1 KEILA VILJANDI CUP 2003 RULES Chapter 1 EVENT DETAILS 1.1 Objectives of the event - to determine the winner pilot, - to stimulate ballooning, - to reinforce friendship amongst aeronauts - to produce entertainment for spectators and competitors. 1.2 Definition of a winner For the winner to be declared at least three tasks must have been completed on not less than two separate flights. 1.3 Documentation The following documents will be inspected when each competitor registers on arrival: - pilot licence, - balloon registration document, - balloon airworthiness document, - insurance policy. 1.4 Language The official language of the competition is English. English shall be used during briefings and translations to other languages may be used. In all interpretations English version prevails. 1.5 Insurance Each balloon shall be insured against all claims by third parties to a minimum of 500 000 Estonian Crowns. The competitor shall produce documentary evidence of this insurance valid for the period of the Event covering himself and any balloon which he may fly. 1.6 Personnel Director General : Valdur Vacht Competition Director: Risto Jalava Deputy Director : Darius Mikalajunas Judge: Deividas Pinkevicius Chief Measurer: Jaanus Väljamäe 1.7 Place The event will be held in Viljandi and Keila, Estonia. 1.8 Dates The event will run from August 20, 2003. The last flying day will be August 24, 2003. 1.9 Organizer Keila Municipality Chapter 2 ENTRY CONDITIONS 2.1 Acceptance of regulations Competitors are required to know, understand, accept and abide by the Sporting Code and the rules nad regulations for the event and by entering are deemed to accept it without reservation. 2.2 Responsibility The pilot in command remains completely responsible for the safe operation of his balloon at all stages of inflation, launch, flight and landing. 2.3 Risk The balloon and other property of the participants shall be at the risk of the participant at all times. By entering the event a participant agrees to waive all claim for injury to himself or loss or damage to his property. 2.4 Liability to third parties By entering the event a participant assumes all liability for injury, loss or damage to third parties caused by himself or his crew. 2.5 Air law Contest area in Keila is inside of Tallinn Terminal Control Area. Contest area in Viljandi is under three airways. Upper altitude limit for balloons during the event is 3500 feet MSL. Penalty: up to disqualification from the event.
2 2.6 Recall procedure No recall procedure. Chapter 4 COMPLAINTS AND PROTESTS Chapter 3 OFFICIALS 3.1 Director General The Director General is in charge of preparations for the event and handles all administrative matters. 3.2 Competition Director The Competition Director is in overall operational charge of the event. He is responsible for smooth and safe running of the event. He gives the tasks and decides if the flight takes place. He can cancel tasks for reasons of safety or fairness at any time before the scores for the task are published. He analyzes the protests and judges all conflict situations. He can disqualify a competitor for serious misconduct or serious infringement of the rules. 3.3 Judge The Judge is responsible for calculation of scoring. He also penalises the competitors for infringement of rules. 3.4 Steward Steward is an advisor to the director. He watches over the conduct of the event and reports any unfairness or infringement of the regulations or behaviour prejudicial to the safety of other competitors or the public or in any way harmful to the sport. He assembles information and facts concerning matters to be considered when a protest has to be upheld or rejected. 3.5 Measurers Measurers are Event Official assigned to establish the competitor s results and possible rule violations. 3.6 Chief Measurer Chief Measurer organises the work of measurers. 4.1 Assistance A competitor who is dissatisfied with on any matter may first ask for his result or score to be checked by the Judge, or the calculation or penalty to be explained. 4.2 Protest A competitor, who is still dissatisfied may declare his protest to the Competition Director within 6 hours after publication of the results. He must submit his protest in writing together with the protest fee of 400 Estonian Crowns. He must receive a written reply within 24 hours. The protest fee is refundable only if the protest is upheld. 4.3 Publication The text of all protests and decisions shall be posted on the Notice Board. Chapter 5 MAPS 5.1 Contest area The contest area is an area defined at General Briefing by reference to 1/50 000 competiton maps. Map Datum is WGS84, Grid System is UTM (or UTM/UPS). Magnetic declination (Grid North Magnetic North angle) is 5 30' in Keila and 5 00' in Viljandi. 5.2 Prohibited zones (PZ s) The director may define airspace or areas as prohibited for competition purposes. The boundaries and, if applicable, the altitude limits in feet MSL, shall be published in writing for each PZ. Circular PZs shall be defined by the center point map reference and radius in meters. PZs with natural boundaries shall be defined by marked copies of the competition map to each competitor individually. There are three classifications of PZs, Red, Yellow and Blue. A RED PZ is restricted airspace and will include an upper altitude limit. A YELLOW PZ is a restricted area where no take-offs or landings are permitted.
3 A BLUE PZ is a restricted airspace, generally as a result of ATC restrictions, and will include a lower altitude limit. 5.3 PZ infringement A competitor violating a YELLOW or RED PZ in force will be penalised by up to 1000 competition points, proportionally to the offence. Violation of a BLUE PZ may be penalised up to disqualification from the event. 7.2 Launch period Any take-off made before or after launch period will be subject to a penalty of 10 points per minute. 7.3 Permission to launch The launchmaster will give each competitor permission to take-off according to the signals as published. The competitor may then take-off at will, subject to any instructions from the launchmaster at the time. Chapter 6 BRIEFINGS 6.1 Official time The official time is GPS time corrected for the local time offset. 6.2 Entry for tasks A pilot shall enter a task by answering his name at roll call at task briefing. Penalty for late entry is up to 100 points. 6.3 General Briefing A general briefing on the rules, regulations and major aspects of the event shall be held before the start of the event. Attendance at the general briefing is compulsory for all entrants and officials. 6.4 Rules are simplified The rules for the event do not cover all possible matters. Common practice and the latest AXMER will guide Judge and Competition Director when the event rules do not say anything. I acknowledge your white flag. Stay on ground, follow instruction of my hands. I am going to clear you for take-off. Chapter 7 LAUNCH 7.1 Launch signals Red - no hot inflation, no take-off permitted. Pink - supplementary briefing. Yellow - 5 min. warning. Green - permission to begin hot inflation. Light blue - meaning as declared at task briefing Black - task cancelled. Clear for take-off.
4 8.3 Behaviour Competitors are required to fly with proper consideration for persons and livestock on the ground and not to damage crop. Penalty: up to 500 points. Cancel all previous instructions, wait. This permission does not relieve the competitor of complete responsibility for his take-off, including adequate lift to clear obstacles and other balloons, and to continue safely in flight. A competitor taking off without permission, whether due to loss of control or any other reason, may be penalised up to 100 competition points. If the balloon does not take off within 30 seconds, permission to take off may be cancelled by the launchmaster. 7.4 Landowner s permission Permision from landowner should be obtained for driving onto, or launching from the private land or used for agricultural purposes. Penalty up to 500 competiton points (if within period of 24 hours the landowner will make a complaint). 8.4 Right of way When two balloons are converging in flight the pilot of the higher balloon shall give way and shall climb if necessary to avoid collision. In case of collision, both competitors may be penalised up to 1000 points, but not necessarily by the same amount. Chapter 9 LANDING 9.1 Scoring area landings Landing within the scoring area without permission given at task briefing is prohibited. 9.2 Material damage to third parties Landing closer than 150 m to livestock or building with them is prohibited. Crop can not be damaged by a competitor or the crew. Penalty up to 500 task points (if within period of 24 hours the landowner will make a complaint). Chapter 8 FLIGHT RULES 8.1 Ground contact After passing the boundary of launch area, no part of the balloon or anything attached to it may contact with ground or anything attached to ground. Penalties: 50 task points for slight brushing of grass or treetops, 200 task points for solid contact (envelope movement seen), 500 task points for continuous dragging or repeated solid contacts. Ground contact after passing all scoring areas carries no penalty. 8.2 Collision A competitor whose balloon is in collision with buildings or power or telephone wires or their supports will be penalised up to 1000 competition penalty points. Chapter 10 TARGETS AND MARKERS 10.1 Target Target is a cross-shaped banner, from the center of which direct measurements are made. 10.2 Marker to be visible All markers must be visible in the basket at takeoff. 10.3 Releasing the marker The marker shall be completely unfurled before release. No mechanism may be used to propel the marker. Penalty: 50 meters added to result. 10.4 Wrong marker order Penalty for using wrong marker (red instead of blue for instance) is 25 points per task.
5 10.5 Unauthorized marker Penalty for modified or unauthorized markers is up to 150 task points. 10.6 Interference with marker No person other than an official may touch or interfere with a marker on the ground. 10.7 Lost marker Marker is considered lost if it is not found or returned within 4 hours from actual start of launch period. Penalty for lost marker is 50 Estonian Crowns. 10.8 Retrieve Retrieve vehicles and ground crew shall not pass or stay within 100 m of any scoring area. Penalty: up to no result. All crew vehicles shall be clearly identified on opposite sides with competition numbers. Crew members are not allowed to come inside the scoring area without permission given by the official in charge. Chapter 11 PENALTIES 11.1 Unspecified penalties A competitor infringing any rule for which the penalty is not specified may have a penalty, given by the Judge. Chapter 12 SCORING 12.1 Publication of scores The scores of each task shall be published with the minimum of delay at the place specified during the General briefing. 12.2 Scoring area Scoring area for each task shall be specified at task briefing. In borderline cases the marker is in if the marker bag touches the border (visible or imaginary) of scoring area. Default scoring area borders: - road centerline - inside border of ditch, river or lake - at treeline: marker in tree is out, marker on ground under tree is in - for areas in form of a sector a radius in meters from goal (from target, if that is used) is given - for rectangular or quasirectangular areas two distances are given: distance alond road or ditch from goal (from target, if that is used), or radius from goal (target), and distance in 90 degree angle from road centerline or from inside border of ditch 12.3 Out of scoring area A competitor, who will not achieve a scoring position inside the scoring area, achieves the result equal to the worst available result at the goal plus 1 meter. If a competitor is sure that his scoring position would not be inside of scoring area he should keep the marker in his basket and return the marker to the Judge without delay. 12.4 Best result The best result will be awarded 1000 points before points penalties. 12.5 Scoring formulas Other competitors will receive scores based on the following formula: Points = 1000 (30 x V + R + B) In task Maximum Distance Double Drop (R 13.9 ) competitors will receive scores based on the following formula: Points = 1000 (30 x V + (200 R) + B) V - competitor s rank according to the result shown in the task, R competitor s result (in meters), B - penalty points 12.6 Failed task The scores of a task that does not produce even one scoring position inside the scoring area shall not be included in total scores.
6 12.7 GPS loggers A GPS logger is a device that logs the track and altitude of a balloon. GPS loggers may be used in competition as an observation tool and for scoring purposes. Competitors shall comply with the operational instructions on their use. If a GPS logger supplied by the organiser fails to record a log, the GPS log recorded by the GPS of the competitor may be used as backup. 12.8 Measuring Tape is used for direct measuring of distances up to 200 meters. GPS may be used for measuring longer distances and positions that can not be measured directly to goal. Chapter 13 TASKS 13.1 Judge Declared Goal - position of set goal/target Competitors will attempt to drop a marker close to the goal or target. 13.2 Hesitation Waltz - position of set goals/targets Competitors will attempt to drop a marker close to one of several goals or targets. 13.3 Fly in - position of set goal/target - minimum and maximum distances from inflation point to the goal or target Competitors find their own launch sites and attempt to drop a marker close to the set goal or target. Only one scoring attempt may be made, however a competitor may abort a flight and land in order to make further launches. 13.4 Gordon Bennett Memorial - position of the set goal/target (s) Competitors will attempt to drop marker within the scoring area(s) close to a set target which will be out of scoring area. 13.5 Hare and Hounds - description of the Hare balloon - intended flight duration of the Hare balloon Competitors will follow a Hare balloon and attempt to drop a marker close to a target displayed by the Hare (no more than 10 meters upwind of the Hare s basket after landing). Variation from intended flight duration of the Hare balloon shall not be ground for complaint. Pilots should start hot inflation when the Hare does. Not more than 5 minutes after the Hare has taken off a light blue flag will be displayed. It means that competitors can ask permission for take-off. Competitors must take off within 10 minutes of the Hare s take-off. Yellow flag will be shown as a warning 5 minutes before the time for launch ends. Penalty for take-off after the blue flag is down is 100 points per minute or part of minute. The Hare is a competitor and wins the task if none of other competitors achieves a scoring position within 100 meters from target. Otherwise the Hare s result is 100 m minus the best result in the task. 13.6 Watership Down - description of the Hare balloon - location of the launch point of the Hare balloon - set take-of time of the hare balloon - intended flight duration of the Hare balloon
7 Competitors will fly to the launch point of Hare, follow the Hare and attempt to drop a marker close to a target displayed by the Hare. 13.7 Calculated Rate of Approach Task - position of the set goal or target, (s) and their validity times. Competitors will attempt to drop markers within the valid scoring area(s) close to a target (goal). 13.8 Minimum Distance Double Drop s Competitors will attempt to drop two markers close together in different scoring areas. 13.10 Minimum Distance - minimum set time. - arrangements of timing Competitors will attempt to drop marker close to the common launch point, where a target will be displayed, after flying minimum set time. 13.11 Shortest Flight - description of scoring area(s) Competitors will attempt to drop a marker close to the common launch point within a set scoring area(s). The result is the distance from the mark to the common launch point. Smallest result is best. 13.9 Maximum Distance Double Drop (s) Competitors will attempt to drop two markers far apart in the scoring area(s).