Competition Flights
For each competition flight competitors will be set a number of tasks. The tasks may be set in any order and in any combination as deemed appropriate by the Director. During any competition flight the minimum points available to competitors is 1000.
Competition Flights
Tasks are of four types: Racing Tasks, Precision Tasks, Precision Race Tasks, and Long Distance Tasks.
Racing Tasks
Pylon Race
Pylon Race is a timed speed event of one or more laps over a short course consisting of a Start Gate, two or more Turning Pylons, and a Finish Gate. The course must be flown in designated sequence and Turning Pylons must be passed in required manner, otherwise no score for Shortest Time and Declared Time.
Point to Point Race
Point to Point Race is a timed distance speed event consisting of Start Gate, one or more Turning Pylons and/or Turning Gates (no other en-route Scoring Locations permitted), and Finish Gate in a different place from the Start Gate. The course must be flown in designated sequence, and Turning Pylons and Turning Gates must be passed in required manner, otherwise no score for Shortest Time and Declared Time.
Precision Tasks
Mixed Salad Task
Mixed Salad Task is a Precision Task consisting of Start Gate, Finish Gate and any combination and number of following Scoring Locations:
– Cross Target
– Bull’s Eye Target
– Wading Pool
– Object Collection
– Object Delivery
– Glass tube
– Touch and Go
– Pit Stop
Toma-Hawk Task
Toma-Hawk is a timed Precision Task. Airships shall be individually timed through Start Gate and Finish Gate. Competitors attempt to achieve a valid score at maximum number of Scoring Locations of various merit set by the Director.
Scoring Locations can be scored upon once or a specified number of times, but only one marker per approach will achieve points in marker drop Scoring Locations.
Line Task
Line Task is a Precision Task consisting of Start Gate, Finish Gate, and 4 – 8 Scoring Locations, such as about 1 by 1 meter boxes, wading pools about 1 m diameter, object delivery or object pick-up on a line that is approximately parallel to low level wind.
Curve Task
Curve Task is a timed and/or Precision Task consisting of Start Gate, Finish Gate, and 4 – 6 circular or rectangular Scoring Locations (about 1 by 1 meter boxes or wading pools about 1 m diameter) set on segment of circle arch.
Competitors try to drop or throw one marker inside each Scoring Location in sequence starting from the end designated at task briefing. For each target missed competitor will be given a time penalty to be added to his time between start and finish gate. Time penalties as set in the task briefing.
Slalom
A combined precision and speed task over a slalom course consisting of start gate, up to 10 Slalom poles and finish gate spaced between 50 and 100 m. Gates to be 10 m wide. Airships must pass between gate poles and outside each slalom pole in sequence. Poles and gates will be 3 m high. Task to be set in calm conditions or set to be flown on straight course in direction parallel to wind direction. A maximum flight height maybe set.
Precision Race Tasks
Target Race Task
Target Race is a combined precision and speed event over a target course consisting of Start Gate, Finish gate, and 2 – 8 circular or rectangular Scoring Locations (about 1 by 1 meter boxes or wading pools about 1 m diameter) spaced between 200 m and 400 m apart.
Competitors try to achieve maximum amount of points for Shortest Time, and also for Declared Time, if so set in task briefing. Competitors try also to achieve maximum amount of points at each Scoring Location along the course set by the Director.
Long distance tasks
Cross Country Task
Cross Country Task consists of a timed long distance flight usually of more than 10 km over a designated course with 2 or more Scoring Locations (known or secret).
Types of Start
Individual Start
Competitors start at their individual time of crossing start line between Start Gate poles.
Racing Start
All competitors attempt to cross the start line as near as possible to its opening time.
Le Mans Start
Inflated airships ready to fly are lined up on flags. On start signal competitors run forward 20 meters, collect the token, return to airship and take-off.
Scoring Locations
Wading Pool, Box, or other designated structure
A children’s wading pool, a box, or other place in which a competitor must drop a marker in order to score.
Cross Target
A white or orange cross with arms 2 m long x 50 cm wide. Scoring by dropping a marker, closest to center wins. No score for markers more than 2 m from center of cross.
Bull’s Eye Target
A 2.8 m diameter circle with 4 graduated scoring rings. Scoring by dropping marker on target and by its final position on rings. No score for markers outside of target. The target may be set on elevated platform or stand.
Touch and Go
A canvas circle (equipped with means to fix it on ground) with radius of 2.5 m inside which the competitor must touch ground with his airship’s car. Touching inside the circle and taking off or dragging through far side is a valid performance. A circle with radius of 25 m from inner circle’s center shall be marked on ground.
Object Collection
Competitor is required to collect an object from an official in a designated place without ground contact by airship. Successful pickup is valid performance.
Object Delivery
Competitor is required to deliver an object without ground contact by object or airship. Successful delivery of intact object is valid performance.
Pit Stop
All competitors must land in a designated and marked area and come to a complete stop with propulsion engines switched off. Generally refueling is permitted as well as other technical maintenance. A supplementary task briefing in writing covering additional tasks may be handed to competitor by an official.
Glass tube
Competitor to deliver a marker or specified equivalent into a 3 m long vertical transparent tube of 10- 20 cm in diameter.
Altitude Hurdles
The Airship have to touch a 2 m long pole, which is fixated aprox. 1 m above the ground
