Held in Paris (FFVV offices) 5th October 09:15 to 6th October

Minutes version 1.0

Participants:
Eric Mozer, 1st Vice president (EM)
Goran Ax, Vice president (GA)
Vladimir Foltin, Vice president (VF)
Visa-Matti Leinikki, Vice president (VL)
Brian Spreckley, Vice president (BS)
Roland Stuck, Vice president (RS)
Peter Eriksen, Secretary (PE)

Apologies:
Bob Henderson, President (BH)

1. FAI matters

1.1 The ATMOS project

We have had no news since the Plenum, ATMOS is on the agenda for the FAI General Conference.

1.2 CASI (Air Sports Commissions)

Tor Johannessen will participate in the CASI meting like last year. The travel cost will be reimbursed by IGC.

1.3 FAI General Conference Votes

Nothing to report.

2. Competitions

2.1 Reports, feed-back and actions from 2007 championships

2.1.1 Steward Report – Womens’ WGC – Romorantin, France

The report was noted.

It was noted that the Annex A, para 5.4 f clearly states that the secondary Flight Recorder (FR) only shall be used if the primary recorder has a technical failure.

BS informed the Bureau that the UK will raise a proposal to the Plenum to change this, so that the pilot always can bring his second registered FR, should the first FR not support the pilots claim.

2.1.2 Steward Report – Junior WGC – Rieti, Italy

Annex A – Altitude Penalty Clarification

It was once again stressed that it is recommended to use a Sporting Limit for maximum altitude some (e.g. 50) meters below prohibited airspace if possible. This is to avoid the scenario wherepilots that climb slightly above the limit are scored as outlanded. We need to clarify the explanation in the text.
(Action GA)

Annex A – Flight Outside Contest Boundary

Editorial change to Annex A to clarify the meaning of contest area is needed. The contest area should be part of the airspace field provided before the competition.

It must also be made clear what the consequences of flying outside the contest areas are (penalty or not).
(Action GA)

Annex A – Manual Timing at Finish

The Bureau will delete the mandatory manual timing of finishes Annex A 7.7.3. Organisers are still welcome to do it, (e.g. to provide preliminary results).
(Action GA)

Annex A – Method for Calculating Team Scores

A note is needed in Annex A to make it clear that for Continental Championships there must be a complete scoring only including the continental pilots.
(Action GA)

Safety – Outlanding fields for future competitions

It will be made compulsory to have a briefing about outlanding possibilities before the first official training day.

It is recommended to provide information about outlanding fields if possible. This is particular important in areas where outlandings are difficult.

It should be noted that the competition organisers in no case can be made responsible for the actual conditions on the outlanding fields.
(Action GA)

2.1.3 Steward Report – EGC – Issoudun, Fance

IGC should provide forms needed for competition organisers, including scrutinising, to avoid all organisers having to develop their own.
(Action RS)

Annex A – Standard Terminology for Airspace Types

Note to Annex A. Organisers shall use the word prohibited for airspace that is not available for the competitors. Words like closed or open can lead to misunderstandings.

Maps shall be provided that clearly indicate prohibited airspace.
(Action GA)

Annex A - Scoring Software Problem

We too often have scoring problems during IGC sanctioned competitions. The scoring software group will be tasked to look at that, and propose solutions.
(Action GA)

Annex A – Gliders with non-standard Comp. Numbers

It will be emphasised at the next IGC meeting that Competition Numbers, for safety reasons, must respect the rules in the Sporting Code. Gliders not having correct competition numbers shall be rejected by the scrutinisers.
(Action GA)

2.2 Future championships

The Bureau noted that the following applications for future championships had been received :

2009 EGC Bid – Pociunai, Lithuania
2009 EGC Bid – Nitra, Slovakia (oral intention at meeting: application received following meeting)
2011 Women’s WGC – Rieti, Italy
2011 Junior WGC – Musbach, Germany

2.3 2009 World Air Games

Turin is right now setting up the administrative structure. The work on the sporting event has not yet started but BS is in contact with FAI to discuss the gliding aspects. A meeting is planned for later this year.

It is expected that a 2 year cycle will be made for the WAG, initial bids for 2011 will have to be submitted early 2008.

2.4 Sailplane Grand Prix

2.4.1 World Grand Prix preparation, including confirmation of rules, procedures, information to pilots etc.

Planning progresses as planned, a couple of pilots have dropped out, but that was expected. Gliders have been shipped in containers. We are waiting for the publicity campaign to start.

2.4.2 Decision on 1-year or 2-year rounds and timing of Finals

The Bureau proposes to stay with a 2 year cycle, next round starting with Qualifying GPs from January 2008 to May 2009 (WAG will be in June), with the final in the last half of 2009.

The invitation to bid will go out now.

It was agreed at the 2007 Plenum that:

There will be a maximum of 9 QGPs
1st and 2nd pilots are qualified for the final
Additional pilots will be selected according to the ranking list
The Champion automatically qualifies
Host of Final is permitted one pilot in Final
Maximum of 20 pilots in final
For the final, we will send out a separate invitation to bid later.

2.4.3 Bids for future QGP

The Nordic Bid is confirmed and remains valid.

The Italian Bid needs to be reconfirmed seen in light of the other activities planned at Rieti the next two years.

The bid from Chile remains valid.

2.5 Continental Championship in South America

The preparations are ongoing. There will be some adaptation of Annex A to fit the local environment, such as the classes and the handicap rules. Peter Ryder is appointed as expert to support the organisers.

2.6 Action after HusBos accident

We need to continue to reinforce the recommended procedures. When looking at this year’s competitions, we still have some problems. The Stewards need to be made aware of the responsibility to guide competition directors on this issue. (Action EM)

2.7 Role of Chief Steward to be updated

It was agreed to update the list of Jurors and Stewards.

The distribution of work between Stewards and Jurors is not sattisfactory, we need to move tasks from the stewards to the Jury.

We need to verify that changes presented at the last IGC meeting are implemented.
(Action BS, EM)

2.8 Update Draft of Organiser Handbook and Competition Handbook

PE will send the draft to the Bureau. It was proposed to have this completed with professional support. No decision taken. (Action PE)

2.9 Management process and insurance for IGC trophies required

PE will ask Tor about the list of IGC Trophies and ask if he together with Peter Ryder could make a list of IGC trophies, and maybe add some of their history for the web.
(Action PE)

We also need a process to approve and accept new IGC Trophies.

It was proposed to have a Paul MacCready medal.

2.10 Establish committee to test scoring software

It was agreed to establish the committee with the following members: Visa-Matti Leinike (Chaiman), Rick Sheppe, Angel Casado, Hans Trautenberg, Peter Ryder, Peter Platzer, Tim Shirley.

The first task of the committee is to define its working area and report back to the Bureau and the Plenum in February 2008.

2.11 Stewards and Jury members for 2009 and 2010 competitions

Chief Steward and Jury President will be appointed before the end of the year for approval at the plenum.
(Action EM)

With the number of competitions we have, we need to find more people for the list of stewards and jurors.

The bureau members are tasked to try to find new members for the list of stewards and jurors. These new persons need to be coached during the first competitions by experienced chief stewards and jury presidents.

3. Sporting Code

3.1 General rewrite of Sporting Code Section 3, General Part

Nothing to report

3.2 Changes to Annex A

In addition to the changes discussed during the review of reports from this year’s competition, two changes were discussed and will be brought forward by the Annex-A group:
The event marker is not needed anymore, and can go out.

Handicap list need to be reviewed, it is still unclear how we will do this.
(Action GA)

3.3 Notification of proposal from NACs

Proposals were received from the German Aero Club. GA will respond to Germany.
(Action GA)

Proposals were received from USA. These proposals were noted by the Bureau.

Ross Macintyre proposed to GFAC to change the future Flight Recorder requirements, to allow for 2 pilot names. Until this can be initiated, a procedure will be added to the Sporting code to add to names separated with one space.

4. Ranking List

4.1 Inclusion of Sailplane Grand Prix in Sporting Code Annex D

A proposal for how to include SGP had been developed and will be circulated to the Annex D group by BS.
(Action BS)

4.2 Publication of Annex D

When the SGP rules have been added to the version endorsed by the Plenum, the document will be sent to FAI for formatting and it will be published on the web.

We also need to add the Ranking List to the Sporting Code General Section, with a reference to Annex D.
(Action BS)

4.3 Develop protocols for pilot-based sanction fee for the Ranking List

No progress on this issue.

4.4 Investigate establishing webmaster support for joint IGC and Ranking List.

BS will take contact to the FAI office to how we can hire support to maintain the ranking list.
(Action BS)

It was noted that a number of major gliding nations not yet had entered the results of their national championships.

5. IGC strategy

5.1 Working Group for the "Light-end"

The group has been established with Vladimir Foltin (chairman), Francois Pin, Tor Johannesen and Roland Stuck as members.

The first aim is to define a class which is below the present Club Class, and which includes the PW5. The name World Class may be maintained if it is possible. One of the proposed definitions was to have a mass limit and a span limit e.g. 13.5 m.

The Bureau supported the idea that the group should focus on the new light gliders in order to capture them.

A report will be provided to the Plenum. This report will not contain a firm proposal for a new class structure.

It was agreed to organise an IGC test competition for 2 classes, the expanded world class (13.5 span) and the ULM class (EASA specifications) in order to see if there is enough interest and if the classes are homogeneous. RS will find out if France is ready host such a competition.
(Action RS)

5.2 Finance

Bob and EM are working on a proposal for guidelines for reimbursement based on the principle that Bureau members are reimbursed for travel expenses and accommodation if not reimbursed by their national organisation.
(Action BH & EM)

6. Plenum 2008 organisation

6.1 Proposals from the Bureau

The Bureau will raise a proposal to make position awareness devices mandatory in IGC sanctioned competitions from 2010.
(Action EM?)

6.2 Bureau meeting, venue, issues, guests

Guest speakers are under consideration.

The Bureau will have a meeting room at hotel Carpegna (confirmed by Marina).

6.3 Elections