RULES & REGULATIONS FOR THE  

BMAA ULTRALIGHT SINGLE SEAT RALLY (USSR) 2011

 

For Sub-115kg Single-Seat and footlaunched microlights 

1  Preamble

 

The USSR normally consists of a three or four day event which starts and finishes at a single location. It is for sub-115kg single-seaters and Self-Propelled Hang Gliders (SPHG)s - hereinafter referred to as footlaunched aircraft - and its purpose is to encourage the use and development of these classes of aircraft, to allow entrants to explore parts of the UK they have not seen previously, and foster self-reliance among entrants. Rules are deliberately kept to a minimum, and entrants will be reliant on their own resources for the majority of the Rally.

GPS tracks will be used as the main source of validation of an entrant’s claim for any of the trophies. The organization will issue GPS data loggers for this purpose. Prizes will be awarded to entrants of special merit - such as those who complete the greatest distance - but the award of these prizes is at the discretion of the Committee, who will ensure that competitiveness is not allowed to overcome good airmanship and compliance with the law.

2  Definitions

Rally - The Ultralight Single Seat Rally (USSR) as defined in these rules.

BMAA - British Microlight Aircraft Association.

Entry - A pre-defined combination of pilot and aircraft taking part in the Rally. Neither pilot nor aircraft may be changed during the Rally, although reasonable repairs may be carried out on the aircraft at the Committee’s discretion.

Rally Organiser - the individual appointed by the Committee to oversee the running of the Rally in accordance with these rules and the instructions of the Committee.

Rally Organisation - the Rally Organiser and other officials appointed to oversee the running of the Rally. Officials are answerable to the Rally Organiser.

Footlaunch - Self-Propelled Hang Glider (SPHG) as defined in the Air Navigation Order current at the time of the Rally.

Sub-115kg Microlight - sub-115kg microlight as defined in the Air Navigation Order current at the time of the Rally.

3  Rules

3.1  General

The purpose of the Rally is to foster good airmanship, personal self-reliance and the sharing of experiences. Although prizes are awarded to entries of special merit, the primary purpose of the Rally is not competitive.

 

Entries shall comply at all times with Air Law and the requirements of good airmanship, and nothing in these rules shall supersede this requirement.

A committee shall be appointed by the BMAA to oversee the Rally. The Committee shall consist of at least three members, one of whom will be appointed Chairman. The Committee members may not be considered for any of the Rally prizes.

The Committee shall appoint such officials as they deem necessary for the proper organisation of the Rally. This would normally include a Rally Organiser, scrutineers to verify the eligibility of pilot and aircraft for the Rally, and marshals for the start and finish, but may include other functions where considered necessary.

3.2  At least one month before the start:

Application for entry into the Rally together with the entry fee must be made at least thirty days in advance of the published date. Later entries may be considered at the discretion of the Committee.

The entry fee is £15 for BMAA members and £20 for non-members. 

The minimum age for pilots is 16 years at the start of a contest.

Each pilot must have gained at least 30 hours as Pilot in Command on the class of

aircraft to be flown.

Each pilot must have valid Third Party Insurance in accordance with CAA requirements for regulated aircraft (currently around £750,000). Pilots insured with the BHPA must show a current membership card with a SPHG rating.

All aircraft must conform with either the definition of a sub 115kg microlight or of a Self Propelled Hang Glider (including Paramotors) as defined by the CAA in the Air Navigation Order current at the start of the Rally. 

Entry fees may be returned if:

•The Committee rejects the application

•The entry is withdrawn in writing at least thirteen days before the start of the Rally

All persons participating in, or in any way connected with a BMAA event shall be bound by the rules of the Rally and accept any consequences arising from participation in it.

3.3  Registration - Friday afternoon

On arrival at the start at Sywell Aerodrome, Hall Farm, Sywell, Northamptonshire, NN6 0BN on Friday 26 August 2010, all pilots must check in between 1400 and 2100.

At registration each entry shall show to the Rally organisation:

Everyone:

•Evidence of valid Third Party Insurance in accordance with CAA requirements for regulated aircraft (currently around £750,000). 

Pilots insured with the BHPA must show a current membership card with a SPHG rating.

•Up to date CAA aeronautical chart for the Sywell area. You are legally required to carry charts for everywhere you fly, so you are likely to need more than this one. (Charts may be available from the Flylight office, depending on demand).

•Evidence of at least 30 hours as Pilot in Command on the class of footlaunch to be flown.

Sub-115kg only:

•Copy of Certificate of Registration and CAA Noise Certificate (or exemption) for the entry aircraft.

•Copy of pilot’s licence (including the Certificate of Experience and medical), valid for the entry aircraft, for the duration of the Rally.

All accepted entries will receive:

•A copy of these rules

•Guidance notes about participation in the Rally

•24hr contact details for the Rally Organisation

•Declaration for prizes

Each aircraft must be made available during the registration period for an acceptance check in the configuration in which they will be flown for compliance with the relevant definition (i.e. sub-115kg deregulated single-seater or footlaunch). This may include, for example, checking the empty weight or (for sub 115kg) measurement of the wing area.

Aircraft must be in an airworthy condition. The Rally Organiser may check the condition of any aircraft and ground it if he considers a safety risk exists.

3.4  Briefing

A Mandatory initial briefing will take place at 21.00 on Friday 26 August 2011 covering:

•Safety rules

•Local area regulations

•Airfield circuit patterns

•Arrival and departure procedures

•Meteorology

•24hr Contact details for the Rally Organisation

•The start window and duration of the Rally

•Any additional information as deemed necessary.

All pilots are expected to pay full attention to the Rally Organiser and other briefing staff at the briefing. Side conversations may cause the participants to miss important detail and distract other pilots who are trying to listen. Failure to respect this basic requirement may result in a pilot being asked to leave the briefing tent. Any pilot excluded from the initial briefing will not be permitted to participate in the Rally.

All flight requirements given at briefing carry the status of regulations. Regardless of competition requirements, pilots must at all time be aware of and comply with UK Air Law and carry a current, relevant aeronautical chart of their choosing when airborne.

3.5  Mandatory Equipment

A protective helmet must be worn whenever the pilot of a footlaunched aircraft is strapped into the harness of an aircraft with the intention of flight or running the engine.

The carrying of emergency parachutes is mandatory for paramotors.

3.6  The Start

3.6.1 Fitness

As always, it is the pilot’s decision as to whether he/she flies or not. If he/she considers that he/she is not fit to fly (through illness, fatigue, etc), then it is his/her responsibility to make the decision not to fly.

3.6.2 Preparation for Flight

EACH PILOT TAKES OFF, FLIES AND LANDS ENTIRELY AT HIS/HER OWN RISK. 

Each competitor is obliged to assess the weather conditions with reference to his/her own capacity as a pilot and the performance of his/her equipment before making a decision to fly. 

3.6.3 Airfield Discipline

The takeoff window and the Rally duration will be promulgated at the briefing, but the initial plan is for takeoff to be on the morning of Saturday 27 August and Rally duration to be 50 hours. Entries will take off in accordance with Air Law and good airmanship, the directions of Sywell ATC and the Rally marshals. Marshals will log the actual takeoff times of each entrant. After take off, all entries must clear the Sywell circuit as promptly as possible in accordance with the directions given at the briefing.

3.7  The Rally

Before taking off on each flight, entries shall contact their planned destination to confirm that it is safe, check on weather conditions, and receive a briefing on circuit details. If an entry makes a precautionary landing at another location, they shall make all reasonable efforts to contact the landowner before taking off. Except in an emergency, entries may only land once at each location they visit (including Sywell).  Entries may fly as they see fit in accordance with the rules of this Rally, Air Law and good airmanship, giving consideration for other flyers and the general public.  An aircraft joining another aircraft in a thermal shall circle in the same direction as that established by the first, regardless of height separation.

If an entry is shown to have flown outwith the requirements of Air Law they may be disqualified.

Entries may fly either in company with others or on their own. They must make their own arrangements for fuel and overnight accommodation.

Local flying is not allowed, in order to minimise the disruption to other flyers and noise.

Entries are responsible for ensuring that their GPS data logger is switched on and functioning whenever they are flying. GPS tracks will be uploaded on completion of the Rally and scrutinised to ensure that all flying was legal, and to verify claims for any prizes.

Entries must contact the Rally organisation immediately if they:

•are injured, or knows of another entry who is injured.

•decide to retire from the Rally.

•are involved in an Airmiss, Airprox, or any other infringement of air law or good airmanship.

•wish to report a possible contravention of Rally rules by another competitor.

•Find that their GPS track logging is not functioning correctly.

In the case that their GPS is found not to be working part way through the Rally, they may (by agreement with the Rally organiser) submit alternative evidence (such as alternative GPS records, photographic evidence, etc) of their flights, and these will be considered by the Committee.

3.8  The Finish

As with all other flights, before returning to Sywell, entries should contact the Rally Organisation or the airfield to receive an update on weather, wind, circuit and any other instructions.

Entries shall approach Sywell and land in accordance with all instructions given. During opening hours, it is a busy airfield, and it is important to keep a particularly good lookout for other entries as well as normal airfield traffic.

Entries must make their approach and landing as expeditiously as possible, and clear the runway / landing deck as soon as possible so that it is clear for the next arrival.

Entries must immediately go to the Rally Organisation to download their GPS track.

If an entry lands after their finish time they may be penalised or disqualified.

The Rally organisation reserves the right to examine an aircraft on completion of the Rally to ensure compliance with air law. They shall inform the entry of their wish to do so within one hour of landing.

Within one hour of landing, pilots shall submit their Prize Declaration Form to the Rally Organisation, together with any additional information to substantiate their claim to a prize.

The Rally organisation will assess claims and scrutinise corresponding GPS tracks in order to allocate prizes in accordance with these Rules. 

Provisional prize winners will normally be announced on the day of the Rally finish. 

3.8.1  Landing Obstructions

In the event of an incident occurring or of an obstruction on the footlaunch landing deck, a marshal shall be posted upwind of the obstruction with a red flag. 

In such a situation, pilots are to watch for and comply with all directions from marshals, whilst maintaining full awareness of other returning aircraft.

3.9  Prizes

To be eligible for a prize, an entry (see the definition in section 2) must fly out of Sywell and fly back within the times specified, without infringing Air Law. All distances and times claimed must have been flown by the entry.

Priority will always be given to those who have flown all the way. In the event that no entry meets this requirement, it will be disregarded.

Award of all prizes is at the discretion of the Committee, who will ensure that competitiveness is not allowed to overcome good airmanship and compliance with the law.

Prizes (to be awarded in each category; sub-115kg and footlaunch)

3.9.1  Maximum point-to-point distance flown

This will be the sum of all legs flown, measured as straight-line distances. Pilots are not required to land to count that location as a turnpoint for a distance prize claim. A claim will consist of a series of turnpoints, with no less than 20 miles between successive turnpoints, starting and finishing at Sywell, plus leg and total distances.

The pilot may choose his declared turnpoints to maximise his claimed distance.

3.9.2  Maximum distance from the start / finish (i.e. Sywell)

A claim for this prize will consist of a single point and the distance of that point from Sywell. The complete out and return distance must be completed by air to qualify.

3.9.3  Maximum number of different landing sites visited

For this prize, pilots must gain permission to land at the sites claimed in advance. In addition to using the published airfields, pilots may declare a list of possible outlanding sites before they go, along with a contact number for each site. A map with dots and contact numbers will suffice. Only these sites and the published airfields may be claimed for this prize. The claim will consist of a list of airfields/locations visited (in

order).

NB. Entries will be expected to justify excessive use of precautionary landings.

3.9.4  Maximum duration of any one flight

A claim will consist of a date, a start time, a finish time and the duration. Top claims for this prize will be verified using the GPS data.

As laid out in 3.8, pilots must submit their claims for any of the prizes within one hour of landing back at Sywell. The claims will be sorted into order and the highest claims verified using the GPS (and any other) evidence presented. Once validated, prizes shall be awarded.

For both of the distance prizes, there must be no gap between a landing point and a subsequent take-off point. In the event that a pilot is unable to launch from the same point as he/she landed, he/she should over-fly the landing point after take-off to ensure a continuous overall track.

3.10  Disqualification

Actions that will normally result in disqualification are as follows: 

•Bringing the contest, its organisers or the BMAA into disrepute. The use of hostile 'tactical protests' falls into this category. 

•Landing after your finish time without good reason

•The use of performance enhancing drugs. 

•Flight outside the specified flight envelope of the aircraft or dangerous flying. 

•Non-carrying by paramotor pilots of an emergency parachute.

•Repeated violation of additional rules.

•Any flight or other activity deemed by the Rally Organiser to be unsafe or unsporting. 

3.11  Complaints and Protests

3.11  Complaints and Protests

The Committee’s decision is final, but where appropriate, pilots may challenge decisions using the correct process as described below.

A complaint or enquiry may be made to the Rally Organiser to request a correction or query a prize award. It should be made before 2100 on Monday 29 August 2011, by completing a Complaint/Enquiry form (available from the Rally Organisation) and returning to him. Complaints/enquiries will be dealt with expeditiously.

Any appeals by entries shall be heard and decided by the Committee no more than one week after the completion of the Rally. In the event that a competitor is not satisfied with the Rally Organiserʼs decision

he/she may lodge a Protest in writing to a Jury comprised of the Rally Organiser, the BMAA Competitions representative and one other organisation official accompanied by a £20 protest fee. The protest fee will be refunded if the protest is upheld either during the competition or later at appeal.