Touch and Goes
This task,
timed touch and goes, is borrowed from our
weight shift brethren. There are three
targets, Target1, Target2 and TargetLaunch. Target2 is located 2 meters
upwind of Target1. Touching TargetLaunch starts the time. Pilots may
have this target located such that it can be stepped on as the launch
run is initiated. That would insure hitting the target but slightly
increase the time.
You
touch the primary target during launch. After
launch, fly 2 touch and goes then come in for
a final landing. Time starts from the pilots
touch of launch target and ends at the last Target2 touch. Additional
rules:
1. Each round requires an
airborne period of at least 5 seconds.
2. Pilot must touch two
targets, Target1 then Target2, on each landing and in the same
direction. This is to help ensure that pilots complete a 360° turn on
each pattern.
3. The wing must not touch
the ground between initial inflation and the last target2 touch. This is
intended to require good control and not allow pilots to drag their wing
behind after a botched landing.
4. Missing any target reduces
the final score by 25% for each target missed. There are 7 targets
touched on a properly completed task.
5. The pilot must touch
TargetLaunch during the initial launch before becoming airborne. The
feet not touching the ground for more than 3 seconds or a foot rising
above 1 meter constitutes being airborne.
Cloverleaf
The current Cloverleaf is a
wonderful test of precision flying. It requires the pilot kick a center
stick and fly around each corner stick. The problem is that it can be
hard to judge whether the pilot went outside or inside a corner.
The solution is to require
kicking each stick, not just the center. All the same strategies apply
but are skewed slightly. Also, ground contact should be allowed; this is
a race. Think NASCAR where occasional wall bumps happen. Sufficient
penalty exists in the risk of damage or control loss. Also, the cage is
allowed to be what hits the stick. Both of these rules allow for
electronic timing and minimal marshaling. Nobody has to mind the order
and the computer can determine that the pilot went in the correct order.
Same with a human marshal who can easily see whether or not a stick
moves but doesn't have to try judging corners or mild ground contact. It
eliminates the frequent "i think he touched" issue. Touch all you
want. Run the course with the wing overhead if you think you can get
more points that way.
Slow/Fast
Use the current FAI rules but
with AutoSticks. That is, pilots fly the slow while kicking four sticks then
do the same at their highest speed.
Spot Landing
This is best done in a sand
pit. Run it just like now except that only require pilots to complete
one 360° after shutting off their motor. So they might only bee 150 feet
high when they shut the motor off. Use the
first point of touchdown. If two feet touch within 1 second of each
other, use the farthest one.
There is no practical way to
score this electronically. A marshal must be ready with tape and take a
reading to the target.
For maximum discernment of
actual spot landing skill, penalize traveled distance after first
touchdown so that land-and-stop is rewarded.
Another possibility is to
REWARD distance traveled. That increases risk in the same way swooping
has proven deadly in skydiving but adds another interesting element.
Foot Drag
Do this just like it is now
only instead of gates, require the competitor to touch targets so that
it could be scored mostly electronically. The pilot must use one foot to
whack the target while dragging the other. The three targets are placed staggered but into the wind as much
as practical.
Touch And Go
Do this just like it is now
only the pilot must make his first and last touch on two targets placed
20 meters apart. The pilot touches down, makes exactly 10 steps (first
step plus nine more) and takes off again. Penalties apply for too few or
too many steps but the biggest penalty is for missing the targets.
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