2017 Inter Service Regionals – Local Rules/Information

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2017 Inter-Service Gliding Championships

RAF KEEVIL

29th July - 6th August 2017

2017 Inter Service Regionals – Local Rules/Information

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1. General: 1.1. Welcome 1.2. Dates 1.3. Rules 1.4. Classes 1.5. Briefing Time 1.6. Robocontrol

2. Administration: 2.1. Registration 2.2. Flight Recorders 2.3. Motor Glider/ Turbo Declaration 2.4. Membership 2.5. Payment Of Fees

3. Competition Procedures:

3.1. GPS Logger Downloading. 3.2. Launch Grid. 3.3. Glider Aero-tow Release Checks. 3.4. Airfield Boundary. 3.5. Prohibited Flying Areas. 3.6. Cloud Flying. 3.7. Starting. 3.8. Finishing. 3.9. Out-landing Reports.

3.10. Flight Behaviour. 3.11. BGA turning points.

4. Supplementary Information:

4.1. Airfield Access. 4.2. Trailer parking. 4.3. Car parking. 4.4. Speed limit. 4.5. Battery Charging. 4.6. Hangarage. 4.7. Water Ballast. 4.8. Health and Safety.

5. Domestic Arrangements: 5.1. General 5.2. Dogs 5.3. Sanitation 5.4. Rubbish 5.5. Caravans and Tents 5.6. Catering and Entertainment 5.7. Security

6. Directions to Keevil Airfield 6.1. Address 6.2. Arrival by road

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GENERAL 1.1 Welcome to Bannerdown Gliding Club (BGC) Royal Air Force (RAF) Gliding and Soaring Association (RAFGSA) Club – we hope you all have an enjoyable, safe and successful competition. Our aim is to deliver to you, the pilots, a fun and fair competition. Please do feel free to ask questions to the competition staff at any time before or during the competition. 1.2 Dates. The 2017 Inter Service Regional Gliding Championships (ISRGC) will be flown at RAF Keevil from 29th July to 6th August inclusive. 1.3 Rules. The competition will be conducted in accordance with the rules in the version of the British Gliding Association (BGA) Competition Rulebook 2017 Version1.1, as amplified or varied by these Local Rules. The current BGA Competition Rulebook can be downloaded here:

https://members.gliding.co.uk/library/competition-rules/bga-competition-rules/ 1.4 Classes. The comp will be a single class competition, utilising the BGA variable barrel tasks. 1.5 Briefing Time. The first competition briefing will be on the 29th July at 09:00L and the subsequent daily briefings will be at 10:00L hrs local unless otherwise notified. Should the gliders be required to grid before briefing, an announcement will be made daily on the public-address system at approx 0900 hrs. 1.6 Robocontrol Pilot Operated Control for all standard activities; field landings, registration forms, landout reports, trace submission and payments will be used throughout the competition. After completing the entry form located at https://isgc2017.robocontrol.uk, pilots should receive a password to then log in to the Robocontrol. 2. ADMINISTRATION 2.1 Registration Pilots should register using Robocontrol. All pilots should complete the online membership and registration forms and visited control with the appropriate documentation before 0900 hours local on Saturday 29th July. Documents can be checked between 1600-2100 Friday 28th July and 0800-0900 Saturday 29th July. Pilots are reminded that the following aircraft documents will need to be inspected at registration: 2.1.1 Current CofA, ARC or equivalent documentation. 2.1.2 Certificate of Insurance. 2.2 Flight Recorders You are required to declare your primary and secondary logger, this may be done by uploading example traces to Robocontrol. Flight data will only be accepted from IGC-approved flight recorders. A list of approved flight recorders can be found at: http://www.fai.org/gnss-recording-devices/igc-approved-flight-recorders 2.3 Motor Glider / Turbo Declaration. Pilots flying with self-launching or self-sustaining engines must declare this on the registration form. Use of and flight verification of self-launchers and self-sustainers will be in accordance with the 2017 rules for BGA rated competitions. Pilots who intend to fly with the engine / turbo disabled must submit this statement at registration. 2.4 Membership. Contestants flying in the competition must complete the online membership form in Robocontrol. Any pilot, crew or family wishing to fly non - competition must complete a standard Bannerdown Gliding Club membership form. This form can be found on the ISRGC website: http://isrgc17.bannerdown.co.uk/

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2.5 Payment of Fees. Payment of entry and flying fees can be made through Robocontrol using BACS. Payments can also be made through cash or bank transfer. The details of payment are featured on Robocontrol under payment. The fees are as follows:

Entry Fee Aerotow Fee

Service ISRGC £200 £25

Non Service ISRGC £250 £30

2.6 Non-competition flying. Non - competition flying for visiting pilots and all other parties will be charged at the competition rates above. For all non-competiton launches, launch tickets must be purchased. These tickets can be paid for by cash or card in control. 3. COMPETITION PROCEDURES

3.1 GPS Logger downloading. Pilots should upload their own traces online through Robocontrol. Pilots can do this with their own devices or they can use the public computers in control. If downloading your own flight recorder presents a problem, Scoring/Control have a limited capacity to support your first uploads to Robocontrol if provided with a memory stick or flashcard with the flight evidence in IGC format. It is the pilot's responsibility to download a valid IGC file from any logger they use and if additional cables, software and computers are required to complete this process they must be provided by the pilot. 3.2 Launch Grid. The competition grid will be positioned on the main runway 06/24. Each glider’s position will be identified within a row. The grid will be assembled under the control of the Grid Marshal. Competitors may position their gliders on the appropriate grid once the markers are set out and the call for the grid to be assembled has been made. Vehicles must be removed from the grid 10 minutes before the notified first launch. Pilots are to ensure that they and their crews are familiar with the tow-out routes below; retrieval routes are the reciprocal.

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Below is the map showing the routes to get to the two different grids on the main runway. This map is also published on the ISRGC website.

3.3 Glider Aerotow Release Checks. To avoid delays between competition launches, the glider aero-tow release must be checked well before the launch rope is given to the pilot’s crew for hooking on.

3.4 Airfield Boundary. The airfield boundary is defined as anywhere inside perimeter track. To qualify for an additional launch (relight), the glider must have landed within the airfield boundary. The perimeter track is not considered inside the airfield boundary. 3.5 Prohibited Areas. All UK danger areas are penalty zones. All other penalty zones will be briefed on a daily basis. 3.6 Starting.

3.6.1 Start Point. The competition start point will be briefed daily. 3.6.2 Start Frequency. The start line frequency will be 130.125 MHz unless otherwise notified.

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3.6.3 Drop zones. There will be three designated drop zones for the duration of the competition. Drop zones are centred at Trowbridge Tesco's, Semington Aqueduct and Foxhangars Marina.

Tug operations will be on 129.975MHz unless otherwise notified Relight requests should be made on this frequency.. Radio checks, if required, should be completed prior to the start of competition launching to minimise radio traffic during the launch and start phases.

3.7 Finishing.

3.7.1 Notifying a Finish. Each competitor shall make a radio call on 130.125 MHz approximately 5 minutes before their estimated time to cross the finish line. This is to warn the finish line observers and, for safety reasons, to make other pilots and crews aware that gliders are approaching the airfield. 3.7.2 Finish Line. There are two finish lines designated for the competition, detailed below. The finish line will be briefed daily, as will the preferred circuit pattern following competition finish. The two finish lines and their coordinates are as follows:

Finish Line Centre Point Length Bearing

KFE 5119.136N 0206.049W

500 meters 148/328

KFW 5118.650N 0207.311W

500 meters 148/328

A waypoint file including points for the centres of the lines will be available on the website for download. http://isrgc17.bannerdown.co.uk/downloads.php Using seeyou or seeyou mobile the finish line will need to be entered as a line at a fixed angle centred about the point KFE or KFW with a 180 degree angle Length 0.25km and angle of 60 degrees.

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3.7.3 Circuit Planning. The preferred circuit plan with low and high energies will be briefed daily.

3.7.4 Landing. All landings should be made on the main runway (24/06) where ever possible; the other runways can be used at the pilot's discretion. As the airfield is an active drop zone and the grass is un-surveyed, the grass is not recommended. Tarmac-to-grass boundaries along the side on the runways can be uneven and present a potential hazard if crossed even at slow speed; Pilots are therefore advised not to taxi across these boundaries. The designated landing areas and retrieve routes will be briefed daily.

3.8 Outlanding Reports. Competitors with an uncomplicated out- landing are encouraged to use Robocontrol (LINK) to inform the competition organisation that they have landed, what their location is and to upload their trace. If there is any issue (or additional assistance is required) they must telephone Control. It is anticipated that Robocontrol will speed up the generation of scores and reduce the tie to call control and will also allow us to focus on any priority cases. Reports by radio are unreliable, generally do not contain the information that Control requires, so must be backed up by telephone.

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3.9 Behaviour. All pilots must be aware of and fly within the requirements the law, namely the UK implementation of SERA (Standardised European Rules of the Air) and its associated UK exceptions regarding low-flying and reckless or negligent endangerment of any person or property. To meet this requirement, regardless of the position of the finish line, all approaches towards the airfield should prescribe a descending profile (other than to go-around where necessary), the landing area should be in the pilot’s sight, and the airfield boundary must be crossed at a height which cannot endanger persons (seen or unseen), vessels or property. 4. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 4.1 Airfield Access. The only access to the airfield will be through the main entrance. The main gate will be open during 8am - 10pm. For ‘out of hours’ access the combination code will be briefed. 4.2 Trailer Parking. Trailer parking is only to be in the designated areas identified on the map below, and on the website. 4.3 Speed Limit. The speed limit for any vehicle around the domestic site is 15 MPH. and 30 mph for the rest of the airfield perimeter. 4.4 Battery Charging. Provision has been made for battery charging points (13A sockets) inside the briefing room. 4.5 Hangarage. During the competition, competition gliders are not to use the hangar or workshop facilities unless specific permission has been granted by the director. 4.6 Water Ballast. Water ballast points are limited around the site as there is no hydrant within the airfield itself. The location is displayed below and will be displayed on the website facilities map. 4.7 Health & Safety. Pilots are to ensure that their crews, families and visitors are familiar with these local rules and procedures. Risk assessments for the competition are available on request.

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5. DOMESTICS 5.1 General Facilities are fairly limited so do not abuse them and remember that this is Bannerdown Gliding Club’s home airfield, not just a competition venue. Information concerning domestic arrangements can be found on the website, together with other local details (shops, hotels, B&B’s and entertainment). 5.2 Dogs. Dogs are to be kept under control at all times, and owners have sole responsibility for clearing up any fouling produced by their animals. 5.3 Sanitation. Showers and toilets will be provided on-site as per the local site map. Please note due to our sources of power, the two internal showers will have set times for use, but the external shower will be available for use all the time. Limited facilities will be provided for emptying chemical toilets. 5.4 Rubbish. Please bring your own rubbish sacks and ensure the sacks are only deposited in the skips provided. 5.5 Caravans and Tents. Caravans and tents may only be pitched in the designated campsite - see below. MOD fire regulations require 5 meters between pitches (caravans/tents), please adhere to this. 5.6 Catering and Entertainments. Catering and entertainments will be available throughout the week. Please refer to the website for further details. 5.7 Security Bannerdown Gliding Club cannot take responsibility for articles lost or stolen. It is in everyone’s interest to keep valuables secured and unattended vehicles and caravans locked.

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6. DIRECTIONS TO KEEVIL 6.1 Address:

Bannerdown Gliding Club RAF Keevil Spiers Piece Steeple Ashton TROWBRIDGE BA14 6HG Club Contact Details: 01380 870 411 or 07931 556 646

6.2 Arrival by Road. RAF Keevil is situated off of the A350 between Melksham and Trowbridge. It has good access to the M4 motorway via Chippenham. To get to the airfield from Melksham, take the A350 towards Trowbridge and keep following the signs. On reaching the roundabout where the A350 meets the A361, take the 2nd exit and proceed along that road for one mile, before turning left towards Steeple Ashton. Follow this road all the way through Steeple Ashton - DO NOT FOLLOW SIGNS TO KEEVIL VILLAGE - and then turn left once again, signed "Keevil Airfield" and “Bannerdown Gliding Club”. Continue on this road for half a mile, before turning left into the airfield access road (immediately before the gate to Spiers Piece Farm).

For security reasons the main gate is combination locked, even when personnel are on the unit. Telephone 01380 870411 (club office) or 07931 556646 (launch point mobile) and you will be escorted onto the unit. Before entering, please read the safety brief mounted on the gate, and do not drive around the airfield unescorted until you have been briefed on local procedures. 6.3 Arrival by Air. Keevil is strictly PPR; do not arrive by air without permission of competition director. 07931 556646 or 07779 309996 6.4 Access airfield access will be available to competitors and crews from Wednesday the 26th July to the 8th of August.