Nationals 2016 - Special Rules and Procedures

Click on any of the section titles below to view their content.

[collapsed title=Contest Jury]

Contest jury members will wear "JURY" badges on blue lanyards.  Don't hesitate to approach a jury member with questions or issues; they're at the contest to make sure that the rules are applied properly, that the contest runs smoothly, and to solve problems, great and small.  To that end, please talk with a jury member before filing a protest!

Should you need a jury member at the contest but can't find one, call the Jury Chairman.

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[collapsed title=Free Knowns]

FREE KNOWNS submittal and certification procedure: You must send (in electronic form) your FK to Brian Howard for review and certification. Brian will then send the files to our Registrar as outlined in P&P 503. Practice slots cannot be utilized until the Free Known has been received, so send your FK as soon as possible to get a practice slot!

It is up to each pilot to create the specified number of paper copies  (10 Forms A, 20 Forms B and 20 Forms C ) of the Free Program and bring them with you the Nationals.

Your Free Program must include SuperFamily numbers on Form A, regardless of what category you fly.  Alan Cassidy's Aresti sequence drawing software and OpenAero will automatically include these if asked.

Note that Unlimited Power and Unlimited and Advanced Glider will not fly Free Programs this year. The "Free Known" will replace the Known and the Free Programs are not flown this year due to team selection in these categories. Please reference the Free Known Construction Guide for all of the Known figures required to be in your Free Known sequence.

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[collapsed title=Free Program]

Please bring 10 A forms and 20 each of your B and C forms of your Freestyle to Registration.

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[collapsed title=Late Arrivals and Missed Briefings]

A competitor arriving late but in time to register, be tech inspected and briefed, and ready to fly before the completion of his or her category's Known Program will be permitted entry per rule 3.6.2.

All other late arrivals will be permitted entry per 3.6.2 unless all category flight programs are completed.

A competitor arriving after his or her category's Known Program is complete may be required to fly that Known Program, regardless of whether the late arrival was beyond the competitor's control.

A special briefing fee or penalty (per 4.6.1) will apply to any competitor who misses the general briefing on Sunday or any Flight Program briefing on the day of the flight.

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[collapsed title=Rules]

The 2016 IAC Official Contest Rules apply.  Rules are supplemented by Section 500 of the IAC Policy and Procedures (P&P) manual.  In the event of a conflict, the P&P takes precedence.

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[collapsed title=Safety Maneuvers for Unlimited Flight Programs]

P&P 503.2.7 lists the optional safety maneuvers that Unlimited competitors may fly if authorized by the Chief Judge.

The Chief Judge intends to offer competitors the option to fly these safety maneuvers in each Unlimited flight program unless time constraints forbid doing so.  However, the option to fly safety maneuvers will never be discontinued midway through a flight program.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with these figures and the accompanying rules, then make a plan.  Come to the contest knowing which optional safety maneuvers you'll fly, if permitted, and how you'll do so.  Penalties will be assessed if you fly the safety maneuvers in a manner other than precisely as prescribed by the P&P.

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[collapsed title=Scoring]

ACRO with FairPlay will be used for scoring all flights in all categories.  Note: IAC rules regarding Hard Zeros (HZ) and Numeric Zeroes (0.0) apply. See Rule 7.3 for details.

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[collapsed title=U.S. Aerobatic Team Aspirants - Advanced Power]

If you aspire to a position on the U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team:

  • Before the contest begins, you must declare as a team aspirant and read, sign and return the Code of Conduct and Declaration / Pilot Agreements. Flying for the team will not be permitted until these documents are signed and returned to the IAC President (usually through the registration office).
  • Each team aspirant must be eligible to hold an FAI Sporting License issued by the National Aeronautic Association.  However, you need not hold a Sporting License at the Nationals.
  • The top-placing 8 pilots will earn positions on the team.

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[collapsed title=Unknown Programs for Advanced and Unlimited Categories]

The top 10 competitors ranked in the provisional overall standings valid at the time of each figure selection meeting will each submit one Unknown Program figure.  Find the rules for constructing valid figures in the IAC Official Contest Rules and in P&P 503.

Competitors flying in the category will propose Advanced Unknown I and Unlimited Free Unknown I sequences.  The Advanced and Unlimited Unknown II flight will also be a Free Unknown, composed according to the rules described in P&P 503.  Construction of this sequence at Nationals will be nearly identical to the way it's done at a typical FAI aerobatic championship contest.

For Unlimited Power/Glider and Advanced Glider pilots - you will be flying the new CIVA "Free Known" program vs the "Known" Program.  All the information for the Free Known is posted on this webpage under "Free Programs".  You will need to complete your Free Known ASAP and send (in electronic form) to Brian Howard for review and certification. Brian will then send the certified files to our Registrar as outlined in the P&P.  At that point your practice time slot will become valid - per P&P 503-2.5.3

Competitors must submit Free Unknown sequences electronically.  The software to be used shall be either the Aresti or OpenAero sequence drawing software.

 

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[collapsed title=Cancellation Policy]

Competitors who preregister and pay via PayPal but withdraw before the beginning of the first competition flight of their category will receive a full refund minus the PayPal fees.

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