Hi David,
Firstly I suggest you contact Beryl Hartley, the GFA's FAI Certificates Officer, for an explanation of what is meant by this definition. You can contact Beryl at hart...@avionics.com.au. My take on it though, is that you can declare up to three waypoints but don't necessarily have to reach them, if you land say before one or more is reached. Your free distance is then measured around the points you actually did make. In regard to your other point. As of October 1st this year, the FAI introduced a new version of the Sporting Code which removed cameras as a means of verification. They replaced cameras with a concept called a Position Recorder, which is in essence an off-the-shelf GPS recorder authorised by the local authority - in our case of course, the GFA. This has required the development of some processes to approve these things, which are now in place and (since I'm the guy that got the job) I'm currently working on getting the first products - OzFlarms and miniOZ - approved in this category. Other devices such as Garmins could also be approved I expect, but because of the huge variety of off the shelf products out there I will have to consider them on application. Bear in mind also that these "Position Recorders" are intended to replace only cameras, and that in most cases a calibrated barograph will still be needed. Existing secure loggers such as Cambridge, EW, Colibri etc are still valid - but nothing else at this moment. If anyone wants to know more, or ask about a particular device, contact me off list on tshir...@internode.on.net. Please don't start an email war on this one - what's done is done. These are FAI's rules, not GFA's, and we are just one voice in 50 when they are worked out. For better or worse, we are stuck with them and trying to make the best of it. Cheers Tim From: aus-soaring-boun...@lists.internode.on.net [mailto:aus-soaring-boun...@lists.internode.on.net] On Behalf Of David and Justine Olsen Sent: Tuesday, 6 October 2009 08:17 To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. Subject: [Aus-soaring] Free Distance?? I am a little confused by the free distance definition below- 2. A "Free Distance Flight" from the Sporting Code is "A flight measured for distance from a departure point via not more than three previously declared turn points, to a landing place not necessarily specified before take-off. The TP's must be at least 10km apart, and they may be claimed once, in any sequence, or not at all". You need a barograph, and photo's. Am I correct in saying- I can fly anywhere I like, as long as I have declared three turn-points which I don't even need to use, The turn points can be any distance greater than 10k apart meaning that if I flew for instance a triangle around them, the total distance would be just over 30k, so I obviously would need to make the distance up by flying to other undeclared turn-points. I would need to photograph these turn-points and name them in the claim, or use an appropriate approved datalogger. Is this correct? David No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.409 / Virus Database: 270.14.3/2413 - Release Date: 10/05/09 06:19:00
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