MISSION STATEMENT
This is not a rule. The objective of the Cape Gauntlet is to stretch and encourage growth of pilot's cross-country and competition skills. We hope to foster a culture of learning, sharing and a safe stretch.
This is achieved through bring pilots together who have a range of experience, setting a common challenge and encouraging communication, both on the ground and in the air. This means help should be at hand (albeit in a Gauntlet).
So, don’t be fooled by the name and image, the Cape Gauntlet will embody true Cape hospitality, and thus has a velvet lining.
Can you handle it?
(we rely heavily on the first Gauntleteer, Alan O’Regan, in what is set out herein)
GAUNTLET CONTEST RULES
The intention is not to be legalistic but to be fair. The rules are simple and most protests and unhappiness is the result of a failure to apply the rules. It is only fair to apply the rules to everyone. The rules include the fine print below.
RULES
1. Annex A to Section 3 of the Sporting Code shall apply subject to what is set out below.[1]
HANDICAPS
2. The handicaps used by OLC are to be applied.
DOCUMENTATION
3. All pilots will be required to sign an indemnity and will have to be in possession of a valid GPL and ATF. (All documents required by SSSA, in any event, should be on board of all gliders.)
FLYING FAR AWAY
4. If there is any doubt as to whether you are cleared (or current) cross-country, you should confirm with the CFI this before participating.
5. If you are going to fly out of glide range of Worcester as part of this competition, you best ensure your trailer is ready, roadworthy, licensed and usable. Otherwise you may find nobody comes to get you . . .
6. Make sure you have the club phone number (or better yet, the club telephone list) in your glider, together with a cell phone.
LOGGERS
7. All loggers will be accepted.
8. Loggers are to be handed in within 20 minutes of landing. It is expected that you will (within this time) provide either:
(a) A cable to download your logger to a laptop (along with the logger and a power cable or battery if required)
(b) An IGC file on a USB memory stick or SD card
(c) Notification that your IGC file is on the OLC website
FLARM
9. All gliders are to be equipped with functional FLARM unites.
BRIEFING
10. Briefing is at 09:00. At the briefing a draw for the launch sequence will take place. [2] Briefing attendance is mandatory.
ENTRIES
11. To facilitate organisation, participants have to confirm their participation by latest Wednesday night preceding a competition day. Failure to register may result in your launch not being considered part of the grid (i.e., the contest may start before you launch or before you reach start altitude). After all, we have to arrange enough tugmeisters to hurl you into the air.
12. We will be asking a nominal entry fee of R100 to cover various expenses. You might actually get something for it, but don’t hold your breath. If you find this uncertainty frustrating, let us know by limerick. But make sure it rhymes.
13. To facilitate participants have to confirm by latest Thursday night their participation.
TURN POINT DATA FILE
14. The turn point data file is available via the Cape Gauntlet website and the Worldwide Turn point Exchange.
TASKS
15. Tasks will either be:
(a) assigned speed task
(b) assigned area speed task
(c) OLC (and scored in accordance with OLC, save that a start time and start line may be set, and possibly a duration). We might also try OLC with some mandatory turn points. Don’t count on these turn points being anywhere near a mountain.
(d) Occasionally, we might try something different. Like a day where we declare a host of turn points with specific points values. These points will be scored like OLC kilometres (handicap applied and then the day adjusted to 1000 points).
(e) The turn points used to define these tasks (and start and finish points) are all in the turn point data file.
START LINE
16. The start line will open 20 minutes after the launch of the last glider to which a launch has been allocated. (If you are late, the start line will open nonetheless)
17. The start line is 10 km long, perpendicular to the first turn-point or, if an OLC task, the start direction will either be perpendicular to Robertson airfield, Villiersdorp, Ceres airfield or Renosterhoek.
FINISH LINE
18. The finish line is a circle 2km in diameter, around FAWC. The line must be crossed at least 600m AMSL (approximately 2000ft AMSL) (Note: crossing the finish line below 2000ft results in no speed points, and in the case of an OLC task with a 50km penalty.
AIRSPACE
19. The flight lands out at the first point of an airspace transgression (this is non-negotiable). Pilots cannot individually obtain permission to enter controlled airspace.
RADIO PROCEDURE
20. It is compulsory to remain on the appropriate TIBA frequency.
21. It is expected that all participants will follow the guidelines outlined in Cloudbase for Radio. Stealth flying will attract stealth points.
PROTESTS AND COMPLAINTS
22. See rule 34. Still want to? Lodge it with the Director.
23. You are expected and required to report infringements of the rules and procedures (e.g., poor or no radio procedure).
SCORING
24. Score on each day will be a maximum of 1000 points (see Sporting code 3 for the calculations). For OLC days, the winners OLC points will be factored to 1000 and the rest of the field will have the same factor applied to their OLC points to determine their competition score.
25. Where mandatory turn points are set , the task setter / director will advise the penalty for not rounding the turn point as one of:
(a) Scored as a land out at closest point
(b) Scored as a penalty (e.g., x points per turn point missed)
26. Scores of all contest days count to an accumulated total. The accumulated total for all contest days will be used to determine the winner. (September to April).
27. The chairman will be the winner (we will award penalties to other pilots).
28. The Rule relating specifically to the chairman is invalid (just checking you are awake). But it might actually happen like that occasionally.
COMPETITION DAYS
29. The competition runs from September to April, with a practice day in August.
30. Days where no task is possible will be dropped and not replaced.
JURISDICTION
31. All Cape Gauntlet competition activities are subject to normal rules of the Cape Gliding Club, and flying activity is subject to the jurisdiction of the flying panel of that august body. So if you beat up, you might be beat up.
32. Please read the fine print – it also applies to you.
OBJECTIVE
33. Isn’t it funny how the most important rules are left hiding at the end? This is supposed to be fun, make sure you FUN the GAUNTLET.
The fine print
(which applies to all of us, not only those flying in their first contest)
1. The laws of aerodynamics and physics stay as they are.[3] Therefore
(a) Your glider has not changed into super ship which has improved aerodynamic capabilities with an L/D of 1:125 and a sink rate of minus 0.0005m/s! simply because it is surrounded by a number of superb gliders some of whom carry their own engines.
(b) You have not been transmogrified into an immortal being who can fly lower on and closer to the ridges than any one else, or ever before, or blindly glide into unlandable terrain with/behind/leading some other mindless individual who is in the air with you.
2. Emphasis is placed on the following, and pilots are reminded that
(b) In terms of the Rules of the Air, the pilot with the mountain to her right has the right of way – pilots heading such that the ridge is on their left have to be particularly ready to get the hell out of the way.
(c) Everybody should be complying with TIBA (Traffic Information Broadcasts by Aircraft) procedures.[5] Moreover the compulsory position reports as set out in Cloud Base should be made.
(d) Operational rules are the same as always.
3. Basic airmanship
(a) Be considerate – we all want to do the same thing, and we would all like to enjoy it.
(b) Grid considerately (and remove your tailwheel)
(c) Leave car keys in a proper place with an envelope containing instructions.
(d) Mark you tow-out gear clearly.
(e) Clear runways and taxi-ways IMMEDIATELY
(f) Agreements on retrieves.
(g) Anticipate that it will take a LONG time to get us all airborne.
(h) Help with the launching
(i) Help with some-one landing back.
4. Safety procedures
(a) You have to make compulsory position reports at 17h00, 18h00, 18h30 19h00, 19h30 on 124.8 to Worcester Ground. Pilots in range should relay for pilots out of range.
(b) Cell-phones should be switched on in the air at all times.[6]
(c) Outlandings
(i) You have to do a blind position report before outlanding.[7] If you have an ELT, activate it as part of your pre-landing checks.[8]
(ii) After landing please confirm to flying gliders that you are down and report your condition. The flying glider should relay the information if in position to do so.
(iii) You must phone in to the club house, the duty pilot, the safety officer, or myself that you have outlanded with an accurate position report.
(iv) Your retrieve crew must inform the duty pilot, the safety officer, or myself, prior to departing the airfield that they are going and where and how you are.
(v) Remember that it is obligatory
- to go on more retrieves than you have been retrieved
- to buy the retrieve crew their drinks and supper.
(vi) YOU must ensure that everything is in order for you to be retrieved:[9]
- Car ready, fuelled up and keys at an agreed place.
- Crew organised before hand
- Trailer ready
(d) If you are not back at 20h00 and we have not heard from you we will be obliged to activate S&R. ALL S&R costs will be for your account.
(e) Please ensure that you have all necessary phone numbers in the cockpit (and don’t rely on them being stored in the cell-phone).
5. Information required for registration
(a) Glider and registration and contest number
(b) Cell phone number and whether registered for “look for me”
(c) Crew details and cell number
(d) Home contact details
(e) Longest distance flown to date
(f) Highest distance badge
(g) Confirmation and inspection of required documentation and equipment that must be carried in each glider[10]
(i) Certificate of registration of aircraft (issued by CAA)
(ii) Radio license or proof of payment for the license.
(iii) Authority to fly (ATF) document.
(iv) Weight and Balance (Valid for 5 years from issue)
(v) Aeronautical chart(s) for the flight area. (1:1000000)
(vi) First Aid kit (sealed)
(vii) GPL; and
(viii) ratings card
[2] Self-launchers may launch when there is a gap in aero-towing (aero-tows take precedence.
[4] Have an instilled procedure – if I look at the vario I have to also scan; if I hear the radio, I have to scan!
[7] Please ignore any responses such as “do you have a field? Can I come and fetch you?” You are about to do an inherently dangerous manoeuvre which will require all your piloting (and none of your verbal) skills.
[8] Remember to switch it of afterwards – if you don’t it means you couldn’t and S&R will be activated (for your account)
[9] Randy Cullen always had an envelope with all the necessary instructions which started off “The fact that ou are reading this means I have outlanded …” His is a good example.
[10] We WILL have an inspection by CAA – and this WILL be required by us before you are permitted to take part in the camp (these documents are in any event required).