USHGA Competition Rule Book

The governing body for all sport aviation worldwide is the Federation Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) which was founded in 1905 in Paris, and presently includes 93 member nations. The Commission Internationale de Vol Libre (CIVL), founded in 1975, is the officially authorized division of the FAI to represent hang gliding around the world. The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) is the United States Representative of the FAI. The United States Hang Gliding Association (USHGA) is the only authorized affiliate of the NAA to represent the sport of hang gliding in the United States. The USHGA is authorized to formulate and establish official competition rules and to sanction hang gliding and paragliding events in the United States.

This official USHGA Competition Rulebook has been developed and revised by the USHGA Worldwide Competition Committee as authorized by the President and Board of Directors of the USHGA. The rules set forth herein shall govern all USHGA sanctioned hang gliding and paragliding competitions.

2000 Twenty-Fifth Edition
United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc.
Post Office Box 1330, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80901-1330
(719) 632-8300
FAX (719) 632-6417
http://www.ushga.org/

CHAPTER 1: GENERAL

1.1 APPLICATION. The rules set forth herein shall govern all USHGA sanctioned hang gliding and paragliding competitions. Every club, association, promoter, pilot and all persons participating in, or in any way connected with, any sanctioned meet shall be bound by these rules.

1.2 INTERPRETATION. When necessary, interpretation of these rules shall be made by the Meet Director after discussion with the Chief Judge and/or primary competition officials.

1.3 EXCEPTIONS. Exceptions to the rules are not allowed when the rules are definite and feasible. If compliance is not feasible, the Meet Organizer, the Meet Director, or at his discretion, another official(s) appointed by him shall make the necessary exceptions, and shall also inform the competitors by issuing or posting a dated, written addendum to the written rules.

1.4 AMENDMENTS. Amendments to these rules shall derive from the duly appointed USHGA Worldwide Competition Committee. The Competition Rulebook shall be amended once annually, if necessary, at the scheduled fall meeting of the USHGA Board of Directors. Recommendations and comments from USHGA Directors, meet directors, ranked competition pilots and others through their respective regional directors shall be used to determine whether or not amendments are necessary.

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CHAPTER 2: SANCTIONING

2.0 PURPOSE. The USHGA sanctions meets to ensure a minimum level of meet quality as well as a scheduling tool for pilots to use in their pursuit of National Team Selection System (NTSS) points.

2.1 APPLICATION. Sanction application information and forms are available free of charge from USHGA Headquarters. Phone (719) 632‑8300 or E-mail ushga@ushga.org and ask for a Sanction Application Package.

2.2 SANCTION CLASSES

A. Class A Sanction includes the National championships and any other competitions operated at this level of sanction. Class A Sanction requires the Meet Organizers appoint a qualified Safety Director thoroughly familiar with the site and flight operations and a Meet Steward. A total of three competitions per calendar year in addition to the U.S. National Championships may be designated as Class A meets. An additional $1,000.00 bond must be posted with the USHGA before the sanction is granted. The $1,000.00 bond will be deposited by the first day of the meet. If the USHGA Rule Book in NOT FOLLOWED , as determined by the duly appointed USHGA Worldwide Competition Committee Chairman after consultation with the USHGA Meet Steward for the contest, the $1,000.00 bond will not be refunded.

B. Class B Sanction requires the Meet Organizers to appoint a qualified Safety Director thoroughly familiar with the site and flight operations except for area wide, season‑long XC competitions.

2.3 DEADLINES. A late fee of 50% of the sanction fee will be added to the regular fee if the sanction application does not reach USHGA Headquarters by the following deadlines:

A. Sanction application with Landowners Insurance Application, six weeks prior to the first day of scheduled competition.

B. Sanction application for meet held at a site which is already covered by USHGA site insurance or liability insurance equal to or better than that provided by the USHGA, two weeks prior to first day of scheduled competition.

C. A $20.00 late fee of Meet Organizer's bond fee, will be charged for each day official results are not received in the USHGA office past the due date.

2.4 FEES

A. Sanction fees are charged according to the stature of the meet as outlined in the Sanction Request Package.

B. Sanction fees are not refundable except that 50% of the sanction fee will be refunded if the sanction request is received at least four months prior to the stated close of registration for the event.

C. The $1,000.00 bond will be deposited in the Foundation Account on the first day of the meet.

D. Approval of the Worldwide Competition Committee chairman is required for the return of any fees or bonds to meet organizers.

2.5 RESTRICTIONS

A. USHGA sanctions are not transferable or re‑assignable.

B. USHGA sanctions must be used on the dates or rain dates specified on the application.

C. The USHGA can refuse, withdraw or revoke sanction at any time if the Meet Organizers fail to meet the requirements of USHGA sanction. Such refusal, withdrawal or revocation may be appealed in writing to the Competition Chairman (c/o Headquarters) within ten (10) days of receiving such notice.

D. Any significant changes in the structure of a Competition Committee approved sanctioned meet such as date changes, Meet Director changes, etc. are grounds for voiding the sanction approval. Such changes should be immediately brought to the attention of the Competition Chairman for action.

2.6 ADVERTISING

A. Any advertising for a USHGA sanctioned meet shall bear the logo of the USHGA and the words . sanctioned by the USHGA. or . USHGA sanctioned..

B. Meet Organizers wishing to advertise prize money must put the advertised amount in escrow and include with their sanction application a letter or performance bond from the bank, credit union or financial institution holding the escrow account, stating the amount, and terms and conditions for withdrawal, or must state clearly in all advertising for the meet that prize money is not guaranteed.

C. The USHGA reserves the right to set up a booth at any sanctioned event and may sell whatever items the Association sees fit, subject to local ordinances.

2.7 SANCTION REQUEST

A. The Sanction Request package is to be used to submit bids to organize and host the U.S. National Championships, Regional Championships and other Class A and Class B sanctioned meets.

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CHAPTER 3: COMPETITOR QUALIFICATION

3.1 CLASS A & B SANCTION

A. Qualifications imposed by Class A & B Sanction:

1. Full (one year) USHGA Membership except for pilots with foreign addresses who may purchase a 3 month membership.

2. Minimum Pilot Proficiency Rating: Intermediate (or equivalent foreign rating).

3. Parental (or guardian's) written consent (notarized) if competitor is under 16 years of age.

B. Qualifications which may be imposed by Meet Organizers:

1. A higher (but not lower) pilot proficiency rating.

2. Any . special skills. relevant to competition site or competition design.

3. A higher (but not lower) minimum age.

4. Local hang gliding association membership.

5. State, regional or national residency if specified on sanction application, and all contest advertising and literature.

6. By invitation only.

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CHAPTER 4: GLIDER CLASSES & EQUIPMENT

4.1 DEFINITION OF A HANG GLIDER. For the purposes of these rules, a hang glider shall be defined as a single place unpowered aircraft which can be safely launched entirely by the use of the pilot's legs, and safely landed without the use of any landing gear other than the pilot's legs. During such launch and landing, the weight of the glider must be able to be supported entirely by the pilot and those aerodynamic forces resulting from the motion of the glider through the air.

4.2 DEFINITION OF GLIDER CLASSES

A. Class 1 ‑‑ Class 1 hang glider is any hang glider in which the pilot is supported in a harness as a pendulum from a suspension point on the glider, where all lines attached to the pilot's body must function as support or safety restraint lines and must proceed directly from their point of attachment to, and terminate at, a single point or fitting between the pilot and glider (i.e., the carabiner), and where control of the glider is effected only by the displacement of pilot body weight (whereby forward displacement results in a decrease in angle of attack, rearward displacement results in an increase in angle of attack, and lateral displacement results in a turn in that direction), and by those aerodynamic effects which result from such distortion of the wing as arises from such weight displacement. Devices may be incorporated which amplify the effects of said weight displacement, but not which transpose or redirect those effects, (i.e., the ability to . cross control. is prohibited). In‑flight changes in glider geometry which are symmetrical and which result from pilot actions other than the weight shift control of the glider as defined above, are allowed in Class 1 gliders.

B. Class 3 (Paraglider) ‑‑ Class 3 gliders have no rigid structure defining the airfoil.

C. Class 2 ‑‑ Any hang glider which does not fit into Class 1 or Class 3 as defined above is considered a Class 2 glider.

4.4 OTHER EQUIPMENT

A. Harness ‑‑ no requirements or restrictions at this time.

B. Helmets ‑‑ protective headgear, as defined by the Meet Director, is mandatory for all pilots at sanctioned competitions.

C. Parachutes ‑‑ Parachutes as deemed adequate by Meet Director will be required and an accessible hook knife is strongly recommended.

D. Radios ‑‑ no requirements or restrictions.

E. Ballast

1. Ballast is any nonfunctional object attached to the pilot, used for the purpose of increasing mass and may be disposable or non‑disposable.

2. The gross weight with disposable and non‑disposable ballast must not exceed the manufacturer's specified maximum weight limit.

3. Similarly, the gross weight after releasing disposable ballast, must be equal to or greater than the manufacturer's specified minimum weight limit.

4. Disposable ballast must consist of water or dry sand (not both) without stones or rocks, and, when released in flight, pose no hazard to persons, animals or property.

5. Systems for retention and disposal of ballast must be acceptable to the Meet Director and Safety Director in that they must offer reasonable security against accidental disposal.

6. The use of either disposable or non‑disposable ballast must not interfere with the safe operation of the glider, nor present any safety hazard in the event of sudden impact.

F. Supplementary Oxygen ‑‑ not required during flight, however, it is highly recommended, where flights are routinely expected to be above 12,500' ASL.

G. Personal Flotation Devices ‑‑ no requirements or restrictions at this time, but recommended if there is the probability of landing in water.

H. Fairings ‑‑ no requirements or restrictions at this time.

I. Cameras ‑‑ the use of cameras in sanctioned competitions may be required by Meet Organizers. If film is provided, the number of exposures on a roll must be equal or greater than two times the number of photos required in the round.

J. Any physical means to produce propulsive energy to increase performance is prohibited in all sanction classes.

K. Any item is permitted, if not prohibited by these rules or the Meet Organizers. However, the Meet Director or Safety Director has at all times the right to prohibit the use of any item that he feels may create a safety hazard.

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CHAPTER 5: COMPETITION ADMINISTRATION & OPERATION

5.1 CONTEST OFFICIALS

A. For Class A Sanction meets, there shall be at least the following officials:

1. Meet Director: Has overall responsibility for all aspects of the competition and is the court of last resort on all issues of rules interpretation, protests, etc.

2. Safety Director: Strives for safety of all participants, Officials, spectators, etc., has the authority and responsibility to stop or postpone a round at any time, including during the task, if in his/her judgment, changing conditions jeopardize safety.

3. Meet Steward: Responsible for informing Meet Organizers/Directors of USHGA Competition Rule Book violations which, if not corrected, will jeopardize the Meet's USHGA Sanction and/or the Organizer's Bond.

B. USHGA Steward must be selected from an approved list maintained by the USHGA Competition Committee Chairman. Steward may be the Meet Director or the Meet Safety Director.

C. Meet Director and Safety Director may not be the same person.

5.2 CONTEST RULES

A. A copy of the USHGA rules shall be provided to each official and competitor. A copy of the current FAR Part 103 will be available to any competitor in the contest, and a local, current sectional aeronautical chart will be displayed to all pilots at each pilot meeting.

B. Each competitor will be supplied with a set of Meet Specific Rules, including task descriptions and diagrams, schedule of events, and exceptions or modifications to the General Rules. If necessary, interpretation of the rules will be made by the Meet Director after consultation with other primary meet officials. Any changes to the rules will be posted to the bulletin boards at Meet Headquarters and at launch as soon as possible.

5.3 CONTEST WINNERS ‑ The contest winners will be the pilots in each class with the most points at the end of the last contest day. In the event of a tie, the tying pilot who had the most points before the beginning of the last round will be declared the winner.

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CHAPTER 6: GENERAL COMPETITION RULES

6.0 PURPOSE. General Competition Rules are necessary to provide a constant format for both Meet Organizers and Pilots.

6.1 LAUNCHES. Several launch processes have been standardized. Depending upon a number of meet variables, physical condition of launch site, number of individual launches, number of pilots in meet, etc., the Meet Organizers must define how launching is to be managed in Chapter 13, Meet Specific Rules.

A. Open Launch Procedure ‑‑ A pilot wishing to launch will move his/her glider into the takeoff staging area behind the gliders of all other waiting pilots. No pilot's glider may remain in the staging area unless that pilot is in the immediate area with helmet and harness on.

A pilot in takeoff position must take off, or begin movement to the back of the staging area, within 30 seconds if any pilot in the staging area expresses a serious desire to start. The 30 seconds must be uninterrupted by unacceptable takeoff conditions, as determined by the launch official. The launch official will tell the pilot when the 30 second period begins and count down the last 10 seconds before it ends. If the pilot's feet leave the ground after the allotted 30 seconds, a penalty of 5% of that pilot's score for that round will be deducted for each additional 15

seconds or portion thereof until the pilot either takes off or starts moving out of launch position.

If a pilot chooses not to launch, or is deemed by any launch official as not moving expeditiously toward launch, that pilot must immediately leave the staging area or move behind all other waiting pilots.

B. Ordered Launch Procedure ‑ The order of launch will be determined by a computer generated random order based on pilot numbers. A different random order will be posted for each day. The launch order of pilots, relative to one another, will not change during a round. A pilot returning for a re-flight will rejoin the launch order in his/her original position.

A pilot at any point in the launch order, with harness and helmet on, may . push. the launch by stating . I'm pushing..

When the launch is being pushed, each pilot who is ready for takeoff, i.e., harness on, starting with the pilot at that time #1 for takeoff and ending with the pilot preceding the pushing pilot in the launch order, will have 30 seconds allotted on the takeoff ramp in which to take off in launch order. Failure to move expeditiously toward the takeoff ramp or failure to takeoff within the allotted time will be considered as declining to launch and the pilot must move to the end of the launch order; if the pilot's feet leave the ground after the allotted 30 seconds, a penalty of 5% of that pilot's score for that round will be deducted for each additional 15 seconds or portion thereof until the pilot either takes off or starts moving out of launch position. Each pilot who has pushed the launch will have 30 seconds allotted on the takeoff ramp in which to take off or else receive a zero score for the round. The 30 seconds referred to above will begin after the pilot has moved to takeoff position in an expeditious manner. The 30 seconds must be uninterrupted by unacceptable takeoff conditions, as determined by the launch official. The launch official will tell the pilot when the 30 second period begins and count down the last 10 seconds before it ends. A pilot who is next to take off in the launch order may remain in takeoff position indefinitely if no pilot is . pushing the launch..

C. Identification by Launch Timer ‑ Each pilot is responsible for seeing that he/she is correctly identified by the Launch Timer.

6.2 PHOTOGRAPHIC VERIFICATION OF TURN POINT TASKS ‑‑ If

the meet requires photographic evidence of turnpoints, the following processes will be used unless otherwise specified in Chapter 13, Meet Specific Rules.

A. Each roll of film must be identifiable. This may include pictures of the pilot's face, glider and a daily Task Board. Exact requirement will be specified in Section 2 Meet Specific Rules.

B. Each pilot must provide at least one valid photograph, taken by that pilot, of each turn point in order to be credited with achieving that turn point. Turn points must be photographed from within the standard FAI turn point sector. Obstruction of the turn point by a wing, another glider, the pilot's finger, etc., will not invalidate the evidence if the photograph shows ground features that prove it to have been otherwise correctly taken. Photographs must be sufficiently clear to allow the Photo Judge to determine that the photograph was taken from the proper sector. Failure of camera equipment will not be allowed as an excuse for failure to provide a valid photograph.

Where a pilot fails to provide a valid turn point photograph, the pilot's score will be determined from his landing point as if the pilot had not achieved that or any succeeding turn points.

C. Competitors may use a backup camera with a second film obtained from, or approved by, the Photo Judge. This film will be retained by the competitor unless called for by the Photo Judge for processing in the event the primary film does not provide proper flight verification.

6.3 FINISH

A. Landing will be defined as the point, after a successful launch, at which the pilot or glider make weight bearing contact with the ground or with an object affixed thereto or resting thereon.

B. The nose plate of the glider must cross the goal line before landing (on a paraglider, the pilot's body must cross the finish line). The pilot may cross the goal line in any direction unless otherwise specified in the task. The pilot's finish time will recorded, to the nearest second, as the time of goal crossing.

C. The pilot must cross the goal at an altitude that enables positive identification by goal officials.

D. The Meet Director will specify a goal closing time. Pilots crossing goal after this time will be scored as having flown the distance to the goal but will not be timed.

E. A pilot not completing the task must mark his/her landing point, either at the goal or at the Meet Headquarters. The competitor must also turn in a completed Landing Form and any required film at this time.

In order to ensure accurate, same day scoring, landing location must be reported no later than the time specified by the Meet Director at the daily pilot meeting. This is part of the task and a 10% penalty will be assessed for late reporting.

Pilots may delegate to drivers, other pilots, etc., authority to report their landing location. However, each pilot is individually responsible for the accuracy of his/her report. Accuracy is crucial to the scoring system and is part of the task. Pilots, as well as drivers, can and should work together to insure accurate reporting. After the reporting deadline, reported landing locations which are determined to have been inaccurately placed too close to goal will result in a penalty of 10 times the inaccuracy being subtracted from the pilot's distance. Deliberate falsification of landing details will result in disqualification. (EXAMPLE: Pilots A, B and C land together. Pilots B and C assure A that they know where they landed and all place report their landing location together. Later, just before the deadline, D arrives and remarks that A, B and C have understandably, but inaccurately, reported their landing location ½ mile too close to goal. After investigation proves D to be correct, A, B and C have 5 miles subtracted from each distance.)

6.4 PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT

A. The scored distance of a pilot completing a task will be the task distance. Elapsed time will be measured between start and finish to the nearest second.

B. Distances short of Goal will be recorded to the nearest one/tenth mile or less. The scored distance of a pilot not completing a task that consists of a race to goal without turn points will be the task distance minus the distance between goal and the pilot's landing point. (EXAMPLE: The goal is 100 miles from launch. The pilot lands 10 miles past the goal without his/her body crossing over it, a 110 mile flight. The pilot receives credit for 90 miles.)

The scored distance of a pilot not completing a task that consists of a race to goal with turn points will be the sum of the distances of all completed flight legs, plus the distance of the next uncompleted leg, minus the distance from the pilot's landing point to the next turn point or goal, except that a pilot will not receive credit for less than the distance of the completed flight legs.

Two pilots will be deemed to have tied if the distance between their landing points is less than or equal to 200 yards. The landing point of the pilot farthest from the goal will be used for both. Where three pilots land at points with a separation between individual pilots of less than or equal to 200 yards, but with a separation between the first and third pilots of greater than 200 yards, then the landing point of the middle pilot will be used for all three. In cases involving more than three pilots, pilots will be scored in groups of three or fewer, as described above, beginning with the three closest to goal.

6.5 SCORING ‑‑ The approved USHGA scoring system is the GAP system. Each pilot's daily score will be computed according to the most current version of GAP available, but at least as current as that used in the previous year.

After examination of turn point verification, application of penalties, etc., revised scores will be posted. Revised scores will be so noted.

6.6 ROUND VALIDITY Round Validity will be determined by GAP.

6.7 TASK CANCELLATION ‑‑ Meet Organizers are required to have a system to notify pilots of task cancellation prior to the completion of the task because of weather or other safety considerations.

6.8 PENALTIES

A. Pilots who do not present a valid task board photograph on film, if used, will be scored from their landing point as if no turn points were achieved.

B. The Meet Director will have sole authority to assess penalty points or disqualify a competitor from further participation in the contest and will be expected to do so in cases of flagrant violation of the USHGA Competition Rule Book or the Meet Rules. Penalties may be assessed against the competitor's daily or cumulative score, at the Meet Director's discretion. The Meet Director is not required to issue verbal or written warnings prior to assessing penalties or disqualifying a competitor. Meet officials and competitors will report rule infractions to the Meet Director.

C. Penalties assessed by the Meet Director, or disqualification of a competitor from the contest, will automatically be reviewed by the Protest Committee. The penalized or disqualified competitor will be given the opportunity to present information to the Protest Committee. Time and distance penalties for late takeoffs, late landing verification and incorrect landing verification are specifically stated in the rules and are not subject to review without the filing of a formal protest.

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CHAPTER 7: COMPLAINTS, PROTESTS AND APPEALS

7.1 COMPLAINTS

A. A complaint is a verbal request by a competitor to the designated official, usually the Meet Director or Safety Director, to investigate operational matters with which the competitor is dissatisfied.

B. If the competitor is still dissatisfied, he may file a protest.

7.2 PROTESTS

A. Protests must be made in writing no later than 24 hours after the incident or situation being protested. The posting of scores may be an event subject to protest.

B. A fee may be required and may or may not be refunded as determined by meet specific rules. A protest committee consisting of the Meet Director, the Safety Director and another non‑competitor named by the Meet Director at the first pilot meeting will rule on any protest within 24 hours of its submission. If a ruling is made in favor of the protest, the protest fee will be refunded.

7.3 APPEALS

A. In the event that a competitor is unsatisfied with the ruling of the contest director and that the complaint and protest procedures of the meet do not adequately resolve the problem, the pilot may file a written appeal, explaining in detail the nature of the injustice, and providing all available evidence to support his case, to the Worldwide Competition Committee Chairman c/o USHGA Headquarters. Such an appeal is to be filed with USHGA Headquarters not more than 30 days after the end of the meet in question.

B. The USHGA Worldwide Competition Chairman will rule on the appeal within 60 days of the receipt of the appeal by the USHGA. He may or may not choose to conduct his own research on the matter, and has authority to alter the final results of the contest in response to such an appeal in the event he finds compelling evidence to support the claims of the appealing pilot.

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CHAPTER 8: RESPONSIBILITIES AND OBLIGATIONS OF MEET ORGANIZERS

8.1 SAFETY. Of prime importance is the safety of the pilots, their crews and relatives, spontaneous as well as invited spectators, Meet Officials and . gofers.. Safety must be considered in all planning and arrangements including everything from task design to trash collection.

8.2 ADVERTISING. Meet Organizers are responsible for insuring that there is no false advertising about the meet. False advertising of any kind is grounds for revocation of USHGA sanction.

8.3 MEET ANNOUNCEMENT. Meet Organizers shall issue and/or publish a meet announcement/invitation containing the following information:

A. Title of competition.

B. Dates for:

1. Competition

2. Registration deadline

3. Practice days

4. Mandatory pilots' briefing(s)

5. Rain, weather or other contingency plans

C. Location of competition and any probable alternates.

D. Competitor entry requirements (see Chapter 3), a request for presentation of USHGA membership wallet card at registration.

E. Glider and equipment entry requirements (see Chapter 4).

F. Entry fees and deadline(s).

G. The minimum and maximum number of rounds and the

procedure for splitting a purse or naming a winner if the minimum number of rounds becomes an impossibility.

H. A brief discussion of meet objectives and types of tasks to expect.

I. Awards, prizes, social events, information on local accommodations and special pilot discounts, etc.

8.4 SITE IMPROVEMENTS. Meet Organizers shall provide site improvements such as serviced sanitary facilities as required by land owners/managers, federal or state use permits and local ordinances, competition task design and common sense.

8.5 FAA/AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CONTACT/CLEARANCE. The Meet

Organizer or Meet Director of any USHGA sanctioned contests shall be responsible to contact all airport traffic control facilities whose airspace designations and boundaries restrict hang glider flight under FAR Part 103, if any portion of the above mentioned airspace is located within 10 horizontal miles of any contest launch site, turn point, goal or any airspace along any contest flight route. The contact with the air traffic control facility shall be made at least 14 days prior to the task being run. The air traffic control facility shall be notified of the following:

A. The dates of the contest,

B. The number of pilots competing,

C. A description of the flight task or tasks,

D. The expected proximity to the airport of contest flights,

E. The times of day that hang gliders . might. be seen near the prohibited or restricted airspace,

F. The name of the Meet Director, a phone number where he/she may be reached during the contest, and

G. The name and phone number of the nearest USHGA Regional Director.

8.6 COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS. Meet Organizers shall provide competitors with a challenging task and an atmosphere conducive to orderly competition, regardless of pressures from meet sponsors, media and other distracting influences.

8.7 AIRSPACE CONCERNS. The Meet Organizer or Meet Director shall endeavor to make all contest pilots aware of any airspace, or air traffic concerns relative to the task routes.

8.8 QUALIFIED OFFICIALS. Meet Organizers shall provide an adequate number of qualified officials to produce equitable judging and accurate rapid scoring.

8.9 AWARDS AND PRIZES. Meet Organizers shall provide winning pilots with all promised awards trophies, prizes, citations and honors.

8.10 OFFICIAL RESULTS. Meet Organizers must mail copies of the Official results, on the forms provided, to the USHGA within 10 days of the end of the competition. Failure to comply with this section will cause a forfeiture of $20.00 per day of the Meet Organizer's bond.

8.11 GLIDER IDENTIFICATION. When necessary, gliders shall be numbered for the purposes of identification as follows:

A. Numbers, when used, shall be placed on the bottom of the right wing, mid span, with the bottom of the number near the trailing edge and the number aligned parallel to the keel. For a paraglider, numbers shall be on the leading edge, with the top of the number towards the leading edge in the center of the glider.

B. Numbers used shall be those above #10, with numbers 1 through 10 being reserved throughout the year for use by those pilots with those rankings in the World Team Selection System (see Chapter #12).

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CHAPTER 9: RESPONSIBILITIES AND OBLIGATIONS OF COMPETITION PILOTS

9.1 ENTRY FEES. Pilots will produce payment of specified entry fees by date and time specified.

9.2 FORMS. Pilots will complete fully and accurately all application, entry, request and release, liability, and glider configuration forms and produce proof of association membership and/or glider certification when requested.

9.3 BRIEFINGS. Pilots will attend all pilots' meetings, briefings, roll calls, etc. as requested.

9.4 COMPETITION RULES. Pilots will become thoroughly familiar with competition rules and address questions to proper officials prior to first round of competition.

9.5 PUNCTUALITY. Pilots will make themselves and their equipment ready for launch in a timely matter and will execute a safe launch in the time made available to them by the Launch Director, following the prescribed order of flight. Pilots have the right to decline launch if they think conditions are unsafe.

9.6 FLIGHT TECHNIQUE

A. It is the pilot's responsibility to fly safely and to turn pylons and cross gates in an unambiguous manner.

B. All competitors will comply with FAR Part 103.

C. Pilots will follow generally accepted right of way and thermal etiquette rules.

9.7 KEEPING INFORMED. It is the pilot's responsibility to keep up with all schedule changes, course modifications and rules amendments. Ignorance of the rules, tasks, etc., including changes made verbally at pilot meetings, will not be considered a valid reason for exceptions to said rules. Allowing such exceptions would unfairly disadvantage competitors following the rules.

9.8 CODE OF CONDUCT

A. Competitors and their ground crews will maintain a standard of conduct which will not bring discredit upon their fellow competitors, the contest organizers and administrators, or the sport of hang gliding in general. Competitors are required to act in a manner that will promote the continued practice of hang gliding in the area, including, but not limited to:

1. All gates must be left as they are found.

2. Care must be exercised when moving personnel and gliders across fence lines to prevent damage.

3. Vehicles will only be driven on roads and at reasonable speeds.

4. Land well clear of stock.

5. Do not land in crops. (If landing in a cultivated field ‑ hay, wheat, etc. ‑ is unavoidable, the pilot must find the landowner, or landowner's representative, and request to pay for any resulting damage.)

Complaints from property owners/lease holders may result in penalties. Competitors are responsible for the actions of their ground crew.

B. Members of the USHGA who participate in USHGA sanctioned events, and FAI sanctioned events, and other events where their participation results from an appointment by the USHGA, including but not limited to competitions, agree as a condition of their participation in such events, to conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner.

C. Refer to the USHGA Policy Manual for details.

9.9 EMERGENCIES. When an emergency occurs, the Safety Director or Meet Director must be notified without delay.

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CHAPTER 10: REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND NATIONALS QUALIFICATIONS

10.1 PURPOSE ‑‑ The purpose of USHGA sanctioned Regional Championship Meets is to:

A. Give each USHGA member an opportunity to fly in USHGA sanctioned competition.

B. Give each USHGA member an opportunity to qualify to fly in the USHGA Nationals Competition.

10.2 DATES, SANCTION AND RESIDENCY.

A. Regional Championships must be sanctioned (Class B) by the USHGA (see sections 2.2 and 3.1) and shall be held at whatever time during the year weather conditions are deemed most favorable for a good competition.

B. There are no residency restrictions imposed by the USHGA. Meet Organizers may impose their own restrictions if so stated in their meet announcement and advertising.

C. Foreign pilots are eligible unless Meet Organizers restrict entrance requirements in their competition announcement & rules.

10.3 MULTIPLE OR COMBINED REGIONAL MEET

A. There shall be only one Regional Championship recognized per region per year for the purpose of Nationals qualification, unless the region applies prior to March 1 for a waiver to this requirement.

B. Two regions may agree to combine their Regionals into one meet.

10.4 MEET ANNOUNCEMENT. A timely and effective announcement (section 8.3) of the schedule of a Regional Championship must be made such that each USHGA member within the region will be made aware of the competition. In addition, such announcement must be sent to anyone requesting information on the meet.

10.5 TROPHIES AND AWARDS

A. Trophies and awards in each class are at the discretion of the Meet Organizers.

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CHAPTER 11: THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

11.1 PURPOSE. The purpose of the Nationals shall be to provide an advanced level of competition for qualifying competitors.

11.2 BIDS. Persons wishing to organize the U.S. National Championships shall submit a bid in writing to the USHGA Board of Directors in care of the USHGA Competition Committee. Such bids are to be submitted at the earliest possible date, but no later than by the Fall Board of Director's meeting. The Committee will review any bid submitted, and either grant it or decline it. It is permissible to bid for the U.S. Nationals for Class I, Class II, Class III, or any combination thereof.

11.3 DATES. The schedule for the meet shall involve ONE period of no more than nine days during which pilots are required to be at the site of the contest.

11.4 SANCTION. The Nationals must be sanctioned (Class A) by the USHGA, and application for such sanction shall be included with the bid.

11.5 PILOT SELECTION.

A. The Meet Organizers must provide for at least 60 U.S. pilots to compete in the Nationals. The Meet Organizers may provide as many additional slots for U.S. pilots as he desires, and as many slots for foreign pilots as he desires, provided that he not exceed the total maximum number of pilots listed in the sanction application. The Meet Organizers shall be solely responsible for selecting which foreign pilots shall fly in the Nationals. With respect to U.S. pilots, the Meet Organizers shall be required to follow the selection procedures as outlined in these rules.

B. Of the U.S. pilot slots provided for in the Nationals, six must be reserved for women. In addition three pilot slots shall be set aside for distribution as follows: One pilot slot shall be allotted for Hawaii, one for Alaska, and one for the Virgin Islands. Each of these areas may apply for sanction to run a qualifying meet to choose the pilot who will fill this slot. In the absence of such a meet, it shall be the responsibility of the senior director from the associated region to determine which pilot shall be awarded the slot.

C. The chairman of the Worldwide Competition Committee shall, not less than 60 days prior to the scheduled start of the Nationals, determine, by taking the number of slots provided by the Nationals Meet Director for U.S. pilots and subtracting the three slots provided for in 11.5B and subtracting the number of pre‑qualifying pilots, the number of remaining slots to be apportioned through the regional championship meets. These slots shall be apportioned to the regions as follows:

S = T/2 * [P/M + C/R]
S = Number of slots for a region.
T = Total slots to be apportioned.
P = Region's membership population.
M = Total USHGA membership population.
C = Number of pilots competing in that regional.
R = Total number of pilots competing in all Regionals.
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The most recently held USHGA sanctioned Regionals for each region shall be used in the above computation.

F. The slots for U.S. Nationals thus apportioned to each region shall go to the pilots in order of their placement in the USHGA sanctioned Regionals in that region.

G. If at the close of registration, all slots have not been used, the Meet Director may choose to admit additional pilots up to the total number of slots originally provided for in the sanction application.

11.6 TROPHIES AND AWARDS.

A. See Section 10.5.

B. At the conclusion of the Nationals competition, the following titles shall be awarded:

1. United States National Champion ‑‑ C