XC League

XC League Rules XC League The XC League is open to IHPA and UHPC members using any class of hang glider, paraglider or paramotor. All flights must be flown on the island of Ireland in the current calendar year and pilots must submit and log their flight on the Leonardo site hosted by Paraglider forum within 28 days of the flight.

A 3D GPS track log that includes BOTH take-off and landing can be submitted to: http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/page/add_flight

IHPA members can view flights in the All Ireland XC League which includes all submitted IHPA and UHPC flights or Irish HG and PG Association-IHPA which shows only IHPA flights. Both these leagues can be accessed from the Home menu on Leonardo which can be found on the extreme left side of the menu bar.

UHPC members can view flights under the All Ireland XC League or the Ulster HG and PG Club – UHPC also accessible from the Home menu.

Flights can be hill-launch, tow or winch. Dual gliders are allowed but only the pilot in command scores.

Any submitted flight shown to have infringed restricted airspace, including ‘temporary’ airspace such as active parachute drop zones, will be disqualified and the track log removed.

If a submitted GPS track log shows that an infringement of airspace has occurred, even by the smallest amount, then the flight will be disqualified. No alternative evidence will be considered. It is the responsibility of the pilot to ensure that the first track log submitted is clear of airspace.

Pilots should be aware that for the majority of our XC flights the most accurate altitude measurement is obtained from a barometric altimeter set to QNH. For practical reasons GPS altitudes are used to check altitudes in the league but when flying close to restricted airspace pilots are advised to use barometric altimeter altitudes, set to QNH, as the most accurate measurement of altitude.

Tracks can be checked for airspace infringements using http://www.ihpa.ie/index.php/competitions/aircheck.

Aircheck will be the official tool used to check for airspace infringements by the UHPC/IHPA XC League administrators.

Note: Flights flown during a competition will not be entered into the XC League by the organisers.

Accompanying notes

All temporary airspace (e.g. parachute drop zones) should be regarded as active at all times unless the relevant authorities have been contacted before take-off to confirm that they are inactive. (Beware, NOTAMS can introduce temporary restricted airspace.) If the pilot fails to do this and the flight enters the temporary airspace the flight will be disqualified, even if it is later verified that the drop zone was inactive. BEFORE being posted to Leonardo, evidence MUST be submitted, providing details of:

  • Name of organisation(s) contacted
  • Telephone number used
  • Name of person answering
  • Date and time of call
  • Statement of what they said

IHPA members should submit this information to either: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UHPC members should submit this to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

NB. NOTAMs for Ireland can be quickly and easily viewed on-line here: http://notaminfo.com/irelandmap - or through the IHPA's Flight Safety - Airspace web page: http://www.ihpa.ie/index.php/home/flight-safety/airspace.

UK NOTAMs http://notaminfo.com/ukmap

Scoring

Only a pilot's 6 best submitted flights will be scored to create the aggregate total for the calendar year. Flights will be automatically scored by Leonardo using "Open Distance”, i.e. Linear Distance and “FAI Triangle”, i.e. open & closed triangles, whichever is the most advantageous methodology for the flight.

Multiple Flights

There is no need to land between submitted flights provided that complete evidence is provided for each one. For example, you could complete a triangle then fly open distance, or fly round the triangle twice without having to land in between.

Entering a Flight

Flights will be logged by uploading the IGC file into the Leonardo scoring system at: http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/page/add_flight.

Pilots must first be registered, by a league administrator, with the appropriate relevant club leagues hosted by Leonardo. If your name does not appear on the league when you enter a flight then you should contact the relevant administrator. As shown below:

IHPA Administrators:

Philip Lardner This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

David May This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UHPC Administrator:

Dave Tweedie: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ian Fraser: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more help see http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/doc/XC_league_how-to.v2.pdf

Creating a valid IGC file using GPS Dump

With your track log displayed, it is now important to select the portion of the track data that relates to the actual XC flight in question. Your GPS records data all the time it is switched on. Only submit data for specific flights, not your whole day's activity. If you did not clear your track log before taking off, then you could easily have several flights, possibly from previous dates, in the log.

  • To find the start of the flight, select the correct date and scroll down to your approximate take-off time. You may have had several hops before flying XC and these should be excluded. Scroll down until you can see significant changes in speed and/or altitude that show your last take-off. Go back a little to find a track point just before you took off. (You will notice that the position data stays reasonably stable before launch.)
  • Mark the start of the flight by clicking in the GMT Date column.
  • Now scroll down to the end of your flight (you can use the End, Up/Down direction keys or the scroll bar). Double check that the data all relates to the same date! With the Shift key held down, click in the GMT Date column to select a track point shortly after landing. This will highlight all the data points between take-off and landing.
  • With your track log points highlighted, select File | Write tracklog (IGC) from the main menu. Fill in your name and the launch site. If you have already saved a flight for this date, you must increment the Flight #(1-35) field. Then tick Long IGC Filename and G Security Record and click the Save button. Do NOT change the filename after saving, as the IGC file will show as invalid.

Note: The reason for using GPS Dump is because it is a proven, secure way of saving data directly from a flight instrument into a file. If the data or filename is altered in any way the file will fail the validity check. GPS Dump is our official FAI observer!

GPS Dump may be downloaded from: http://www.gpsdump.no/body_gpsdump.htm or through the IHPA website by going to Comps & League - Aircheck + XC & Comp Tools & Utils:http://www.ihpa.ie/index.php/competitions/aircheck#utilities-resources

Track log problems

If you find that your displayed track log is incorrect (and it shows your car journey home, for example), you can delete it, correct the problem in GPS Dump and resubmit it.

Record Recognition

The IHPA and UHPC will recognise record flights made in accordance with the FAI Sporting Code with the following relaxations and clarifications: Pilots need not hold an FAI sporting licence. Official Observers are not required. GPS track log evidence is sufficient. Barograph, GPS or flight recorders need not comply with the IGC (sporting code section 3) standards Flights crossing UK and Irish borders will be permitted.  (See section 7A 2.29.1)

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