Appendix 5

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RULES
SUB-COMMITTEE

1.1 AA/AM Working Group

Recommend new version 1999 of the Gordon Bennett Model Event Rules be adopted.

1.2 AX Working Group

No recommendations

1.3 BX Working Group

The WG recommend the adoption of the rule changes as defined in BX MER 1999.
The WG recommend the adoption of 2 new tasks included in the above rule changes as 15.4.5 and 15.4.6.
The WG recommends the adoption of the Declared Time Scoring option as 16.2.11.

1.4 Scoring Working Group

The WG recommend that EPAS maintain the CIA Event Directors List and make it available to all interested parties.

That the WG will remain responsible for defining the criteria of the Event Directors List.

1.5 Statutes, By-laws & Sporting Code Working Group

That neither the CIA President nor CASI representative should attend CASI meetings for the foreseeable future.

That the CASI Representative write to the President of CASI presenting our apologies for future meetings and requesting that no new General Section amendments are made which are mandatory on the CIA.

That the CASI Representative makes no further communications with CASI unless instructed by the CIA Bureau.

That the CASI Representative keeps a watching brief on CASI papers.

 

2.1 CASI

The RSC propose that any future Ballooning Appeals are to be processed at a CIA level not CASI, and that the Statutes, By-laws & Sporting Code Working Group develop a process to implement this. The CASI representative should also pursue a change to the General Section reflecting the new process.

2.2 Safety Hand book (ref CIA minutes 98 item 24)

The RSC have not identified any sections of the Safety Handbook which should be made Mandatory, Therefore the Safety Handbook should remain an Advisory document.

2.3 Comprehensive Scoring Programme (ref CIA minutes 98 item 34.2)

The Scoring Working Group continue to evaluate 3rd party scoring programmes as the benchmark tests are now available, however due to technical reasons some programmes do not work with the benchmark software and further work is required.

Some programs have been made freely available on the Internet and the RSC encourage scoring software developers to submit their programs to the Scoring WG for evaluation and approval.

2.4 Proposal of New Scoring Format for WAG Events.

The RSC support the concept of this proposal, but further investigation is required to define the scope before any decisions are taken. Event Organisers should be encouraged to try new scoring formats at test events so as to provide factual data.

The RSC believe that the Media should be educated to better represent our sport rather than the sport adapting to suit the Media.

 

1999 Gordon Bennett - Recommend the rules as submitted by Austria, France and the USA be approved as presented. These rules are as the 1999 MER with organiser options.

1999 AX World Championship - Recommend that the rules are approved with the amendments as submitted.

Coupe d' Europe - Recommend that the rules are approved with the amendments as submitted.

Sendai Hot Air Balloon International Championship. - Recommend that the rules are approved with the amendments as submitted, and that Rule 13.4.2 be as stated in the MER'S.

Akwawit Cup - Recommend that the rules are approved with the amendments as submitted, but that the Rules reflect the 1998 MER's

Velikie Luki International Balloon Meet. - Recommend that the rules are approved as submitted, with the following changes.

• English to be the Official Language
• Renumber R9.3 to R9.22 exactly as in the AX MER
• R12.2 addition as per AX MER

Lindi Cup - Recommend that the rules are approved as submitted, but the working group have concerns about the organisers experience.

Mobilux Trophy - It was proposed that this event would be run under the new scoring format, and as this has not yet been agreed any rules cannot be available until after this Plenary Meeting.

It is proposed that the Rules for this Event are agreed with the AX Working Group and then passed to the Bureau for ratification. This is to be completed before 15th May 1999.

AA & AM Working Group Recommendations

1. Recommend new version 1999 of the Gordon Bennett Model Event Rules be adopted as presented.

2. Recommend the 1999 Gordon Bennett rules as submitted by Austria, France and the USA be approved as presented. These rules are as the 1999 MER with organiser options.

3. Recommend committee for the 1999 / 2000

a. Mark Sullivan – Chairman USA<
b. David Levin USA
c. Don Cameron GBR
d. Markus Haggeney GER
e. Josef Starkbaum AUT
f. Philippe De Cock BEL

Appendix 5.2

Les Purfield - Chairman
Mathijs de Bruijn
Uwe Schneider
Jacques Bernardin
David Levin
Masashi Kakuda

Gary Lockyer, Ruth Wilson, Josef Starkbaum, Bengt Stener, Tom Donnelly, Strecko Medven

a) World Championship. - Recommend that the rules are approved with the amendments as submitted.
b) Coupe d' Europe - Recommend that the rules are approved with the amendments as submitted.
c) Sendai Hot Air Balloon International Championship. - Recommend that the rules are approved with the amendments as submitted, and that Rule 13.4.2 be as stated in the MER’s.
d) Akwawit Cup. - Recommend that the rules are approved with the amendments as submitted,. and that the Rules reflect the 1998 MER's
e) Velikie Luki International Balloon Meet. - Recommend that the rules are approved as submitted, with the following changes.

• English to be the Official Language
• Renumber R9.3 to R9.22 exactly as in the AX MER
• R1.2.2 addition as per AX MER

f) Lindi Cup - Recommend that the rules are approved as submitted, but the working group have concerns about the organisers experience.

As agreed upon last year the MER will not be revised this year.

Rule problems of previous events which have been addressed to the WG have been discussed. Where the WG found a rule change is necessary a preliminary wording has been set up and will be reviewed during the year to come up with a proposal for MER amendment at next years meeting. The WG decided to follow on with the idea of subdividing the resent MER's into Rules, Competition Details and Event Details. This would allow for the Rules to be used without changes and without the need to be reprint for every event.

Clarifications, Definitions and all data required for a specific event would then be published in the Competition Details and Details which reduces the paperwork to be printed by the organisers and to be reviewed by competitors and observers to some pages only.

3. New Scoring Method - World Air Games

The WG reviewed the 2nd draft of the WAG Version of AX MER's and figured out the basic ideas behind to be:

a) Scoring changed from point system to meter system (accumulation of distance)
b) Penalty changed from points to meters
c) Competition to be run without observers
d) Compulsory scoring area on all tasks
e) Use of a limited no. of predefined goals for goals which allow competitor's choice
f) Gravity marker drop removed, throwing allowed in all tasks
g) Use of light weight Markers (35g instead of 70g)
h) Task list reduced from 18 to 7 as a reaction on points a) and c) above
i) Use of rotation vents allowed while flying tasks

Regarding a) and b) we realised major problems with we would run into applying the meters score system and therefore we do not support the idea. However we recognised the need for an easy understandable scoring for the public on site and recommend an almost instantaneous measurement and display on a billboard of the meters score.

Regarding c) we do not oppose against running an event without observers but we'd like to encourage the organisers to use observers for the sake of running a high level competition and being able to make full use of the tasks of the list.

If the meter scoring is not supported the compulsory use of scoring areas in all tasks as per point d) is not required and therefore we propose to leave it to the director to set scoring areas or not as he sees fit to the weather conditions. We also fear that the quality of met data would not always be sufficient to allow task setting enabling the majority of the competitors to score within a predefined scoring radius.

The use of predefined and pre-investigated goals as per e) is a help for officials and competitors and supported by the WG.

Regarding the gravity marker drop we propose to leave it to the director to use it or not as he sees it fit to the circumstances.

The use of lightweight Markers is supported by the WG, however we propose to investigate on the weight in regards of the distance the Marker may be thrown or swirled and its steadiness on the ground in windy conditions.

The reduction of the task list is only a consequence of the meter scoring system and the lack of observers.

Regarding the use of rotation vents in task flying the WG does not support the idea. The matter has been discussed before and no change to the facts has come up since then.

4. Safety Handbook

There was no recommendation for any mandatory sections of the Safety Handbook to be included in Section 1, however the Safety Sub-committee requested that the launch instructions in the MER's be clarified so as to be in line with the Safety Handbook. It was agreed that this would be done at the next review of the MER's.

5. 1999 / 2000 Working Group Members and Chairperson.

Uwe Schneider – Chairman (GER)
Les Purfield (GBR
Mathijs de Bruijn (NED)
Jacques Bernardin (FRA)
Joe Heartsill (USA)
Masashi Kakuda (JPN)

Appendix 5.3

PRESENT

Neil Robertson - Chairman
Les Purfield
Garry Lockyer

Rick Wallace
Tom Donnelly
Patrick Kearley
Ruth Wilson

These changes incorporate the corrections and suggestions received from the Jury President at the 1998 World Championships in Gatineau, Canada, and others.

2. SCORING PROGRAMME

The Chairman reported he had developed a new scoring programme incorporating the changes suggested from Gatineau, and that this would be used at the next Category 1 Event.

3. NEW TASKS

4. SCORING OPTIONS

5. RIGHT OF WAY RULES

Rick Wallace undertook to prepare amended Right of Way Rules for consideration by the WG and Airship Pilots with a view to possible inclusion in the MERs in March 2000.

6. EVENT PLANNING NOTES

The Chairman introduced the new Event Planning Notes, which set out budget considerations for Event Organisers.

7. FUTURE EVENTS

a) European Championships 1999, The Chairman reported on the possibility of this event being held in Italy in October.

b) World Championships 2000. The Chairman reported that plans for this event were progressing as planned.

8. COMPOSITION OF THE WORKING GROUP FOR 1999/2000

Les Purfield and GARRY Lockyer express their desire to retire from the WG.

Rick Wallace and Tom Donnelly and Guy Moyano indicated their willingness to be nominated as members of the WG for 1999/2000.

Neil Robertson - Chairman
Rick Wallace
Tom Donnelly
Guy Moyano

Appendix 5.4

STATUTES, BY-LAWS & SPORTING CODE WORKING GROUP

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS 3 March 1999

1. CASI's rejection of the CIA policy requiring that the whole of the Sporting Code governing ballooning should be under CIA control was discussed. A proposal by Jean Claude Weber is recommended as follows:

That neither the President nor CASI representative should attend CASI for the foreseeable future. The CASI representative's duties will be (a) to write to the president of CASI presenting our apologies for future meetings and requesting that no new General Section amendments are made which are mandatory on the CIA, (b) make no further communication with CASI unless instructed by the CIA bureau, and (c) keep a watching brief on CASI papers.

2. It is intended that Section I will not be reprinted until 2003. A document will be prepared to hold together all approved changes quoting the authority of the CIA minutes. Urgent amendments which are effective immediately will be separated from those which will become effective only on reprinting.

3. It was noted that the Internal Regulations are becoming out-of-date. Neil Robertson has agreed to revise these.

4. JCW has pointed out that some simplification of Section I wording, especially in the definitions section, is desirable. A proposal will be prepared for next year.

5. Preliminary discussions were held on the use of trail ropes on record flights, the classification of latex balloons and altitude records for AS balloons. These were referred to the Record Review Subcommittee for Section I proposals.

6. It is proposed that the FAI paper on distance calculations, formerly annex B of the General Section, should be added as an annex to Section 1.

Appendix 5.5

SCORING WORKING GROUP

Summary

1400 - 1600, 3^rd March 1999, Lausanne

1. New paragraph and chapter of the Competition Operation Handbook. The draft of new version of the Handbook was submit and will be discussed during 1999. The new version will be submitted to the Plenary in 2000.

2. Review of the CIA Event Director List.

2-1 We have the following persons for the CIA Event Director List.

Garry Lockyer (Canada)
Mathijs de Bruijn (The Netherlands)
Les Purfield (United Kingdom)
Neil Robertson (United Kingdom)
Tom Sheppard (USA)
Masashi Kakuda (Japan)

3. New Scoring Formula for WAG
The Scoring WG decided to start a feasibility study about the new scoring idea for World Air Game together with the AX WG.

4 World Ranking System
There have been discussion in the group and after that the WG decided that is premature to approve the proposal as presented and further study is needed.

The Scoring WG decided to be involved in control and review of this system if the Plenary passes this proposal.

5. Bench Mark Test
Data of five bench mark tests for software of AX-MERs is available. We are continuing to develop other tests add those to our file. Those data will be distributed in text or Excel format to the Jury Board, event organiser, event directors or scoring officials.

6. Structure for 1999 - 2000 of Scoring WG

WG Chairman Mathijs de Bruijn (NED)
Member Olivier Roux Devillas (FRA)
Bengt Stener (SWE)
Darryl Stuart (AUS)
Masashi Kakuda (JPN)

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