RECORDS REVIEW SUBCOMMITTEE
RECORDS REVIEW SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING, 3 MARCH 1999
Minutes and Report to Plenary Session
1. Present: Karl Stefan (Chairman), Hans Akerstedt, Don Cameron, Sabu Ichiyoshi.
Apologies: Norman Pritchard, Bruce Comstock.
2. Record Claim time limits:
Provision for extension of time limits concerning submission of Record Claims to the FAI are stated in GS, 6.8.1 and 6.8.2 indicate that these approvals must come from the President of CASI and from the FAI headquarters respectively. The Subcommittee finds that authority for such approvals should be assigned to the Air Sport Commission concerned where a better understanding of the specialised factors underlying the need for an extension would exist. A motion for appropriate change of the General Section is proposed at the end of this report.
3. Trailropes:
A question has been raised concerning the use of trailropes in record breaking balloon flights. The Sporting Code very clearly permits the use of trailropes in the definitions of "Flight" and "Landing Point" providing the balloon is not moored. Objections to permitting the use or trailropes were discussed and rejected as summarised below.
a. Trailropes are in contact with the surface, and in the public perception that is not flying. The Subcommittee points out that trailropes historically are an integral part of flying, have been used in record breaking flights, that the balloon is supported by buoyancy, only the trailrope is on the surface, thus the balloon is "flying"'. Publicity pictures will show that the balloon is in the air and not resting on the earth surface.
b. Verification that the gondola is not on the ground or water is not feasible. In order to have a record approved the pilot must prove that the gondola has not at any time made more than "momentary contact" with the surface. Although this may require innovative instrumentation, we do not want to discourage innovation. Also, the method could be as simple as Observer visual verification.
c. Trailropes are not strictly defined and could use something more than a typical rope structure. The subcommittee does not visualise this as a problem, and again may contribute to innovative developments which may benefit ballooning.
d. The pilot may pick up water as extra ballast while trailroping. This is not a violation of the Sporting Code, which only forbids "outside" help, a pilot assisting himself is not "outside" help. Picking up water is analogous to the Earthwinds balloon pumping up the superpressure ballast balloon with extra weight of ambient air.
The Subcommittee concludes that with regard to trailropes, no changes to the Sporting Code are needed.
4. Trivial records:
The Sporting Code as written permits, in some instances, evasion of intended classifications for balloons. An example would be carrying a toy balloon inflated with helium on a hot air balloon flight and claiming a Rozier (AM) record. The Subcommittee decided that this has not been a problem and is not likely to be a problem, and that definitions of classes to avoid such discrepancies would be very difficult on where to "draw the line".
5. Elastic balloons and airships.
A pilot in California recently made a flight under a cluster of 72 rubber balloons to a claimed altitude of 6751 meters (22,151 ft). The flight was very competently executed by an experienced balloon pilot, and was well documented, resulting in an altitude record claim for superpressure type balloons. This record claim has now reached the FAI and raises two questions with regard to homologation: 1) what subclass of balloon is appropriate for this aerostat, and 2) what should the volume be for an elastic balloon record claim.
For question 1), balloon subclass: The subcommittee obtained some experimental inflation data for a balloon of the type used in the flight, and determined that the internal pressures achieved are insufficient to meet the "superpressure" definition. (Section 1, 2.1.1.4, "affect performance substantially"), and that indeed the pressures are so low that it is reasonable for practical purposes to consider the balloons essentially zero pressure. Therefore the subcommittee has decided that for this record claim, the sub-class of balloon should be considered as "AA". For question 2), balloon volume: An elastic aerostat does not fit into the Sporting Code definition of balloon volume, which is "the greatest volume which it can achieve in flight". For an elastic balloon this would be the burst point, which is a variable dependent upon material, temperature, disturbances, etc. However the actual volume achieved during a flight can be readily calculated with inputs of gross weight, atmospheric density, and lifting gas density, all of which can be available for a given flight, or conservatively estimated. The subcommittee therefore recommends that the definitions for cubic capacity in Section 1 (Para 2.1.3 and 2.2.3) for balloons and airships be modified by additional words to the effect that if the material of the aerostat has sufficient elasticity that, starting from a filled condition, the actual volume achieved during flight affects the size class, then the actual volume achieved during flight shall be used in determining size sub-class.
Although the pilot for this particular flight will not obtain a world record because his altitude does not exceed the present AA record, it is our intent that he receive registration in the CIA Register of Notable Flights.
6. Notable Flight Register:
This Register is an excellent historical archive which supplements the recording of official world records. Hans Akerstedt is keeping it updated with old and new notable flights as they become known to him. The Register will be available on the FAI web site at some future date.
7. Record Claim Forms:
The Record Claim forms in Section 1, Annex 1, need revision to include, in addition to the Observers signature, a box for his printed name, and on the first form, address and contact numbers, telephone, fax, and email.
8. The Budget proposed for the Records Review Subcommittee for 1999 follows: (US dollars)
Chairman, $150. Other members, $150, Total $300.
9. Subcommittee membership proposed for next year:
Karl Stefan (Chairman), Hans Akerstedt, Don Cameron, Sabu Ichiyoshi, Norman Pritchard, Bruce Comstock.
10. MOTIONS PROPOSED FOR APPROVAL BY THE PLENARY MEETING.
(A) That the CIA propose revision of the General Section, Paragraphs 6.8.1 and 6.8.2, to specify that approval authority for extension of time limits be assigned to the Air Sport Commission concerned.
(B) That the definitions for cubic capacity in Section I (Para 2.1.3 and 2.2.3) for balloons and airships be modified by additional words to the effect that if, starting from a filled (no wrinkle) condition, the material of the aerostat has sufficient elasticity so that the actual volume achieved during flight affects the size class, then the actual volume achieved during flight shall be used in determining size sub-class.
(C) That the Record Claim forms in Section 1, Annex 1, be revised to include, in addition to the Observers signature, a box for his printed name, and on the first form, address and contact numbers, telephone, fax, and email.
END OF REPORT
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