Mid-Atlantic Soaring Association Task Day Rules

(last updated January 29, 2006)

The objectives of Task Day competition are two: to encourage cross-country soaring among beginning cross-country pilots, and to extend an opportunity to experienced cross-country pilots to hone their skills under conditions approximating SSA contest conditions. At least three pilots must agree to participate. A Competition Director (CD) will be assigned who will designate the day’s task and establish the beginning start time. CDs are urged to consider the needs of less experienced pilots when designating tasks.

The Task Day and Club Championship program is under the supervision of a Task Chairman appointed by the Club President. At the beginning of each season a Competition Committee of three participating pilots is appointed by the Task Chairman. The duty of the Competition Committee is to revise and interpret the Rules, hear complaints, adjudicate disputes, and report on relevant issues to the Task Chairman. A Scorer is also appointed who records flight statistics, calculates scores, and publishes results. The Task Chairman is not part of the Committee but the Scorer can be.

Establishing a Task

A club task may be set on any day of scheduled operations, including 10-Day Weekends, but excluding SSA Regional Competitions. The day’s task is designated by an assigned Competition Director (CD) or alternate, who also specifies a beginning start time. If the assigned CD is not present by 10:30 a.m., an alternate will be chosen from among the competitors. Tasks should be posted on the flight sheet and announced by radio. The goal is that all potential task pilots be informed of the task: early launchers by radio, late launchers by the OD or flight sheet or radio. Ideally, the task is declared on the ground with advice from someone aloft. If the task is set in the air, an attempt must be made to relay the information to the ground. If this fails a special effort should be made to inform possible participants by radio. No competitor may make a start until a task and start time have been established. An established task may not be changed after any competitor has started. Up until the first start the task may be changed only with the consent of all the members who intend to compete. Only one task may be set at each field on a given day. Every effort should be made to obtain weather information on which the day’s task is based. A separate task may be set at each M-ASA field.

Task Categories

Task Categories are based on current SSA Contest Rules and include Assigned Tasks, Modified Assigned Tasks, and Turn Area Tasks. An Assigned Task is one in which a number of designated turnpoints must be rounded in sequence. There is no minimum task duration. Turnpoints have a radius of one mile. A Modified Assigned Task is one in which a number of turnpoints, from zero to eleven, must be rounded usually in sequence, but individual pilots can decide when to round their last turnpoint and return to the finish. It is suggested that enough turnpoints should be assigned to challenge the faster pilots. If a contestant completes all the assigned turnpoints, two other turnpoints must be rounded before a pilot returns to the same turnpoint. The start and finish are not counted as turnpoints. A minimum task duration must be established. Turnpoints are one mile radius. A Turn Area Task is one in which a designated number of turnpoints must be rounded in sequence, but each turnpoint radius, from one to 25 miles, is established in advance. A minimum task duration is set by the CD. All tasks are scored using the maximum distance flown within each turnpoint cylinder. Tasks will follow the SSA Contest Rules definitions.

Experimental Tasks

The possibility exists for CDs to propose a new type of task not covered by the existing rules: an Experimental Task. The CD will need the approval of all participants at the time of the task decision. These experimental tasks will be limited to three within the flying season.

Minimum Task Distance

The minimum task distance is fifty miles for gliders with a handicap factor of 1.0. The minimum distance for other gliders is obtained by dividing 50 by the glider’s handicap factor. A task will only be scored if at least two competitors fly the minimum distance for their gliders. It should be considered unsportsmanlike for any pilot to abandon the task so as to deny another pilot an otherwise valid score.

Starts and Finishes

Starts will use a 5 statute mile radius circle around the center of the airport and 5000 AGL maximum altitude. A beginning start time must be specified by the CD. Pilots must announce their starts over the radio as they start. The suggested transmission is: "Juliet Delta Starting 13:15." Finishes will use a one-mile radius circle centered on the same point as the start circle. Pilots must announce their finish over the radio at four miles out (as measured to the finish point). The suggested transmission is: "Juliet Delta, 4 miles, from the NE."

Task Day Rules During TFR Activation

 All pilots are absolutely prohibited from entering the active 10 nautical mile TFR circle centered around P40 during the task. Any evidence of having entered the TFR will invalidate a task flight. When the TFR is activated, finishers must observe the TFR entry restrictions and not head toward the center of the TFR/P40 at high speed.

Whenever the TFR is active, the one-mile finish circle around Fairfield Airport is extended to two miles. This finish circle includes both the Golf (W) and Pond (E) TFR entry points and allows approximately one-half mile to slow down before entering the TFR. After entering the TFR, pilots are reminded they must observe the TFR protocol: airspeed limited to 60 knots, altitude below 2,500’ agl, heading toward the north end of runway.

To maximize task speed, pilots may reach TFR entry points Golf and Pond with only sufficient altitude to fly directly to the south end of the runway and land. They should be aware that other gliders may be making a regular pattern at higher altitude and avoid cutting them off.

"Show" Finishes

As long as finish lines continue to be used in regional and national contests, high-speed finishes are a necessary element of contest training. However, pilots wishing to practice this maneuver must bear in mind that we are not flying at a contest site. We do not post NOTAMs, close the field to non-contest operations, or brief non-contest pilots on special pattern procedures. Therefore, task pilots may only practice their high-speed finishes under certain constraints. The finish for M-ASA tasks is a 1-mile radius cylinder centered on the airport when the TFR is not active. Only upon completion of a club task may pilots practice a “line” finish, and then if, and only if:

1. The TFR is NOT active.
2. The pattern is clear of non-contest traffic.
3. Pilots announce on 123.3 their intent to execute a high-speed finish.
4. Pilots break off if advised to do so by anyone on the ground or in the air.
5. Pilots break off if at any point they determine there are non-contestants in or about to enter the traffic pattern (this includes aircraft in the process of launching).
6. Pilots do not cross the runway during the finish.
7. Finishes are parallel to the runway and well displaced from the runway centerline.
8. Pilots remain more than 50 feet above the ground throughout the maneuver.
9. Pilots do not point at nor over-fly persons on the ground during practice finishes.
10. Pilots fully understand and accept that these guidelines are NOT a waiver of their obligation to observe all pertinent FARs while conducting any flight operations at or near the Mid-Atlantic Soaring Center.

Compliance with altitude limits will be determined by examination of flight logs. An action may only be initiated in response to a written complaint that a pilot flouted these guidelines. In all cases, only the Task Day Chairman is authorized to examine and assess infractions and apply a penalty, if warranted.

Flight Documentation

Link to current Region 4N and M-ASA Task Day turnpoint databases.

The Task Day Champion is determined based on each competitor’s highest cumulative score for up to a total of ten tasks flown. The Task Day Champion must have flown at least five tasks during the season to be considered for the title. The Champion will be the pilot with the highest cumulative score. In case of a tie, additional flights will be added until the tie is broken.

Scoring

Each Task Day winner will receive 1000 points. Scoring speeds and distances achieved will be adjusted by the latest SSA handicap factors. Those who have the option of flying with different wingspans must include this information when notifying their flight to the Scorer. (With OLC it is already included.)

Assigned Speed Tasks:
Handicapped Speed = Task distance / Time on Course x Handicap Factor
Official Distance = Task Distance

Other Tasks:
Official Time = Time on Course OR Minimum Time, whichever is greater
Handicapped Speed = Distance of course flown / Official Time x Handicap Factor
Official Distance = Minimum Time x Best Handicapped Speed

For All Tasks:
If the task is completed:
For finishers: SPEED POINTS = 1000 x HANDICAPPED SPEED / BEST HANDICAPPED SPEED
Speed Points cannot be less than 500 points
For non-finishers: DISTANCE POINTS = 500 x HANDICAPPED DISTANCE / OFFICIAL DISTANCE
Distance Points cannot be more than 500 points
If no one completes the task: DISTANCE POINTS = 1000 x HANDICAPPED DISTANCE / BEST HANDICAPPED DISTANCE