underground Loop #3

Preface

Today's weather first looked worse than it was, even so that towing started later than it should have. Then it looked better. Thermals started as blue and then quickly some things like cloud streets started to appear. Then it turned out to be worse. It was quite windy, and the first turnpoint for the 15m class to north-west turned out to be tricky as the skies cleared. What a report.. ;-) down to things I know more about.

I have received many requests to put Janet's text available for downloading. There are two problems in doing that. First, I do not have Pagemaker. Secondly, those files are huge. There is no way I can transmit all that data over a dial-up connection. We are trying to find a way to solve this problem.

Programs I have can not read Pagemaker files (if someone out there knows about a PD program to convert Pagemaker files to plaintext, please let me know). We have no pictures this time. Just a letter from the Boss.

I hate airspace limitations

by Tapio Savolainen

I hate airspace limitations. If only I could decide myself, I would give you no limits at all. We make every effort to extend the limits as far as possible, but the outcome is always a compromise. When the limits are on the paper, there is no need to waste energy to think why the limits exist. They are equal to every pilot.

After the flights I feel like being between a rock and a hard place. Pilots and Team Captains inform me about airspace violations of the fellow competitors. Later, when I give penalties the penalized ones tell me how small the offense was and how cruel the penalty is. I know the procedure. I have been a Team Captain and a competition pilot, too. However, as a competition director I want to be firm, but not a hair-splitter. It means that I have used a small tolerance on the edges. This tolerance is big enough to allow GNSS errors and difference between the Finnish charts coordinates and the WGC84 coordinates. Still it is small enough to prevent any advantages for violating the restrictions.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we were studying the procedures to find the most efficient and fair way to check the possible airspace violations. The study has given us clear systems how to work. Because the procedure was not standardized at the beginning, we have been forced to recheck all the flights of the third and fourth contest days. It means, that there are some new penalties for Tuesday and few deleted on Wednesday. I have informed those Team Captains, who are involved in the changes.

I hate to give penalties. You are able to help me in avoiding them. Do not enter to restricted airspace.

8th European Gliding Championships '96 - underground Loop #3 on soaring.guenther-eichhorn.com

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