President's Letter to Delegates and Committee Chairmen 2007-5

Dear Delegates

A very productive Bureau meeting was completed in October. Key outcomes from that meeting are noted in the Minutes on the IGC website.

The FAI General Conference in Rhodes was also successful. Eric Mozer has been elected to the Statutes Working Group and I have had a message from FAI President Portmann acknowledging the contributions Eric made to the GC. The GC agreed to establish a new Technical Commission for Navigation and Airspace and we have nominated Bernald Smith as our Commission representative with Ian Strachan as the alternative. I know that they will serve this new Commission well. The GC also agreed to allow Commissions to have 2-year terms for the Bureau and we will now need to decide, at our next Plenary meeting, if we want to adopt this option.

Thinking about the next Plenary meeting, may I remind you all that Proposals and Reports that require a vote must be with our Secretary, Peter Eriksen, eriksen@cegetel.net, no later than Monday the 17th of December. This is to allow us time to ensure that the proposal is worded clearly, to ensure that the decision being asked for is clear to everyone. Reports not requiring a vote must be with Peter by the 10th of January 2008. Any questions about accommodation in Rome please contact Marina Vigorito at marina_vigorito@yahoo.it.

FAI President Portmann will be attending the 1st FAI World Sailplane GP Final in Omarama this month. He will also be attending the New Zealand Air Games, being held immediately after the GP, to see how blending all airport disciplines into one location can work. It is my hope that we will learn valuable lessons from the NZ Air Games that can be used to help the FAI make the 2009 World Air Games in Turin an outstanding success.

Looking forward to 2008, we have the:

  • South American Continental Gliding Championships, Adolfo Gonzalez Chávez, Argentina - 20th January to 1st February
  • EGU meeting in Florence, 23rd and 24th of February
  • Plenary meeting in Rome, 29th February and 1st March
  • World Gliding Championships, Std, Club and World classes in Rieti, Italy – 6th to 21st July, and
  • World Gliding Championships, Open, 18M and 15M classes in Leusse, Germany - 2nd to 16th August.

I have an important message from Ross Macintyre and the Sporting Code Committee. This message has also been posted on the IGC website:

World Records using multiseat gliders

The Sporting Code rule 4.2.1 regarding declaration content requires the names of both pilot and crew. Some flight recorders approved for verifying World Records do not have a second field/line for the crew's name. In this situation, the following must be observed:

  • For FRs having only one field/line for pilot name, enter the crew name on same line, shortening either or both names as needed to fit. The first name on the line is the pilot in command, the second being crew.
  • Use full names on the claim. The rule (4.6.4b) requiring all FRs used to have the same declaration details will be strictly applied.

New claim forms for World Records are now on the website. Forms A, B and C have additional certification to be signed by the pilot confirming that the flight was done within the airworthiness and airspace regulations. All new World Record claims must use these new forms from December 1st 2007.

Finally, the Sailplane GP series:

  • We are requesting bids for the next round of the GP-Series leading to the 2nd FAI World Sailplane GP Final in 2009. Bids are to be with Eric Mozer emozer@deltamold.com no later than Monday the 31st of December, 2007.
  • We are also now requesting bids for the hosting of the 2nd FAI World Sailplane GP Final in 2009. We would like to table the bids for the hosting of this Final at the Plenary meeting in Rome. Please contact Eric Mozer to lodge a bid. These bids will need to be received no later than Friday the 18th of January, 2008 to be included in the package going out to Delegates.

    Best Regards and Safe Flying

    Bob Henderson
    President, IGC
    3rd December, 2007