IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION
Attention all National HG and PG Associations
Pilot qualification criteria for FAI/CIVL Category 1 events
The improvement of safety at Category 1 Championships was the main reason for adopting the current qualification criteria for entry to Category 1 events. These criteria were approved at the Plenary Meeting in Copenhagen (Febraury, 1999) and came into force on 1 January 2000. At both the hang gliding and paragliding European Championships 2000, there were several countries who attempted to enter non-qualified pilots. In addition, there appears to be some countries who are still not familiar with the qualification criteria required of pilots intending to compete in Category 1 competitions.
Please also note that the qualifying criteria for female pilots is exactly the same as for males, that is to finish in the top two thirds of ALL pilots (both male and female). However, there are currently three exceptions to this (due to the small numbers of competitors and/or alternative qualifying criteria and/or type of tasks flown):
- The Womens' World Hang Gliding Championships
- Speed Hang Gliding
- Accuracy (Precision) Paragliding
Exemptions
Several pilots were surprised when their applications for exemption to the qualifying criteria were turned down. CIVL would like to clarify that exemptions are only available to pilots who would normally have qualifed, but for extraordinary reaons were not able to qualify.
World Air Games 2001
- For the WAG paragliding competition additional qualification criteria will apply, please see separate notice (CIVL web page 'press releases').
- For the WAG hang gliding the qualification criteria are as per section 7 5.11.
These qualification criteria will be strictly enforced at the World Air Games in 2001 and non-qualified pilots will be refused entry. Therefore CIVL urges all National Associations, competition pilots, team selection committees, etc to make sure they are well informed and that their selected team members have all qualified.
There is a list of qualified pilots available on the CIVL website (next scheduled update Jan 2001).
- Full information can be obtained on the CIVL web pages www.fai.org/hang_gliding/
- Queries should be addressed to Paula Bowyer paula@fai.org
