FAQ

Please feel free to ask questions and we will try to answer them. If of general interest I will publish them here so that all of you benefit from them. Here are some questions from previous competitions.

• How is the distance measured in the 3DT shape task?
  The distance is the horizontal distance (2D) between valid track points. This means going up and down to get a slant distance (3D) doesn't help. The shape may be divided in several parts (PIE task see TDSs from other competitions) the distance gained may have a bonus factor in these parts.
• Is the distance measured in the 3DT shape task a straight line from entry point to exit point? NO! See above, in other words making a curved track in the shape will help you!
• Can I leave the shape and enter again to increase my result?
  YES! Provided you are still in the scoring period and other possible limits specified in the TDS.
• Does it matter where the logger mounting points are? examples of correct and incorrect attached loggers
  Yes! The rules require 2m above the mouth at the right hand side! There are many reasons for this and I could write a book about all our tests and experiences. That's why we insist on this rule. Let me give you a few reasons: That spot is easily reachable when laying out your envelope. The distance to the basket reduces interference with electronic equipment (radios, phones etc.) in the basket. You will not burn it off your balloon in a windy inflation. The logger has an uninterrupted semi circular view of the sky providing for the best GPS fixes. The logger does not drag through the durt during inflation.
• Can the mounting point be a large safety pin ? examples of correct and incorrect attached loggers
  We do not prescribe the fitting. Anything that you can hang a small logger on is OK. We recommend a key ring through the side of a load tape, they are robust do not harm the integrity of the balloon (if fit with care!). Do not forget, if you lose your logger you may not only lose your result in that task but also will have to pay for it!
• Can I have a special status as Team Leader? New Aug 28
  The Rules do not provide for Team Leaders hence there will not be any special treatment for persons wanting to act as such. 'Team Leaders' can register as crew member assigned to any competitor and will be treated as crew member for that competitor (including possible penalties according the rules).
  Background info: In the past one or two times the issue is surfaced in the AXMER WG discussions and the result was that no special position or treatment will be provided other than acting as crew member . Reason is that a World Championship is a competition between individuals and not between teams or nations. Also it was found that bigger or wealthier nations would have an unfair advantage over those competitors not able to provide for this service
  BTW the briefing hall is big enough to accommodate everybody and crews and onlookers are welcome and invited to attend briefings but have to stay outside the fenced briefing area. At this moment each competitor will be allowed in the fenced briefing area with one team member of his choice. Time and equipment permitting we will try to print extra copies for all those interested.
• We studied the TDS's and have the following questions :
  If you set two tasks flown in any order one being a pie (or donut) and the other be a JDG (or HZW). Can the JDG lie within the boundary of the pie?
  When studying the TDSs please consider that all this is a learning process for me too. Meaning I may not set tasks the same way as some years ago. Let me explain to you what I did in the Austrian/German Nationals and probably will do in the Worlds too: Without an input device it is impossible to let a competitor decide when one task ends and the other starts. Therefore you can score in any task and any time provided of course you are within other limits like scoring areas or times. That's why the TDS's defaults to any order when written. Besides that I personally think it is not a disadvantage but makes tasks and strategies more interesting.
  Now to your question: I will probably not set a JDG inside a JD-PIE. But I may and did set JDG's and PD-PIEs and I may allow to chose the PIE so that you can Take-Off in it. Generally I will express myself quite clear in the TDS and briefings. I consider the competition one between competitors and not one between the ED and competitors. Therefore I will explain tasks as much as I can time permitting.
   
  If you set a JDG followed by and Elbow or and Angle based on a grid line, as per Dutch Nationals task 19 and 20. What happens if a pilot flies past the JDG but does not drop his marker, and plans to have a second try but crossed the grid line that would start the Elbow (or Angle). Can the pilot have a second attempt at the JDG and then fly over the grid line a second time and then start the Elbow (Angle) tasks?
  When the task order is free as it probably will be in Debrecen, you can score any time in the JDG task (provided as above ...). However your Elbow (or Angle or LRN etc.) will start and end at the moment you achieve the conditions for points A, B or C irrespective of what your personal intentions are.
   
  In task 8 and 9 of the pre-worlds you used two grid lines as possible starts of the Elbow. However the flight paths look like some pilots crossed the vertical grid line prior to completing the HZW tasks. Would the pilots that crossed the grid line be then excluded from doing the HZW?
  This was the ED's learning process! :) Therefore I now default tasks to 'in any order. In this case, as mentioned in your Q. above, the Elbow starts if any of the conditions is met. Irrespective thereof you can have multiple goes on the HZW (provided ...).
   
  Is there any way you can publish an English version of the flights that took place at the German/Austrian Nationals?
  I have no plans of doing that. Too busy.
   
  I have just purchased a RDT-2300 GPS logger which I believe is the same one that you will be using at the competition. I have now linked the logger to my Laptop via Bluetooth. Is there any way I can use this as my official logger during the competition? Or can you confirm that we will be assigned the same logger each time so that we don't have to keep connecting them to our laptops?
  There is only one official logger and that is the one you get at task briefing. We intend to give a competitor the same logger during the event, unless we have a reason to do otherwise. We recommend anybody to use the BT transmitted data of the Official logger passively e.g. to indicate the altitude in your laptop. However competitors are not allowed to interfere with the logger in any other way e.g. to download tracks etc. (see R6.2.4).
   
  ANSWER SUMMARY TO A.M. QUESTIONS:
  If the TDS stipulate ‘in any order’ this means you can score in that task before, during or after another task. In most tasks (including the 3D Shape task) this means you can score any time during that flight provided you are within the scoring area, airspace and period or any other restriction as per TDS. It is obvious that you cannot score again when your marker landed in the MMA of that task. The Elbow, Angle and LRN task are insofar different that once you achieve the conditions of Point A you are flying that task and there is no second go! Any order in the Elbow, Angle and LRN task means in any order with the other tasks, but once you achieve Point A you have commenced that task.
   

• 17 Sep

  Will my Cellphone work and be good enough for the recall procedure?
  I don't know. Unfortunately the American, Japanese and European systems are not compatible. When required I will send an SMS to the Hungarian numbers listed first and then to GSM European numbers. I heard however that delays may occur to numbers outside Hungary. So if you want to be reached by the recall procedure we recommend that you buy (rent, borrow ?) a Hungarian SIM card and or telephone. The Organisers will be helpful I assume with getting you one. At the moment one can get these cards or phones relatively cheap.
   

• 21 Sep

  Is my logger with Baro altitude good enough to qualify for a backup track if needed?
  Before answering your question I like to point out that the track of a backup logger will only be asked for in case of a failure of the official logger according to the rules. So if you forget to switch your logger on, handle it inappropriate to the rules or leave it on the ground etc, we will not ask for a backup track because the logger didn’t fail. Also I have to mention that we do not have a single technical failure yet, so the likelihood of needing your logger is small. Nevertheless nothing is impossible and also human error on our side has happened, but again only then we look in the track of a competitor’s device.
   
  In order to qualify according the rules the logger must provide the same information as the official logger: time (set to the same fix interval as the official logger), latitude, longitude and GPS altitude. Barometric corrected or changed altitudes therefore do not qualify. I cannot provide a list of acceptable loggers or GPSs then there are too many on the market.
   
  The other issue is that you need to bring the required cable and/or software to download your device. Also your device should not have the tracks on it of all your flights since you bought it. You cannot expect that the scorer sits there for a long time to download all your tracks and then has to search for the right one. We will only allow clean devices with tracks of the Worlds 2010 on it. With all that the officials will be happy to download your track if needed.
   
  Back-up loggers for rent:
  We have a limited number (30) of backup loggers of the same type and model as the official one. You can rent these for 110EUR (10 rent+100 deposit). Please contact our Office Manager Brigitte when you are in Debrecen (or email her to reserve one: Brigitte Fouache, brigmarx@skynet.be ). You will get the logger ‘clean’ and can ask the scorers for operating instructions.
   

• 22 Sep

  Do I get my downloaded track?
  YES YOU WILL!
  In fact we encourage you to get them and check them! Your track is yours! This year on the CIA conference it was decided to make tracks available to competitors at the earliest opportunity. At the start of the Event you will get a personal PIN number. With this number you can download your tracks from this URL http://www.debruijn.de/tracks/tracks.php.
  As soon as possible after downloading we will put the tracks on the web for you to download. The procedure was successfully used in the Women Europeans and the Austrian/German Nationals.

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MAP

A new map will be printed for the championship. This map will basically be the same as the one used in previous years. Main difference will be the new motorway.

Until we have the final version of the official map you may download the preworlds map if you like to experiment with.

To download the map (8 MB) click on the image to the left.

ATTENTION: The data given is for information and study only!

The targets we used and PZs are in a way point list. This list is only intended to give you an idea where the goals and targets may be. We will NOT publish an official way point list before or during the championships because the list is only a working document for the Event Direction when setting tasks and will change constantly.

The goals and targets used in a task will be printed in the Task Data Sheet for each flight. The ZIP file also contains a 'drive around track''. As you can see the track coincides very well with the map and shows that the map is accurate.

16 Sep

During my visit in Budapest we agreed that the former 'Romanian Border PZ' will no longer be a PZ but the area is declared "not part of the contest area". Practically there is not much difference. It is also agreed that the map legend will be printed on the map in that area. The new motorway PZ remains as written above. The coordinates are in SII of the Rules. You may download the motorwaypoints here. The map office will make available two electronic versions one in 150dpi and one in 300dpi both in 256 colors. As soon as they are available they can be downloaded here.

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RULES

16 Sep

The Rules have been approved by the Bureau and can be downloaded here. As decided during the CIA conference they are based on the 2010 version of the AXMERG.

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LOGGER

16 Sep

The logger used in the Debrecen is the Royaltek RBT2300. You will get one logger and have to attach that to your balloon as prescribed in the Rules. Please also read the FAQ's above about the loggers etc.
The logger will be set at a time interval of three seconds (subject to change when necessary). The logger logs time, latitude, longitude and altitude. Be advised the logger has NO barometric pickup and the altitude therefore is in depended of barometric pressure or QNH settings etc.
Depending on your equipment and software you can display the logger altitude during flight. Any interference with the logger is strictly prohibited. In particular you are not allowed to download tracks, open the device or interfere with its operation in any other way than instructed.
The logger has one ON / OFF switch. You will have to switch the logger on 10-5 minutes before Take-Off and switch it OFF 5-10 minutes after landing. A steady green light indicates that the logger has a fix GPS position.

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Roll Call procedure

20 Sep

The roll call procedure as used until now is not very efficient and it takes 3-5 minutes with 120pilots. So we will use an alternative procedure as follows:
Competitors + 1 crew will be allowed in the inner briefing area 15 min before briefings. They can enter this area via three gates. At the gate their badge will be checked. When the briefing starts all gates will be closed. Late competitors will not be allowed to enter the inner briefing area so as to not disturb other competitors. Officials will collect markers and loggers of pilots not present. Pilots coming late can still follow the briefings from the intermediate area where tables and chairs will be available for team chiefs, press etc. When the briefing is finished ‘late comers’ can collect their markers/loggers and TDSs. Their competition number will be noted and the penalty for late entry applied.
 
Tentative Briefing Hall Layout
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

TASKS

The get an idea what tasks you can expect, I recommend you to study the task data sheets of some competitions of last years. Especially the 3D tasks may be new to you and you may well expect a PD PIE. In this task you will have to declare a coordinate of your choice before the flight. This coordinate will be the center of a 'wedding cake' type shape. You will try to accumulate the greatest horizontal distance in each cylinder of the cake. The distance will be doubled in the second slice and tripled in the top slice.
Here are some task date sheets of past competitions:

• Polish Nationals 2006
• MOL cup 2006
• MOL cup 2007
• MOL cup 2008
• Brasilian Championship 2008
• Dutch Nationals 2009
• World air Games 2009
• Australian Nationals 2009
• Pre Worlds 2009
• Austrian/German Nationals Aug 2010