Minutes of Bureau Meeting 2006_2

Held in Cambridge, UK
The 10th and 11th September 2006

Participants:
Bob Henderson, President (BH)
Eric Mozer, 1st Vice-president (EM)
Vladimir Foltin, Vice-president (VF)
Axel Reich, Vice-president (AR)
Brian Spreckley, Vice-president (BS)
Roland Stuck, Vice-president (RS)
Peter Eriksen, Secretary (PE)
Keith Nicolson (Agenda item 3.3 only), Ranking list administrator

Apologies:
Goran Ax, Vice president

Working session 1, IGC Management and Structure

1.1 President’s report on activities since the last plenum meeting

The German Aero Club has informed FAI that they will nominate a new delegate. It is unclear if Axel Reich can continue as Vice-president until the next Plenum meeting.
Action: BH to confirm with FAI office.

Air Sports Ltd. (ASL) agreement for the Sailplane Grand Prix is still being negotiated by FAI. We need to set a deadline to assure that we have time to find another partner before the next World Grand Prix, should the ASL negotiations fail.
Action: BH to inform FAI office about deadline 27 February 2007.

BH and RS will visit Rieti during week 37 to discuss the WGC events with the organisers.
Action: BH to provide the Bureau with report from the visit in Rieti.

There had been some confusion about the use of the name “IGC” versus “FAI Gliding”. It was confirmed that “FAI Gliding” was to be used as a logo whereas IGC remains the proper name for the Sporting Commission.

1.2 Review of issues raised during last plenum meeting

All items are included in the action list.

1.3 Review of Action List (WP1)

The action list was updated to 10 Sep 2006. An update will be made right after this meeting and circulated to the Bureau members. Bureau members are asked to report back on actions by 31st October.
Action: BH to e-mail Action List to Bureau
Action: Bureau members to report on actions by 31st October.

1.4 Review of Year-1 proposals requiring action

The following proposals are to be developed:

Action: EM to develop proposal for World Championships outside Europe on a 4-year rotating basis.

Action: AR to develop Year-2 proposals for Junior’s and Women’s entrants in WGC.

It was noted that the donor of the Team Challenge Cup (Gliding New Zealand) wishes that it remains with the Open/18m/15m.

Action: AR to revise Team Cup rules to be for Open/18Meter/15Meter WGC classes.

It was agreed that the FFVV proposals for Soaring Performance together with the removal of the photo procedures can all be joined in a major review of the Sporting code in 2008.

Action: Ross Macintyre to develop SC proposals to be consolidated for effective date of 1st October 08.

1.5 Finance, 2006 Status and 2007 Budget

FAI requires a new format for our financial status and budget. Dick Bradley has transformed the status report into this format.
We need to develop a 5 year budget to create an overview of our situation.
Action: Dick Bradley to create 5 year budget proposal.

1.6 Discussion on IGC Strategic Improvement Actions

The draft Strategic Improvement Actions was discussed. They are grouped into the following subjects:

• Participation in IGC activities
• Communication with members
• Quality of WGCs
• Increase participation from FAI members
• Safety in IGC sanctioned competitions
• Improve IGC financial management.

Following a detailed review of the action items and initiatives, the document will be updated and a presentation prepared for the next IGC plenum for endorsement.
Action: PE to update Strategic Improvement Actions and prepare presentation for Plenum.

1.7 Discussion about last Plenum meeting to further improve form and structure of the 2007 meeting

We will continue to submit reports not requiring voting to delegates before the meeting; they will normally not be presented.

The dinner arrangement Friday evening seems to work fine.
Action: PE to Ask FAI office to reserve for dinner.

The delegates, alternates and invited guests should have name badges (nice big font). Delegates and alternates will therefore be asked to register for the meeting in advance.
Action: PE to arrange name badges with the FAI office.

We will invite Presidents/Chairmen of national gliding organisations to participate in the dinner Friday night. There will be a special session during the meeting Saturday morning, where we will address issues that are important for our sport in general. This will include Strategy, Grand Prix, Safety, Club League, Membership Challenge etc. This session will be prepared with hand-outs to make it easier to follow.

There may be a need for translators for this session.
Action: BH to contact the FAI office and find out if translators can be organised.
Action: PE/BH to develop program for Saturday morning session.
Action: PE to invite the gliding press for the Plenum.

The Bureau meeting will start Wednesday at lunch and last until Thursday evening. We consider finding another place than the usual, e.g. the FAI office or a hotel meeting room.
Action: PE to organise meeting room through the FAI office.

1.8 Plan the 2007 Plenary Meeting, including agenda, deadlines, invitations, uploads to web-site etc.

Action: PE to remind delegates that according to the “Sporting Code Review and change process”, the IGC Bureau shall be notified about intended proposals not later than the 1st of October.

If the proposal is substantial, the Bureau can support the further development and wording of the proposal.
Action: Bureau members shall assure that Year-2 proposals are circulated to the Bureau not later than 31st October.

As agreed at the last Plenum meeting, the following deadlines apply:

• Proposals and reports requiring voting: Friday 15 December 2006.
• Reports not requiring voting: Sunday 7 January 2007.
• All material available for delegates: Tuesday 16 January 2006.

Trophy for the IGC-OLC Club League will be awarded last thing Friday afternoon.

Working session 2, Championship

2.1 Review of actions from 2006 Championships (WGC in Sweden and France) to identify issues and take actions

The Bureau reviewed the reports from Eskilstuna and Vinon. Many of the problems addressed in the reports could be solved by a closer cooperation between the Chief Steward and Organisers. This should be solved by the revision of the role of the Chief Steward.

Several Class-1 events have had to change venue during the last couple of years. It was agreed to apply a more rigorous process for such changes in the future. This will amongst other things include site inspections, analysis of local airspace etc., and will normally be conducted by the Chief Steward.
Action: AR will review reports and propose changes to Annex A as required, see Agenda item 4.2.

2.2 Review of coming Championships

Appointment of Jury and Stewards:

Officials were appointed for 2007 and 2008 events.

Role of Chief Steward (CS):

The CS is to work even more closely than today with the Competition Director. The CSs should be a small group of people, e.g. 4 to 6. These procedures only apply to WGCs.
Dick Bradley, Peter Ryder, Brian Spreckley and Roland Stuck were initially identified as Chief Stewards.

The other steward in a WGC should be a person who potentially is going to be a Chief Steward or competition director in the future.
The Bureau consider changing the name from Chief Steward to IGC Supervisor or something similar to reflect the role.

The CSs will work as a team, meaning that the one assigned to a competition may not be the only one supporting the organisers before the competition.
Action: EM to develop role and procedure for Chief Steward together with DB, RS and BS, having a draft ready 1st November. Brian will contact Dick.
The Bureau will start this new working arrangement with the organisers of 2007 and 2008 WGC events.

It was agreed that we need to assure that WGCs do not overlap, but we would have to accept that continental championships overlap, even sometimes with WGCs.

Lithuania asked to include the 20m 2-seater class in the EGC in 2007, which means that they will be flying in 4 classes. This was accepted, but a limit to maximum 6 entries per NAC is imposed.
Action: EM to inform Lithuania about decision.

2.3 Review received bids for coming Championships if any

No bids received for 2008 QGP or for the Open/18m/15m and Standard/Club Class/World Class 2010 WGC.
Action: EM to call for bids to be made with closing date of 15 November.

2.4 Sailplane Grand Prix

Grand Prix Naming:

There has been a problem with the naming of the Grand Prix, as the brand name is protected by another event. We are therefore not allowed to use the brand FAI Grand Prix.
It was decided to simply drop “FAI” from the name of our Grand Prix.
The name will now be World Sailplane Grand Prix (WSGP), the Qualifying Sailplane Grand Prix (QSGP) will be named e.g. British Sailplane Grand Prix.

Feedback from 2006 QSGPs:

Reports from Omarama, Nitra, Drakino and Hahnweide have been received. Cambridge and St. Auban to come. Last two QSGPs are in Bloemfontein and Gawler.
We need to develop standard format for reporting to make sure we get the right feed-back.
Action: BH to develop SGP Standard Reporting Form.
We should survey the pilots again to get feedback.
Action: BH to initiate pilot survey.
In general the QSGPs have worked well, even though not many QSGPs were organised exactly in our spirit. We need to include media activities without constraining the task setter’s freedom..
Starting procedures have to be reviewed. We have to get this sorted out very quickly. Contest directors will be included in this debate.
Action: RS to manage revisions of SGP procedures with Contest Directors before the QSGP in Bloemfontein.
It was decided that there shall be a minimum length of a grand prix task but not a minimum number of competition days.
IGC Bureau should nominate the competition director in the future.
We now need to establish a group of persons who will run these events, a semi-professional management team, but we can’t really do that until we get the sponsorship sorted out. RS proposed that there should an assistant to the referee, at least for the WSGP, possibly a local person.
RS is appointed as referee for Bloemfontein.
For Australia the referee will be Vladimir Foltin, Terry Cubley or Henk Meertens.

Update on 2007 WSGP:

A Multi-airports event is planned for NZ. It was agreed that we must assure that the focus is on the WSGP event. Internet coverage with live transmission must be provided and repeat coverage must be provided for Europe due to time difference.

A proposal to hold weekend GPs in 2007 was endorsed. A number of alternatives were discussed:

• A short GP on opening days at the WGC and EGC events in 2007.
• GP at Aero 2007 in Friedrichshafen.

Action: BH to plan 2007 events.

It was a major concern that media coverage of the 2007 WSGP must be achieved. The performance target is proof of internet capability and funding. The target is to be met by 27 February, 2007.
Action: BH to liaise with FAI.

It is the intention to hold the next WSGP in 2008 with bids being requested immediately.
Action: BH to seek advice from ASL as to media requirements for the site.

The Bid process is to be revised. If performance target is not met on 27 Feb, 2007 then a new WSGP site for 2008 to be chosen and 2007 event moved.

It is envisaged that the future timing of GPs will be with qualifying GPs between Jan and Aug and WSGP in early Sep each year.

2.5 Implementation of new procedures for reimbursement of costs for Jury and Stewards directly by IGC

These procedures apply to Jury President and Chief Steward at WGC events only.

Charge to be levied against Organisers at close of entries and reconciled at close of registration
Per diem and reasonable travel and accommodation expenses to be paid by IGC.

Action: EM to remind Organisers of process and their liabilities for costs and changes to costs such as sanction fee revisions.

2.6 Presentation of draft Organiser’s Handbook

A draft was circulated during the meeting.

The Competition Handbook is under preparation based on a Norwegian handbook. The first part of Competition Handbook will form the Bid Document.

The Organiser’s Guide that was developed during the WGC in Sweden and reviewed by a group in during the WGC in Vinon is to be included in the Competition Handbook to form a comprehensive document.

These documents will, when approved by the Bureau, be made available at the IGC web.

Action: BS to send UK handbook to PE.
Action: PE to continue working on the Competition Handbook, and present new draft early 2007.

2.7 Management of FAI/IGC trophies

We have to improve the way we manage the IGC Trophies. It was decided that a list of trophies shall be established and made published on the web together with procedures for the management of these. Tor Johannessen has already started this work.

It is unclear if the trophies are insured.

Action: BH to clarify the insurance issue with the FAI office.
Action: PE to complete the list if trophies in cooperation with Tor, and develop procedures for the Trophy Management, to include the procedures in the Competition Handbook and publish it on the web.

A2.8 Discussion on Class structure in the “light-end”

RS explained the problem we have at the light end, where a fairly limited number of aircraft are divided into 3 categories.

It was decided to work towards a solution where the existing World Class was extended to include the other gliders after 2009. This could e.g. be with a max take off weight of 300 kg, including motor gliders, and possibly with max. 13 meter wingspan. The PW-5 should be allowed under grandfather rules.
Action: RS and AR to develop year-2 proposal for extension of the World Class after 2009.
Action: BH to check the FAI rules about changing a class definition.

It was not considered worth creating a competition class for the “less than 80 kg” class.

Working session 3, FAI, OSTIV, Ranking

3.1 Issues from OSTIV requiring IGC action

There were no actions from the OSTIV meeting in Eskilstuna to IGC.

3.2 EGU matters including EASA developments on Licensing Maintenance and Operations

RS provided an update on EGU and progress on MDM032. (MDM032 is the working group that deals with light aviation licensing, certification, operations and maintenance).

It is expected that the proposed changes will provide fewer restrictions to GA and gliding with respect to airworthiness and licences, but the rules are not yet completed.

Final proposal is expected in 2008.

3.3 IGC Ranking List

Status on review of Ranking List rules

It was decided that the Competition Rating will be based on the participating pilot’s status at the day the competition starts.

All Cat 2 competitions prior to 2003 have been removed from the ranking list. All NACs have had the possibility to enter their competitions from 2003.

It was confirmed that a Class 2+ competition requires pilots from at least 3 NACs, including the organising NAC.

It was decided that new competitions could be entered for free the first year, in order to attract more competitions.

It was discussed whether the Grand Prix competitions should be included. The Ranking List Group to find a way this could be done. Decision will be taken once this has been developed and tested.

Organisers shall provide format and pilot information directly to the ranking system using key-codes.

Organisers are requested to use Ranking List numbers to identify pilots and to assure pilots are registered before competition takes place.

Pilots and Organisers will receive automated response of results being added and allow only 30-days for the notification of errors.

SeeYou to be asked to provide automated resulting to the Ranking List.

Charging for events by numbers of pilots to be coordinated with the FAI Office

Action: BS to manage execution of the decisions taken above.

Proposed structure for SC Annex D

The draft version of Sporting Code Annex D, Rules for the Official IGC Ranking List, was tabled. A number of comments were received.

Like other Annexes, editorial changes will have immediate effect; other changes will come to effect the 1st October following the IGC endorsement. The system of year-1 and year-2 proposals will be used.
Action: BS and PE to update draft Annex D according to the comments received.

BH thanked Keith Nicolson for the work he has done setting up and maintaining the Ranking List System.

3.4 FAI General Conference matters

Voting for Executive Board was discussed.

3.5 Update on OSTIV action to increase MTOW to 850 kg in EASA CS 22

OSTIVAS has been amended. The action on IGC closed.

3.6 Proposal to have an IGC medal as an award that could be decided by the Bureau possibly on recommendation of Delegates to recognise service to IGC and International Gliding.

No decision taken.

Action:

BH to check on Tor’s work and look into the question of Multi-Diplomas before this is carried forward.

3.7 IGC airspace mailing list

Action: PE to inform the FAI office that the list is no longer needed.

Working session 4, FAI Sporting Code Section 3D and Records and any other business

4.1 Short debate on the issue of separation of records (thermal/other)

During the OSTIV Congress in Eskilstuna the Meteorological Panel discussed this subject carefully.

The result was that there is no clear distinction between flights only using thermal convection and other flights. No definitive criteria to identify “thermal-only” could be found.

It was suggested by the OSTIV Committee that, if the intention of IGC is to differentiate the records in more comparable conditions the definition of “regions” would be recommended. This would guarantee the same climatology and topography for the specified area.

This was discussed by the Bureau, but as it can be compared to the definition of Continental records, which the Plenum declined in 2006, it was decided not to propose records defined per region.

It was decided to close this action item.

4.2 FAI Sporting Code Section 3D Annex A

Action: AR to:

• check the definition of 20 Meter 2-seater definition of pilots, and possibly make an editorial change;
• consider redefinition of a “non-flying rest day”;
• make editorial changes as needed as a result of changes to the appointment and financial support for Jury President and Chief Steward;
• delete explanatory note from 7.4.6 New Starts;
• move requirement for carriage of tracking units from explanatory note to rule and cross-check with Grand Prix Rules;
• change Anti-Collision Devices to Proximity Warning Devices;
• review and refine as necessary Handicap Rules at the end of each European summer;
• redefine wingspan penalty to include 18M and 20M;
• remove appendix referring to bid.

4.3 IGC web, status and organisation of work

We need to take a quantum leap with regard to our PR activities. Although we have a nice web site, it is not dynamic enough. We will have to establish procedures that assure that the web master gets all the information.
Action: BH to provide Peter Ryder with list of activities that will allow him to be more proactive.
We need to get reliability on our web site, but it is also a question of a more general marketing of our sport.
Action: BH to take contact to persons who could undertake the task to push IGC information to the outside world.

The Bureau will look at possible ways to improve the web.
Action: BH to contact Peter Ryder to establish link “competitions and results” to the Ranking List and tidy up the website.

4.4 Any Other Business

4.4.1 The use of Proximity Warning Devices in IGC sanctioned competitions was discussed. IGC cannot require the carriage of non-certificated devices in sanctioned competition.

4.4.2 It seems to be unclear if all sanction fees are paid to the FAI office.
Action: BH and Dick Bradley to review process and reporting with the FAI office.

4.4.3 The Bureau composition and succession was discussed.
Action: BH to contact potential candidates.

Peter Eriksen
IGC-secretary