Race Willi Meet Specific Rules

GPS: set datum to WGS 84, format HDMM, units Metric (for assisting in rescue)

Meet Frequency: 145.555

Retrieve Frequency 145.855

Pilot safety comes first in this meet. Protect yourself and your fellow pilots.  Golden is a big, serious range with variable conditions along its length. If you don't like the conditions where you are please go land, no task is worth your life. It’s possible that one section of a 100K tasks may have a thunderstorm or other life-imperiling situation; it’s up to the pilot to avoid this situation at all times, the task will not be called because of unsafe conditions in one area.

Accidents/Reserves: If a pilot goes down please give exact distance and direction to a current turn-point over the radio, and approximate altitude for the downed pilot's position on the ground if possible. Put a mark/enter into your GPS as close as possible to the downed pilot. If it’s safe to land near the downed pilot please do so, but obviously not if you will endanger yourself—top-landing mid-day in Golden is generally not safe. Relay this information on the meet frequency, and circle above the downed pilot until it’s clear if he or she is OK or not. The meet frequency will be monitored.

Radio: All pilots must monitor and have their radios set to 145.555 during tasks. If a pilot has a reserve deployment or accident we all need to be able to communicate in the air. If you are the pilot going down under canopy or injured you will appreciate this. No talking on any other frequency in the air. Any pilot found doing so will be zeroed for the day. Communication once the pilot is on the ground is allowed, please use some other frequency. Cell phones work in most of the valley.

If you have a push-to-talk mic please disconnect it. Push to talk microphones are always getting keyed in comps, so please don’t use them. Keep your radio close at hand so you can plug back in to talk if you need your push to talk to do so.

Starts: Cylinders with a radius, either enter or exit, one time only in general. Jumping the start (leaving before the start window opens) will result in a penalty of one half the pilot’s daily score.

Stopped Tasks: If a task is stopped or cancelled all pilots are asked to briefly pull big ears to communicate this to everyone. In the event of a “Stopped” task points will be given only to the time the task was stopped. Will Gadd will announce a stopped task on the meet frequency; Kim Csizmazia may also stop the task if Will is not reachable. Will, Kim or any member of the safety committee may ask for course conditions from pilots on course.

Complaints, Protests and Appeals: Before the first task, a three-person protest committee with one alternate will be, nominated by the meet director accepted by the pilots through a vote. All complaints must be in writing to the meet director. The meet director will attempt to rule on a complaint within 1 hour of receiving it. No fee is required for a complaint (cloud flying is a complaint). All protests must be in writing accompanied by $40 cash protest fee. The protest committee will rule on the protest within 24 hrs. If the protest is upheld, the $40 protest fee will be returned to the protesting pilot.

Minimum/Maximum Rounds: A minimum of 2 rounds is necessary to declare a winner. There will be a maximum of 5 rounds. The official cumulative scores at the end of the last valid contest day will be considered final.

Launches: Both the Lookout and Upper Launches are allowed. Tasks will be communicated on the meet frequency to upper launch. If the Lookout launch feels congested please try the upper launch, it's immense. On some days we may have to hike the 30 minutes to upper launch, free exercise.

Lookout Launch Order: Line up in your harness in the designated launch line. If you are not in your harness with your wing ready to fly you are not in line. Any pilot not ready to launch as he or she enters the launch area will be sent to the back of the line. There will be one launch line leading to the launch area. Be efficient, the Lookout launch is big enough if all pilots are ready to go. Organize your lines and equipment below the “north” hang glider ramp, or in the car park lot. Once the launch window opens only launching pilots will be allowed into the launch, keep the launch area clear of loose gliders, dogs, etc. Launch times follow the HPAC rulebook.

Cloud Flying: Staying out of clouds is a very basic paragliding skill. There is no reason to cloud fly in Golden, base is normally 10,000 feet above the valley floor. If you "accidentally" thermal into a cloud turn at least 90 degrees to the course line and fly at 90 degrees or more until you are clearly below cloud base (not just out of the cloud, but BELOW base). Don't spiral or stall out of the cloud, this endangers other pilots--you're the idiot that flew into the cloud, so the danger is all yours. If you come spiraling out a cloud at any time in this meet you will be zeroed for the day. If you see a pilot white out in a cloud and are fairly close to that pilot note the glider color and type if possible, put a Mark/Enter into your GPS and report it to the meet director. Any pilot who whites out and does not fly 90-180 to the course line until below cloud base will be zeroed for the day. If the situation is ambiguous the meet director will assign a penalty of between 10 and 100 percent of the pilot's daily score--the emphasis is on the pilot to clearly NOT be cloud flying. Reports must come from a pilot or pilots thermalling in the same area as the offending pilot, it's impossible to get a good view from far below or to the side of another pilot. Stay out of clouds, there are sometimes sail planes or other pilots in the clouds around Golden.