Northern

Illinois Soaring

Championships

SPONSORED BY THE CHICAGOLANDGLIDER COUNCIL INC.

Last Updated: March 3, 2004

Short guide to flying the contest

This guide applies for a typical pilot using GPS and not simultaneously going for a badge or record. See the rules for details, scoring, and “what if” questions.

The start is a one statute mile circle with no height restriction.

The task is a PST (pilot selected task) with a maximum of 8 turnpoints. Valid turnpoints are public use airports (not RLAs) on the Illinois sectional, plus Chicago Glider Club, Wade, Niznik, Prairie Lake, CasaDeAero, Olson, Meadow Creek, Classic Landings, Sweedler, Bushby, Woodlake (Sandwich) and Sky Soaring.  Leland is no longer a turnpoint. We strongly suggest that you get and use the Northern Illinois database from John Liebacher’s website.

You must have two intervening turnpoints before you use a turnpoint again. The start and finish do not count. For example, CGC(start) – Morris – CGC – Joliet – Morris – CGC (finish) is OK, since you have two turnpoints (CGC, Joliet) before you reuse Morris as a turnpoint. CGC(start) – Morris –Joliet – Morris – CGC(finish) is not ok.

Tunrpoints are one mile circles, and you get credit for distance inside the turnpoint. Chicago Glider Club, Hinckley, Sky Soaring, Morris, DeKalb and Skydive Chicago can also be used as turn area turnpoints with a 5 mile radius.  (All distances are in statute miles.) However, to use this option, the angle between your inbound leg and your outbound leg (airport to airport) must be 90 degrees or less. For example, you can’t get credit for the 5 mile Morris turn area on the way from CGC to Cushing.

Minimum task time is 1 hour and minimum distance is 30 handicapped miles. There is a bonus for longer flights, and minimum distance drops to 25 miles after October 15.  There is also a 3% bonus for declaring your flight ahead of time. To get this bonus, post your flight in the departure airport and announce your start on the declared task. You can bail out of a declared task and submit the flight as a regular task, but you won’t get the 3% bonus unless you complete it or land out.

The finish is a one mile circle with a 500’ AGL minimum. If you cut through the finish circle at less than 500 feet you will be scored as if you landed out at the finish airport. The point of this rule is to discourage low and slow final glides.

You can use any GPS. IGC blessing and altitude recording are not required.  You can use photos if you don’t have a GPS.

After your flight, send your trace to john.cochrane@gsb.uchicago.edu promptly. State what glider you are flying, if you have water, and what you think your task was. Don’t expect John to pore over your trace and figure out what combination of the 30 airports you flew over makes for the best task.  Normally, scores will be e-mailed back to contestants within a few days of receipt, depending upon how long it takes to receive results from most pilots.  If you want prompt results, submit your flight right away.

Ask for help. Any of the NISC pilots at your airport will be delighted to guide you through the rules and procedures