maintain a written inventory of competition equipment, a copy of which is to be submitted to the Club's administration staff in November of each year for checking.
10. COMPETITION AIRCRAFT
10.1 The Chairman of the Flying Activities Committee, in conference with the Chief Flying Instructor and Administrative staff is to arrange allocation of sufficient Club operated aircraft, specifically noted by registration letters, for use in the next competition. Due allowance must be made for flying training and non competition requirements.
10.2 Either the Flying Activities Committee Chairman or the Club President may authorize the use of privately-owned aircraft at any time for competitions, on such terms and conditions as is seen fit and after being assured that the aircraft is properly registered and insured.
10.3 All aircraft referred to in this Section 10, which are specifically allocated or approved for use in competitions, are referred to in these Rules as "Competition aircraft".
11. PROTESTS
11.1 Disputes between a Competitor and Air Judge are to be mutually resolved, or in default of resolution to be referred to the Competition Officials on the day. Unresolved complaints on competition days may be referred to Flying Activities Committee.
11.2 For the purpose of these Rules, Competition Officials are the Flying Activities Chairman acting alone, or two Members of the Flying Activities Committee. Decisions of such Competition Officials are to be unanimous.
11.3 A Flight Leader may initiate a protest if it is believed that a matter of principle is involved.
12. MISCELLANEOUS
12A REGULATIONS AND LIMITATIONS.
12.1 Participation in competitions will be taken into account by the C.F.I in evaluating a pilot’s compliance with the Club Rules and Air Navigation Orders regarding recency and check flights.
12.2 The Pilot in Command (ie- the competitor unless an Instructor is acting as Air Judge) is responsible for weight and balance and compliance with the Loading System. Operations shall be limited to normal category flying manoeuvres, but may include straight and steady stalls, and turns in which the angle of bank does not exceed 60 degrees. The coordination ball must remain essentially central at all times. All acrobatic manoeuvres, including spins and stall turns, are prohibited.
12.3 All activities associated with flying shall be subject to the rules and procedures contained in CAR's, CAO's, AIP's and the Club's Operations Manual.
12.4 All competitions, championships and trials shall be conducted in VMC conditions in daylight hours. Flight in these events is not permitted in non VMC, nor after last light.
12.5 Commercially licenced pilots may be Flight members and competitors, their scores counting for their Teams/Flights and the individual awards for Club Champion, Best Commercial Pilot, Flight Champion and individual competition winner.
12.6 Royal Vic Club Members, not being Flight members, may take part as individual entrants in any competition and shall be eligible for any individual category.
12B. PASSENGERS.
12.7 Passengers may be taken on some competition flights, provided the consent of both the competitor and the Air Judge is obtained.
12.8 Passengers are not permitted on Streamer Cutting or Flour Bombing flights, whether they are scoring or practice flights. (Air Services Regulations )
12.9 A passenger is a person who is not a prime person actively engaged in timing or altitude calling, keeping a look out, or other function directly related to the flight. A prime person must be a pilot performing a pre-determined role during the flight.
1 3. EMERGENCY POWERS AT COMPETITIONS
13.1 This Section is designed to delegate powers to enable field decisions to be made during the course of a competition.
13.2 The decision to be taken should always be in the best interests of the Club taking into account the aspects of safety, Club spirit and finances.
13.3 The types of circumstances under which this rule might be used are whether or not to cancel a competition due to deteriorating weather, a dangerous increase in cross wind strength, adequacy of time to conclude a competition and the condition of the field. This is not an all-inclusive list.
13.4 Decisions relating to safety of competition flying shall be made by the C.F.I. or his delegated representative, the Chief Air Judge, who may consult with other Flying Activities Committee members.
13.5 Decisions not relating to safety shall be made by a majority decision of Flying Activities Committee members present at the time, preferably with each Flight represented. In the event of a Flight not being represented, numbers should be made up from General Committee members present at the time.
13.6 In the event of unforeseen or unusual circumstances, other than the above, the Flying Activities Committee has the power to use its discretion to alleviate any unfairness caused to a particular flight.
14. PENALTIES
14.1 Penalties for breaches of rules relating to competitions may be imposed by the Flying Activities Committee at a duly constituted meeting.
14.2 Penalties imposed by the Flying Activities Committee shall take the form of only an adjustment of scores, such adjustment being designed to restore fairness to the Flights or Competitors.
14.3 Breaches considered by the Flying Activities Committee shall be judged in the light of the circumstances of the case, the extent of apparent deliberate intent to breach the Rules, and the advantage obtained by either an individual competitor or the Flight involved.
14.4 The Flying Activities Committee can direct the scorer to apply a 10 point penalty at the time of scoring for specific breaches; these to be reviewed at the next meeting.
14.5 The Club's General Committee retains the right to review and alter if necessary any penalty imposed by the Flying Activities Committee.
14.6 Notwithstanding the above, the penalty imposed by Rule 8.10 is fixed.
15. AMENDMENTS
15.1 Amendments to these Rules are subject to approval by the Club's General Committee.
15.2 Recommendations for amendments may be initiated by any Flying RVAC Club Member, Flight or Committee subject to such recommendations being passed forward as appropriate through the following sequence : Member, Flight, Flying Activities Committee, Club General Committee.