The following rule change proposals were approved for the 2016 contest season:
- Rule 2.3(j) is amended to read: If the canopy, or door for cabin-type aircraft, is hinged at the front, it must incorporate a quickrelease mechanism to facilitate emergency egress.
- The first sentence of Rule 2.6.1(e) is amended to read: Once all requirements of 2.6.1(a)-(d) have been met, the candidate will be certified as a Regional judge and the IAC official records will be updated accordingly.
- The first sentence of Rule 2.6.2(e) is amended to read: Once all requirements of 2.6.2(a)-(d) have been met, the candidate will be certified as a National judge and the IAC official records will be updated accordingly
- New rule 2.6.1(c): At a chapter practice day, a contest practice day, or as a non-contest activity behind the Judges Line during contest flying, award grades for least 3 flights, each flight composed of a minimum of 9 figures, under the supervision and coaching of a current Judge. The supervising Judge shall report the satisfactory accomplishment of this instruction to IAC. If more than 3 flights of this training are accomplished, each additional grading training flight will also reduce the requirements for Assistant Judge experience specified in subparagraph (c) by 5.
- New paragraph added to Rule 2.1: A competitor is not required to hold a valid FAA Medical certificate, or equivalent, if flying with a Safety Pilot who qualifies (see 2.2) as the Pilot-In-Command (PIC) in the competitor's make and model aircraft. This paragraph does not remove the requirement for all competitors to hold a valid pilot certificate even if flying with a PIC-qualified Safety Pilot.
- Rule 2.2 amended to read: The competitor will be the sole occupant of the aircraft during competition flights except in Primary through Intermediate power categories and all glider categories, wherein “safety pilots” are authorized as passengers. The Safety Pilot shall have aerobatic competition experience and, if flying with a competitor who does not hold a valid FAA medical, or equivalent, must hold all certificates and endorsements to qualify as PIC in the competitor's make and model aircraft. The competitor has the sole responsibility for determining the qualifications of an individual to act as a Safety Pilot.
- Rule 2.1, second paragraph now includes the following language: However, a pilot with a Sport Pilot certificate may fly a non-LSA aircraft in Primary or Sportsman, if accompanied by a Safety Pilot with the appropriate certificates and endorsements.
- Appendix 3, Allowable Power Unknown Figures: Intermediate Delete Family 9.9.4.4, 45-down inside full snap, Add Family 9.9.2.2, 45-up half inside snap
- Table 6.3.2, Free Program Versatility Requirements (Power): Intermediate Family 9 Snap Rolls -- At least one from either 9.9 or 9.10 or at least one 9.4.3.4
- Rule 4.16.3:
- Modify sub-part (c) to read: Deliberately performing a simple climbing or descent between figures or flying any figure in a way such that the obvious intent is to regain altitude or energy. The competitor shall be given the benefit of the doubt when applying this penalty.
- New sub-part (d): Or any combination of paragraphs a, b, or c, above.
- New Rule 7.1.2(h): A competitor should only be penalized once for each deviation from flying a perfect figure. Where a competitor makes a deviation in the middle of a complex figure, that deviation should be downgraded and grading should continue into the next figure element without a second penalty for a misaligned entry into that following figure element.
- Delete 7.3.1(g) and 7.3.5 (was: any figures flown entirely outside the box prior to initial entry are zeroed)
- Delete 4.6.1(n): Warm-up pilots required for all categories at Nationals
The text for all of the 2016 rule change proposals is available at: https://www.iac.org/files/minutes/Agenda%209-1%20-%20Rules%20Committee%…
