Proposed changes to the MAAA Rules
for Slope Soaring Models and Gold Wings Flight Proficiency Scheme
The PDFs you are about to read are the culmination of hundreds of hours work spanning two decades. It presents a refreshing approach to competitive slope soaring with a view to ensuring longevity in the sport of Slope Aerobatics.
If you are competitively minded and want to participate in consistent, high quality slope soaring aerobatics events well into the future, then I urge you to support the proposed changes. Change will bring about better State recognition and inclusion into the Nationals.
I would like to thank the dozens of people over the past 15 years who have supported me and helped complete this mammoth task. It's now up to you, the readers, to follow through with this work by supporting the changes. I am happy to be your National spokesman and will do my best to see that slope soaring gets the recognition it deserves throughout Australia.
The MAAA rules conference is in May 2009. The closing date for acceptance of any proposed changes is February 28, 2009. In my defense, I first tabled my work to the appropriate authorities in December 2006. It took until September 2008 for my concerns to be acknowledged. I only found out about the early closing date by chance a few weeks ago. So let's get moving on this shall we.
If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies, no matter how small, please advise me, I won't be offended. If you don't agree with something speak up - but please read everything thoroughly and be specific in your comments. I have tried to cover every eventuality.
Remember, we have less than three months to act. You are all invited to come along to the first trial day to see the proposed changes.
Your points of view will be logged and made available to the decision-makers.
You are invited to participate in a discussion on RCGroups.com where a National
thread has been set up for Australian aero-modelling pilots to give their points of view on the
topic.
In the meantime, please download the two PDFs below and read the material thoroughly
before passing comment. If you are attending the 1st trial day in Victoria on Sunday, January 4th, 2009, print copies of both PDFs in
colour and bring them along for reference. Extra copies will not be supplied.
Click this icon to download a streamlined Excel spreadsheet, designed to help make the scoring of slope
aerobatics quicker, more efficient and more accurate. Please give it a go and let me know what you
think.
View some of the new manoeuvres in the amended aerobatics program, in a demonstration video for the 1st International Disciplined Slope Aerobatics Contest. A video showing additional manoeuvres not covered in the contest video can be found at the bottom of this page.
Agenda for the 1st Trial Day - Sunday, January 4, 2009
Venue: Mt. Hollowback, Bald Hills, Victoria
(2nd Trial Day, Sunday, February 1, 2009)
Arrival 10:00am
Fun Fly
Start 11:00am
Introduction and discussion on the reason for wanting change.
Review of the changes.
Agreeing to a permanent name.
Seeking MAAA endorsement for the Aerobatics Events Kit for RC Gliders as a contest
director's assistance package.
Seeking MAAA endorsement for the book, Aerobatics Plus as a tutorial for slope
aerobatics.
11:45pm
Discussion on Electric Assisted Sailplanes (EAS).
Why introduce EAS to a slope aerobatics gliding event?
How will it affect the current aerobatics championship now and in the future?
How will it affect aerobatics performances?
Demonstration by Darren Wakelin from FIRESTORM Electric Assisted Sailplanes.
Types of models suitable for slope aerobatics.
Cost of converting your model to EAS.
Suitable models available for EAS slope aerobatics.
12:30pm
Lunch -
Fun Fly.
1:00pm
Demonstration of new program for the aerobatics manoeuvres.
Why change the program?
Who will it benefit the most?
1:45pm
Discussion
on Gold Wings Flight Proficiency Scheme for Gliders.
Why change the current scheme?
Looking at comparisons between the various aero-modeling schemes.
Demonstration on amended Gold Wings FPS for Gliders - Task Two - Slope.
2:30pm
Break -
Fun Fly.
3:00pm
Discussion
and demonstration on new competition called Mind Twister.
