FAI/CIVL press release, Paris, 07th July 1998

CIVL Response to Ranking Scheme Comments

Chris Arai, John Aldridge and Andre Milewski raised some points about the CIVL World Pilot ranking scheme in the recent issue of Cross Country magazine:

Response from the CIVL Bureau on Category 2 sanction fees and the World Pilot Ranking Scheme

1. Sanction fees

Firstly Chris Arai questions what CIVL is doing that justifies an entry fee for sanctioning. This is a reasonable question as it is well known that the majority of CIVL work is carried out by unpaid volunteers. However there are times when CIVL need to appoint professionals to do work that CIVL volunteers are unable to do; such as when CIVL volunteer's do not have the time or for projects that will benefit from more professional knowledge/experience. Also other resources need funding (e.g. various administrative expenses and travel for Bureau members). The majority of this funding comes from Sanction fees, IPPI card sales and barograph certification.

In the case of the World Pilot Ranking Scheme the programme had to be written and someone is paid to input the data and produce the ranking list and make sure it is published regularly.

Sanction fees for Category 2 events were set at the equivalent of 1 pilots entry fee in 1996. Prior to 1996 the Category 2 sanction fee was fixed at CHF200 However this was too high for some and a bargain for others, so the fee was changed to the equivalent of one pilots entry fee, so as to give the organiser an incentive to keep the entry fees at a reasonable level and also that the sanction fee is sufficiently high enough that the organiser can afford to pay only when the meet is large enough.

Chris suggests that most of the USA meets will not appear in the ranking scheme, however the USHGA has supported the World Pilot Ranking Scheme from the beginning with 4 hang gliding and 1 paragliding sanctioned meet in 1997 and in 1998 there are 2 paragliding, 4 hang gliding and 3 class 2 sanctioned meets, thus ensuring that North American pilots are able to be well represented in the scheme.

It should also be brought to pilots attention that the PIRS ranks only hang gliding meets and even then the meet is only ranked when certain criteria are met which is only known on the first day of the meet. Hoewver with the CIVL ranking scheme there is a ranking scheme for all classes and the pilots know in advance which meets are sanctioned.

John Aldridge comments on the bank charges which can be as much as 20 percent of the sanction fee. The FAI now have the facilities to pay by credit card which avoids these unecessarily high bank charges.

The CIVL World Pilot Ranking Scheme is THE ranking scheme for all classes and is quickly gaining momentum as can be seen from the increase in the number of events:

	HG	PG	Class 2
1997	11	10	0
1998	16	15	4

2. Andre Milewski's comments on the CIVL Ranking scheme

Andre Milewski comments that it is difficult to deduce on what competitions the rankings are based. It is agreed that this would be useful information and a list of competitions whose results are included will be added. However contrary to Andre's suggestion the Hang Gliding World Championship results ARE included in the hang gliding ranking! Whilst Mario Alonzi may have been only 51st at the World Championships he has competed in and been consistently placed in 6 competitions, including two Category 1 events - the HG Worlds and the HG World Air Games (3rd). Manfred Ruhmer also competed in 6 events but only one Category 1 event (World Championships).

As with all things new, there may be a few teething problems and even surprise rankings in the early stages until all the major competitions have category 2 sanctioning and thus qualification of their results to the World Pilot Ranking Scheme. We at CIVL are proud of the way the scheme rapidly developing. Please keep your suggestions and comments coming, because we are determined that this will be a successful venture which serves the needs of the pilots, sponsors and organisers alike.

Full details of the World Pilot Ranking Scheme are available on the FAI/CIVL website, at http://www.fai.org/hang_gliding/rankings/.

For full details on how to obtain Category 2 sanctioning or to be placed on the e-mailing list for receiving the latest World Pilot Rankings contact Sarah Fenwick, CIVL PR Coordinator, tel/fax +44 1983 523003. e-mail civl@ukonline.co.uk.

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