11.1 Srecko Medven introduced the logo of the World Air Games, a stylised white flying man with an orange head on a deep-blue field.
He gave an overall view of the World Air Games 1997 and the test (rehearsal) events in 1996. The main event will be held from 12 to 21 September, 1997, with the opening in Istanbul on 13 September and an attractive closing ceremony on 21 September, probably in Antalya. 17 contests will be held in the different types of air sports (see Annex G) seven world championships, one world cup, three European open championships, and six WAG championships. Some Sports Commissions need a longer period to run their contests, such as gliding. The First World Gliding Championships of the World Class will be held from 1 to 21 September, one training week included.
The FAI makes great efforts to support the WAGs in personnel and spiritually. The Sports Commissions have appointed so called "event experts" to advise the Turkish organisers. Also the very important public relation work is in the best hands and justifies the hopes for a great publicity.
11.2 Bülent Özen stressed the great efforts made for the benefit of the WAGs by the THK. Going into he gliding contest he described the excellent facilities of the national gliding centre in Inönü, where the pilots from all over the world will be welcomed warmly and where they can expect to fly a great contest.
The speaker then presented the many tasks still to be done. In short there will be very important negotiations with politicians and authorities, with firms as shipping lines and air lines, all sorts of companies etc., to win them as sponsors for the event. Moreover, there is a constant dialogue between the organisers and IGC.
The program for the Championship 1997 is scheduled as follows:
11.3 Fred Weinholtz, IGC event expert for the WAGs, reported. He referred to his many reports given before. Bulletin No 1 for the test competition "Anadolu Cup 1996" was published in December 1995. Bulletin No 2 including the rules was distributed at this meeting and is also sent to all NACs. The leading staff is the same as announced by the Managing Director Bülent Özen (see 11.2 above) for the Championship 1997. The desired candidates for the International Jury of both events 1996 and 1997 are Tor Johannessen, Piero Morelli and one qualified Turkish glider pilot, already nominated by the organisers. Some questions are still open, e.g. reduced travel fares - ferry from Italy and Greece to Turkey and air travel by Turkish Airlines -, car hire service, portable telephones, opportunity for sailplane hire in Bulgaria and/or Yugoslavia etc. Information on these matters will be published within two months time.
The infrastructure of the gliding centre Inönü is excellent, no essential changes are necessary.
Unfortunately, it was not until March 14, 1996, in a meeting between the World Class Sub- Committee of IGC, the Polish designers and manufacturers of the PW-5 World Class Glider, the Turkish Organisers of the WAGs, the FAI WAG Air Sports Co-ordinator and the IGC event expert, that the ground was finally prepared for running the gliding contest of the Games as "The First World Gliding Championship of the World Class". For this reason it was not possible to prepare all details, originally to be approved by the plenum at this meeting. However, following the instructions of the FAI WAG Co-ordinating Committee, a so called "Event Project Document" was established. This paper must be reviewed after the agreements made on March 14 and will be published with the minutes (see Annex H).
For these reasons and because of the fact that the IGC plenary meeting had in principle given "green light" for the WAG gliding contest in several meetings, the reporter asked the plenum to entrust their jurisdiction in this matter to the Bureau including the chairman of the World class sub-committee, to avoid too much paper work. He promised that all necessary information will be given by minutes and by invitations for meetings to the delegates.
The following decisions were made by open ballot:
a) The delegates entrust their voting rights in all WAG matters to the Bureau. Unanimously.
b) The WAG gliding contest is to be organised as the "First World Gliding Championship
of the World Class". Unanimously.
Fred Weinholtz thanked the delegates for their understanding and the President expressed his gratification that IGC was prepared to make use of this opportunity for declaring the World Class World Championships, even though there was still a slight risk that enough gliders might not be available (see following agenda item).
a) According to a list published by PZL Swidnik on 7.3.1996, 112 PW-5 World Class Gliders will be manufactured and delivered at the end of the year 1996 (see Annex I).
b) On March 4, 1996, the Warsaw University of Technology - designers of the PW-5 World Class Glider - published a list of 10 factories and private persons having purchased licences to produce and to sell the PW-5 (see Annex I). Additionally there is the well known US kit manufacturer Lancair. They intent to sell kits of the World Class glider.
c) After long negotiations with manufacturers and designers two problems had been left, the templates and the ballast, both assigned in the agreement between the FAI Enterprise and the Poles. However, the manufacturers agreed in the meanwhile to fulfil their promises.
- Templates will be available shortly, the detail drawing was shown at the meeting.
- Ballast, to be used for all gliders flying with the same all up weight in contests, will be eight lead blocks, covered with rubber, for each glider. For safety reasons the installation is to be approved by the Polish Authorities.
There is news from the Warsaw University of Technology that a double seater PW 6 - designed on the basis of PW-5 - will perform its first test flights in the beginning of 1997.
d) A selling price of 19 200 Swiss Francs ex factory was laid down for the Swidnik manu- facturers. It was agreed upon reviewing it end of March, 1996. There is no price limit for all other producers. Recently the manufacturers wrote to Professor Morelli, proposing an increase of the price to 24 600 SF.
The World Class Sub-Committee of IGC met the day before in Marly-Le-Roi and discussed this matter with a party of the Swidnik manufacturers. Data on increase of cost etc. were available. It was agreed to lift the price to 21 500 SF on April 1, 1996 and to 23 000 SF on April 1, 1997, in the hope that some gliders would be bought sooner for the lower price. In addition it was agreed, that those pilots who declare their participation in the World Class Championships at the World Air Games, Turkey, must pay the full price for the time being, but 2 300 SF will be paid back to them when the glider participates in Inönü.
One of the reasons a price increase was agreed upon was that other manufacturers should be encouraged to construct World Class gliders.
e) The activity of the WCSA (World Class Soaring Association) founded in the USA and led by President David Habercom, was illustrated by the chairman with words of great appreciation. President Ryder stressed the importance of this Association as a connection between IGC and the World Class enthusiasts all over the world and recalled, as an example of WCSA's useful contribution, the market inquiry of last year.
IGC hopes and recommends that WCSA keeps going as it did in the recent past, expands its membership, makes itself better known also outside the USA borders showing more and more its capability to give valuable information and advice, and promoting useful initiatives. One example of valuable contribution from WCSA is the issue of proposed rules for the World Class (circulated as Annex G to the agenda of this meeting). The Management Sub-Committee considered this text and proposes its adoption to IGC (with minor amendments) in view of the 1st Austrian PW-5 Cup next August and of the 1st World Class World Championship in Turkey, September 1997. This was largely approved by the plenum. The only requirement that IGC rejected was the prohibition of electronic instruments. The whole set of rules, including the scoring system, should be as simple as possible. The scoring system proposed by the Swiss delegate Dr. Hans Nietlispach was mentioned as one of the suitable ones.
f) The Austrian Aero Club will organise a gliding contest "1. Austrian PW-5 Cup" together with their Open Class nationals at the airfield Lanzen-Turnau from 3 to 15 August, 1996. The participation at this contest is recommended by the World Class Sub-Committee. More information see in Annex K to these minutes.
g) The day before the World Class Sub-Committee had an exhaustive meeting with Srecko Medven, World Air Games Air Sports Co-ordinator of FAI and three representatives of the Turkish Aero Club THK, among them Mr Bülent Özen, World Air Games Managing Director of THK. It was agreed to organise the gliding contest of the WAG in Inönü as World Class Championship, even if in the first event of this kind the desirable number of at least 30 participants will not be attained. Although the answers to the questionnaire on this matter, distributed by the FAI HQ to all NACs, have been a bit disappointing, the involved persons are confident that a good and challenging competition can be flown (see also "11 World Air Games" of these minutes). The World Class Sub-Committee is prepared to work closely together with Fred Weinholtz, event expert of IGC, and the WAG organisers in Turkey.
In the following discussion the President thanked Professor Morelli for his great efforts in this matter which he and his co-operators finally led to success. The plenum thanked Professor Morelli with great applause.
It was considered if the Austrian PW-5 Cup should be entered in the FAI Sports Calendar and the rules be approved by IGC. This was denied for this contest with its more private character but a feed back would be welcomed by IGC. Also templates and ballast should be used in Lanzen-Turnau. Professor Morelli and the Austrian delegate, Dr. Herbert Pirker, will develop plans how to gain the highest possible success.
The plenum expressed the unanimous opinion that the competition rules including scoring formula for the World Class - particularly the ones to be used for the WAGs in Turkey - should be elaborated in close co-operation between World Class Sub-Committee, Rules Sub-Committee and IGC WAG event expert.
The increase of the selling price ex factory for the PW-5 World Class Glider as explained above was approved by 27 yes and one abstention.