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Proposal from
CIMA President
Proposal title
Add the option of inflatable pylons to Chinese slalom
Existing text
S10 An4 3.C7
...
Objective
To strike a number of targets laid out in a given order in the shortest possible time and return to the deck.
Description
Between 6 and 12 targets are laid out on a course not exceeding 3Km in length. Targets are sticks.
The pilot enters the course into wind and strikes target 1. At this point the clock starts.
The pilot then flies the course to strike all the other targets in the given order, a strike on the last one stops the
clock.
Special rules
- A valid strike on a target is:
EITHER one where the pilot or any part of the Paramotor has been clearly observed to touch it.
OR when electronic ‘kick stick’ sensors which have been shown to meet the standard tests are used, a valid
strike is one which is recorded by the device. - A strike on target 1 starts the clock, a strike on the last target stops the clock.
- Pilots may have only one attempt at striking each target except for the first and last targets where three
attempts at each are permitted. - Failure to strike the first or last target or at least two of the intermediate targets or touch the ground at any
point between them: score zero.
...New text
S10 An4 3.C7
...
Objective
To strike a number of targets laid out in a given order in the shortest possible time and return to the deck.
Description
Between 6 and 12 targets are laid out on a course not exceeding 3Km in length. Targets are sticks, intermediate targets may also be min. 8m inflatable pylons.
The pilot enters the course into wind and strikes target 1. At this point the clock starts.
The pilot then flies the course to strike all the other targets in the given order, a strike on the last one stops the
clock.
Special rules
- A valid strike on a target is:
EITHER one where the pilot or any part of the Paramotor has been clearly observed to touch it.
OR when electronic ‘kick stick’ sensors which have been shown to meet the standard tests are used, a valid
strike is one which is recorded by the device.
OR if a target is an inflatable pylon, when the pilot crosses the line on the ground with its apex at the pylon and orientated symmetrically to and remote from the two legs of the course at the pylon. (ref. GS A13.1 but without the 90 deg quadrant) - A strike on target 1 starts the clock, a strike on the last target stops the clock.
- Pilots may have only one attempt at striking each target except for the first and last targets where three
attempts at each are permitted. - Failure to strike the first or last target, or at least two of the intermediate targets, or any inflatable pylon, or touch the ground at any point between them: score zero.
...
Reason
This task is interesting because unlike all other slalom tasks there is no opportunity for pilots to practise it in advance. Now that inflatable pylons are becoming more common there is no reason why they can't be used to enhance this task too.
They were used in this task at ABG, but since the opportunities to approach pylons from different directions is likely to be somewhat higher than in the other more formal slaloms, the question arose 'what makes a valid strike on a pylon?'.
The solution was based on the classical FAI observation zone described in GS A13.1 but simplified to have just the line at the centre of where the 90 deg photo-sector quadrant usually is. And to prevent clever 'short cuts', all pylons were classed as mandatory.
This worked very well at ABG, this proposal attempts to define the idea as a permanent option in the task.
Since it is usually easy to judge whether someone has gone around a tall pylon the option is designed only for use with inflatable pylons. If only sticks are used, then unlike in other tasks (eg clover-leaf slalom) they should always be kicked and cannot alternatively be used as a pylon.
There is some evidence to suggest pylons less than 8m can be dangerous in slalom tasks because there is an enhanced possibility the canopy lines can be hooked over the top in a steep turn, hence 8m is defined as the minimum height. This should perhaps be introduced elsewhere in S10 as a separate minimum specification for pylons in all slalom tasks.