19 Oct 2016

What's up in October 2016?

In the wake of the CIVL Bureau Autumn Meeting (September 19 to 21) and FAI General Conference (October 10 to 15), a few info…

World Air Games

We are well on the road to the 2020 WAG. There are 2 contestants, one in the USA, one in South East Asia. Decision in the Spring 2017. Commissions are tasked to define their WAG events so FAI can define better the Organizer Agreement and associated budget.

Air Games Series

The road to 2020 will be paved by Air Games Series events (AGS). The concept of AGS has evolved quite a bit this year. We are talking now about 4 high profile events each year, professionalized, i.e. Officials like Pilots would be somehow paid for their time and efforts. We have to get ready for the AGS. The first one might happen in 2018.

Asian Games

The Asian Games are also around the corner: September 2018. Paragliding XC and Accuracy have been selected. Although the format of these two competitions should be close to our regular Cat 1, we should offer as good a show as possible.

FAI Paragliding Series

A new concept being pushed to FAI after we were contacted us to organize a big Paragliding event in November 2017. It would be a show. It would concern XC, Accuracy and Aerobatic. It would allow us to test our new formats to be used in the AGS.

Software

  • There will be a FAI workshop next month in Germany. IT representants from all Commissions should be there. The workshop should:
  • Inform everyone of what is already available at FAI and what is in the project.
  • Define what are each Commission needs.
  • See if all these specific needs can be answered in a global project.

Sporting Licences

CIVL made proposals to CASI, the Sporting Code General Section ruling body. It was extensively discussed. The FAI Executive Board brought its own proposals. The issue is very tricky. No decision was taken, except for the implementation of a Working Group that CIVL President will lead. Proposals will be made to the next CASI meeting in July 2017.

Jury

When you look way back at the list of people that have filled Jury’s duty, the CIVL Bureau and its Prez have always been very present. It is still the case, maybe more than before, and it is a political choice this Bureau has made. We find that being present in competition is a unique opportunity to confront the reality of our disciplines, to exchange with all its actors, to learn from them and to convey to them our policy.

The FAI Jury Handbook will be revised before July 2017. We discussed it during the FAI General Conference workshops. It needs updating and adjustments to what the Commissions are really doing. A lot of them send just one Jury Prez, all the others being remote. We tried it, but it didn’t work well for us. There are other solutions possible. Also discussed was the degree of involvement of the Jury in the running of the competition.

2017 Cat 1 Officials

It goes like this…

Test PG Pan American – Baixo Guandu, Brazil – 8–15 April

  • Steward: Goran Dimiskovski (MKD)

World PG Accuracy – Vlora, Albania – 05/05 - 14/05

  • Steward: Violeta Masteikiene (LIT)
  • Jury: Riikka Vilkuna (SWE) — Zeljko Ovuka (SER) — Stephane Malbos (FRA)

Test PG Accuracy Asian – Loburi, Thailand - 22/05 - 28/05

  • Steward: Andy Cowley (GBR) – Assistant: Elsa Mai (TPE)

World PG XC – Pedavena, Italy v 01/07 - 15/07

  • Steward: Kari Kastle (USA) – Assistant: Jamie Shelden (USA) 
  • Jury: Stephane Malbos (FRA) – Fabio Loro (ITA) – Andy Cowley (GBR)

Test PG Euro - Montalegre - Portugal - 22/07 to 29/07

  • Steward: Jamie Shelden (USA)

World Class 2 – Serres, France – 24/07 - 06/08

  • Steward: Louise Joselyn (GBR)
  • Jury President: Dennis Pagen (USA) (Representative Jury or equivalent)

World HG Class 1 – Brasilia, Brazil – 06/08 - 19/08 (Dates may be moved forward one week)

  • Steward: Mitch Shipley (USA) – Assistant: Igor Erzen (SLO)
  • Jury: Stephane Malbos (FRA) – Trudy Craddock (GBR) – Fabio Loro (ITA)

Test PG Accuracy Euros – Kobarid, Slovenia - 20/09 - 24/09

  • Steward: Andy Cowley (GBR)

Elections

A new Bureau and new Committee Chairs will be elected in 3 months or so. It is the duty of the Bureau to anticipate and propose to the Plenary a ‘dream team’ as complete and coherent as possible. Then the Plenary will decide by secret votes who is elected or not, dream team or not.

And last … alas…

The 2018 Hang Gliding Class 1 Euros/Class 5 Worlds in Ager, Spain, has been cancelled by the organizers. We have to find a new venue.