Purpose: Promote and develop cross country soaring at Harris Hill and have fun!
Contest Duration: April 1 through October 31 of the current year.
Eligibility: HHSC Membership
Contest Description: Each contestant submits their best cross country soaring flight (see below for required documentation) for each of the seven months of the contest (April through October) to this year's contest scorer. A bonus flight may be added to the individual monthly flights for the contestant's best dual cross country flight of the year with an HHSC member inexperienced in cross country flight.
All flights must originate from Harris Hill with a maximum tow altitude of 2000 feet AGL. (Relights from the Elmira-Corning Regional Airport will be allowed)
Each Class winner will be determined by the highest cumulative score for the monthly flights plus bonus flight submitted.
Classes:OPEN: Any sailplane, private or HHSC may be used. Flights are scored by a formula that takes distance and speed into account.
CLUB: Any sailplane, private or HHSC, with performance equal or less than an ASK-21 may be used. Flights are scored for distance only.
TEAMS: Two person teams may be entered if declared at the beginning of the contest and if the lower scoring member contributes at least three of the flights scored or 30% of the total score. Teams and individuals will be scored together as one group.
NOTE: Pilots flying HHSC sailplanes MUST have met the HHSC requirements for cross country flight in HHSC aircraft and they MUST have a crew and crew vehicle capable of towing the applicable glider trailer. The preflight MUST include preflighting the trailer and crew vehicle for proper operation of required equipment. (hitch ball size, lights, trailer type equipment for the sailplane you are flying, tools, etc.)
Types of Flights Allowed:
Straight Distance
Dog Leg
Two Turn Point Flight
Three Turn Point Flight
Goal and Return
Pilot Selected Task (Open Class only, see below for special PST rules)
Task Definition:Turnpoints: Turnpoints must be an identifiable landmark with specified latitude and longitude. Use of the official HHSC contest turnpoints is suggested.
Start: Start for the Open Class must pass within one mile of Harris Hill (the official HHSC contest turnpoint) and must pass through the quadrant away from the course line to the first task turnpoint. Those using a GPS FR may alternatively use the official HHSC contest start line. Maximum altitude allowed for the start is 5000 feet AGL. As an alternative, roll time may be used for the official start.
Finish: Finishes for the Club Class will be achieved by landing back at Harris Hill. Finishes for the Open Class will be either through the official HHSC contest finish gate west of the field at a safe altitude (300 feet suggested), passing within one mile of Harris Hill through the quadrant opposite the course line from the last turnpoint or landing back at Harris Hill.
Proof of the Flight:There are three options for flight documentation:
1) Turnpoint photographs with Open Class start and finish times recorded by an Official Observer.
2) Turnpoint photographs and Open Class start/finish times by databack camera.
3) IGC approved GPS Flight Data Recorder. (GPS FR)
Note: Altitudes are not required to be verified. The Honor System is in vogue here. However, GPS FR users are requested to submit their vertical trace.
Flight Declaration: The task must be declared on the ground before takeoff either by completing a written declaration of the proposed flight (use of the SSA Declaration Form format is suggested. This file is in Adobe PDF format.), having it signed by an (OO) Official Observer who can be any member of HHSC and photographing it with the turnpoint camera(s) to be used for the flight; or by declaring the flight in a secure GPS Flight Data Recorder. Changing the declared task in flight is not allowed.
To view and print Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) files, you need the Adobe Acrobat Reader program. Click on the logo to the right to download your free copy.
Turnpoints: Verification that the sailplane was flown around the turnpoint may be provided by photographing the turnpoint or using a GPS FR. For turnpoint photos, FAI rules (obtain the FAI Sporting Code, Section 3, Class D from the SSA if you don't understand) will apply to all turnpoints except official HHSC contest turnpoints where either FAI rules or the "photo target" method may be used. For GPS FR verification, the FR trace must show at least two data points within the FAI quadrant or within 0.25 miles of the turnpoint, depending on the verification method chosen for the flight.
Time on Course may be determined by three methods:
1) OO recording the times the sailplane crosses the Start and Finish Lines.
2) Databack camera: The start photo must show the NSM taken from the quadrant away from the course line to the first turnpoint. The finish photo must show the NSM taken from the quadrant away from the last turnpoint. For a rolling finish, the finish time will be determined by a picture taken of the NSM after landing.
3) GPS FR:
a) The sailplane must cross the official HHSC contest start and finish lines. The start and finish times will be determined by the closest logged point to each of these lines.
or
b) The sailplane must pass within one mile of Harris Hill through the quadrants opposite the first and last turnpoints. Start and finish times will be determined by the closest logged point exiting the start quadrant and entering the finish quadrant.
Film: Any type of film may be used and more than one flight may be on one film. After the flight, the film must be developed and submitted for scoring.
Landouts: Landings at a location other than Harris Hill should be documented by a photo of the landing site showing the sailplane and a description of the landing site signed by one witness; or by the GPS FR record.
Straight Distance: Straight out flights do not require a camera for photographing turnpoints, but do require a written and signed flight declaration and a witnessed landing place description.
Scoring-General:
1) One individual and one dual flight per month may be submitted for scoring.
2) The year's total score will be the sum of the seven best individual flight scores plus the best dual flight score for the year.
3) Two pilots may fly together in a two place glider, but only one may submit the flight for scoring as an individual flight.
4) Dual flights submitted must include the name of the inexperienced cross country pilot taken along. All active Junior and Senior HHSC Members who have not earned their Silver "C" qualify as "inexperienced". Scores for flights completed in a SGS 2-33 will earn a 50% bonus.
Scoring-Club Class:
The Club Class score will be computed at one point per statute mile with a 25% bonus for completing the declared task and landing at a pre-declared goal. Speed will not be scored.
Examples:
A declared and completed 75 statute mile flight around two turn points returning to Harris Hill.
Score = 1.25 x distance = 1.25 x 75 = 93.75 points
A declared 75 statute mile flight around two turnpoints returning to Harris Hill that completes the two turnpoints, but lands one mile short in the emergency field.
Score = distance = 74 points
Scoring-Open Class:
The Open Class score will be computed by the "Jack Green" system. Flights not completing the declared task will be scored at one point per statute mile achieved. If the declared turnpoints and goal are achieved, the score will be determined by distance and speed per the formula below:
Score = distance x (1 + 0.01V)
where distance is in statute miles and V(speed) is in statute miles per hour
Examples:
75 mile flight not completing the declared task
Score = 75 points
75 mile flight completing the declared task at 55 mph
Score = 75 x 1.55 = 116.25 points
75 mile flight completing the declared task at 50 mph
Score = 75 x 1.50 = 112.5 points
Rules-Open Class-PST:
The Pilot Selected Task (PST) is available only for Open Class flights and may be used for up to three of the monthly scores during the year.
1) A written declaration containing the normal information and the declared flight time must be completed and witnessed by an OO prior to take off. Scoring penalizes flights that are shorter than the declared time. The finish and landing must be at Harris Hill.
2) Turnpoints must be selected from the official (current) HHSC Contest Turnpoint Book. The maximum number of turnpoints that may be used (not including the start and finish) is eleven. A turnpoint may not be repeated unless two other turnpoints are properly claimed first. Photo or GPS FR procedures may use either the FAI rules or the HHSC turnpoint targets as shown in the HHSC turnpoint book.
3) The following turnpoints may not be used as the first turnpoint in a PST:
Millerton
Corning-Painted Post Airport
Watkins Glen Race Track
Scoring-Open Class-PST:
For an uncompleted PST (landing at a location other than Harris Hill):
Score = distance
For a completed PST (landing at Harris Hill) with the time on course less than or equal to the declared time:
Score = distance x (1 + 0.01(distance/declared time))
For a completed PST with the time on course greater than the declared time:
Speed (V) = distance/actual time
Scored Distance (SD) = speed (V) x declared time
Score = SD x (1 + 0.01V)
Summary/Check List:
1) Required Scoring Documentation-Using Film
a) Summary of flight (as applicable, task declared, turnpoints achieved, miles achieved, landing site lat/long, speed, estimated score)
b) Written and witnessed flight declaration. Get a copy of a blank Flight Declaratioon Form in Adobe PDF format.
To view and print Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) files, you need the Adobe Acrobat Reader program. Click on the logo to the right to download your free copy.
c) Turnpoint film, developed and submitted for scoring, with photo of flight declaration before takeoff, start, turnpoints achieved, finish, outlanding site. More than one flight may be on one strip of film.
d) If applicable, OO's statement of start and finish times for Open Class.
e) If applicable, outlanding witness statement including description of landing site, lat/long, witness name and telephone number.
2) Required Scoring Documentation-Using GPS FR
a) Summary of flight (as applicable, task declared, turnpoints achieved, miles achieved, landing site lat/long, speed, estimated score)
b) Printout of GPS FR information including flight declaration (before takeoff), flight path horizontal and vertical, turnpoint detail, start and finish detail and times, takeoff and landing. Cambridge Aero Instruments format will be the standard.
c) Written and witnessed flight declaration for PST's.3) Miscellaneous:
a) All HHSC Rules and Federal Aviation Regulations must be complied with.
b) This contest is run on the "HONOR SYSTEM". Cheating is possible, but you would only be cheating yourself.
I hope you will use the opportunity of this friendly competition to develop your cross country and racing skills, and to have fun safely. Declaring the same task on a given day as several other pilots adds to the learning and fun.
Good Luck, and Fly Safely,
Harris Hill Soaring
