Rules for the trial use of GPS

at the Canungra HG comp and Bright PG comp.

• Each task will be flown in the normal way, with pilots circumnavigating all turn-points using standard FAI sectors.
• At the end of a task, a pilots GPS may be submitted to the competition organisers for download of the track-log.
• If there is any dispute or protest regarding a pilots flight of the task, or if the track-log downloaded fails to verify (in accordance with these rules) every turn point claimed by the pilot, the GPS track-log will be ignored (i.e. cannot be used as verification of a flight), in which case the pilot must submit a film as proof of flight.  Flight verification and scoring will then be done as per standard rules.
• If it is shown that the co-ordinates supplied by the organiser are grossly in error and a protest is lodged (and upheld), no track-logs will be accepted for the task, and all films must be collected and processed at the organisers expense.  In this case, the named turn point NOT the point at the co-ordinates given must be in sector of each pilots photo of that turn point.
• GPS track-logs will not be used for goal crossings.  Traditional methods will be used for goal timings.  The GPS track-log may be used as evidence in a dispute relating to goal.
• Any inconsistencies in track-log data may require photo verification (at the competition organisers discretion).  All photo verification will use FAI sector only.

The track-log must satisfy the following criteria:

• The track-log must show one of the following (i.e. not purely FAI sector) for any start-gate and for each turn point claimed (the turn-point is taken to be at the co-ordinates supplied by the competition organiser):
• A point within 100m of the turn point
• A point within the normal FAI sector for the turn point
• A pair of points for which a straight line draw from the first point to the second point passes through the region within 100m of the turn-point
• A pair of points for which a straight line draw from the first point to the second point passes through the FAI sector for the turn-point
• A way-point will be accepted as a track-log point, provided that neither the speed required to fly from the track-log point before (in time) the way-point nor the speed required to fly from the way-point to the next track-log point (in time) exceed the maximum logged speed between any 2 consecutive points of the remainder of the track-log.
• The track-log must show at least 10 minutes of continuous track-log points prior to and after the track-log point or pair of points used to verify the turn-point (i.e. at least 20 minutes of continuous track-log) except where the pilot launched or landed (or both) within 10 minutes of rounding the turn-point.  In such cases the track-log must begin or end (or both) at the point of launch or landing (NOTE: if multiple points satisfy one of the previous four criteria, only one needs satisfy this criteria).
• The track-log must contain at least 30 minutes of data (only continuous groups of points make up this 30 minutes  i.e. 3 points 10 minutes apart does not suffice)
• A continuous track-log is one where each consecutive point is at most 60 seconds from its predecessor
• If the track-log is used to determine a start time, the time will be interpolated from the pair of track-log points prior to and after crossing the start gate (a constant speed is assumed).
• The organisation will periodically call for random film checks to further ensure the accuracy and fairness of the GPS system.  Random checks will be done at the organisers expense.
• Where a film is checked due to a protest, the protester will pay if the protest is rejected, and the protestee will pay if the protest is upheld.

 
Last updated: April 1998