• East Coast Hand Launch Glider Festival - 2010
  
  
  
  Down East Soaring Society is pleased to announce the 9-th annual
  East Coast Hand Launch Glider Festival on August 27-29, 2010
  in Wilson, North Carolina.
  
  After some long discussions among the club members we decided that it
  would be beneficial for the contest to be a qualification event for the USA
  team selection finals. As you know, the qualification program ends in
  August. Therefore we had to change our traditional date from the late
  September - early October to the last weekend of August. This will hopefully
  attract those pilots who have not qualified yet for the USA team selection
  finals by that time and give them the last chance to do so. At the same time
  we hope it will also attract more beginner pilots who can benefit from flying
  in a contest with a large number of expert pilots. The change of the date
  unfortunately makes it impossible for ECHLGF to be on the ESL calendar.
  Therefore ECHLGF will not be an ESL event.
  
  Registration will be started shortly and we will announce it here. We do not
  expect to have to limit the number of pilots, but we will make the final
  decision later.
  
  
  • Fun fly, several practice contest rounds on Friday, August 27
  • F3K tasks with some modifications on Saturday and Sunday, August 28-29
  • Best pilots go into the Fly-Offs on Sunday
  • Free entry if this is your FIRST ever contest
  • Lunch provided on Saturday and Sunday
  • On-field dinner (possibly) on Saturday
  
  Here is a link to the Google map of the field: DESS field (Google map)
  
  Click the link or the map below to get directions to the field from your place!
  
  
  
  
  Please, make your travel arrangements now and free up your last weekend in
  August for this great event. We will be posting more information as it
  becomes available. Watch this thread for more announcements!
  
  The preliminary plans include fun flying on Friday morning/noon time, then
  likely a few informal contest rounds to practice the contest tasks for
  beginners and get warmed up for the experts! We may also try some other
  fun flying activities, like HL cross-country, etc.
  
  Saturday and Sunday we will have our usual hard core competition with the
  best pilots of the East Coast and hopefully several from the West Coast!
  The Fly-Offs on Sunday are a huge spectacle for everybody.
  
  Post your thoughts, suggestions, expectations, etc. in this thread.
  
  PS. We (DESS club) are considering submitting a bid to host the USA team
  selection finals. The final decision has not been made yet, but we would like
  to hear your thoughts and will definitely need your support on this matter! If
  we are awarded the honor to run the team selection finals, all qualified pilots
  will have a chance to fly on the field of the future team selection event
  during the ECHLGF, on August 27-29.

Oleg,

Looks like it will be a busy month for you.
German Open and EHLGF back-to-back.

-Kai

The ECHLGF-2010 web-site is up: http://olgol.com/ECHLGF-2010/
The tasks are from last year and will most likely stay as they are.
The F3K rules are also from last year for now and do not have the new modifications.
When we decide on how we will be doing the registrations, I will post the info here!

Count me in, vacation scheduled.

Brian Padovini, 2.4

But why can it not count for the ESL?

There is already an ESL Thermal Duration (think winch launched) contest scheduled on that weekend. The ESL generally runs TD contests no more frequently than every other weekend. The F3K (HL) contests are also no more frequent than every other weekend and they fit in the weekend that are not taken by TD contests.

I like the concept of moving the ECHLGF to August. That allows the contest to be a team selection qualifier and should promote interest in the contest. This extra interest will be especially seen if DESS wins the right to host the team selection contest. As Oleg mentioned; guys who are serious about making the team will be looking for a chance to practice at an actual contest on the actual team selection site.

Go for it DESS! Submit your bid to host the team selection contest. You need not coordinate with others who wish to host the team selection contest. It is actually good to have multiple bids to host the contest since it shows the AMA that there is a lot of interest in F3K.

Originally Posted by Phil Barnes

Go for it DESS! Submit your bid to host the team selection contest. You need not coordinate with others who wish to host the team selection contest. It is actually good to have multiple bids to host the contest since it shows the AMA that there is a lot of interest in F3K.

Thanks for the support! It means a lot because we are not sure of how well this will be received by the pilots. It is a big responsibility and the club members are a little wary of taking the plunge.

Oleg

You guys all do a great job. Put in the bid. You have a great field.

Jeff

Originally Posted by olgol

It means a lot because we are not sure of how well this will be received by the pilots.

A month ago or so a top pilot and I were chit chatting about clubs that might decide to host the team selection. Not really having any inside info, just shooting the breeze. The DESS field was one of the fields he specifically mentioned that he felt would be ideal.

So yeah, I think you'd have the support of the community. Best of luck with the DESS, guys.

Ryan

Now I think I understand. Team selection is a separate contest?

walt

Walt, my understanding is you have to participate in selection qualifiers and earn placement points. Then only the top X number of people (points dependant) get an invitation to the actual team qualifier. Then from there Team USA is chosen based on performance.

DESS has an awesome field, and I think your crew would put on a top class contest for the qualifier.

Good luck, Brian P.

Originally Posted by ROOSWH

:
Now I think I understand. Team selection is a separate contest?

Yes, team selection is a stand alone probably 3 day contest held in September or October 2010. Oleg is suggesting that in addition to the DESS in August his club is considering putting their name in to be the club that hosts the 3 day team selection contest.

You can read about the requirements to attend the team selection here:

http://www.f3k.us/page2.html

But in a nutshell if you fly a big contest like Bruce/IHLGF and finish in the top 10 overall you are entitled to enter the team selection. If you attend a 2 day smaller contest, say one with 22 total pilots, you need to finish in the top 5 overall. You can enter as many qualification contests as you like. And there are many such contests including 3 this month.

Originally Posted by I_Can't_Fly

Then only the top X number of people (points dependant) get an invitation to the actual team qualifier.

For the 2011 team at least, X is not a defined number. It is however many people meet the requirements on f3k.us.


Ryan

Ok I got a few what if questions about the US team selections process.

What if you place high enough in the qualifier, to fly in the final US team contest. And you don’t care anything about going to Sweden next year. Should you choose not to compete in the finals and give someone else that spot ?

What if the same few pilots place high in most every contest. How can they fill more than 10 places unless you use a lower placements in the qualifiers?

What if we have pilots form other country’s placing high in a contest. Could this eliminate some US pilots from qualifying ? Or would they pick the next highest placing US pilots?

What if you attend a contest where the top dogs aren’t there and you place high. I guess this will qualify you but not necessarily deserving of the honor.

What if I just forget about all of this and just go fly?

Originally Posted by Brady Baggs

What if you place high enough in the qualifier, to fly in the final US team contest. And you don’t care anything about going to Sweden next year.

Why wouldn't anyone want to go to Sweden? Given the chance it would be a trip of a lifetime and a major honor.

Originally Posted by Brady Baggs

Should you choose not to compete in the finals and give someone else that spot ?

The finals are not a limited invitation thing. Whoever qualifies via these rules is entitled to attend the finals.

http://www.f3k.us/page2.html

If people qualify and choose not to attend the finals that is their business but won't affect anyone else.

Originally Posted by Brady Baggs

What if the same few pilots place high in most every contest. How can they fill more than 10 places unless you use a lower placements in the qualifiers?

There are a lot of qualification contests. Oleg will probably be in the top 5 next weekend, then he will probably be in the top 10 at The Bruce and what not. He will effectivly be double or triple or quadruple qualified.

Originally Posted by Brady Baggs

What if we have pilots form other country’s placing high in a contest. Could this eliminate some US pilots from qualifying ? Or would they pick the next highest placing US pilots?

That is currently under a bit of debate but the chair of the team selection comitte has indicated that he believes in this case that it will reduce the # of US pilots qualifying at that particular venue. So say at The Bruce 5 international pilots are in the top 10, then only 5 US pilots would qualify from The Bruce but those US pilots have lots of other contests they can also attend to attempt to qualify. Once you qualify you are not unqualified.

Originally Posted by Brady Baggs

What if you attend a contest where the top dogs aren’t there and you place high. ?

Lucky for you? There will probably be some of this going on, but I think you will find that at just about every contest there are several very good pilots in attendence.

Ryan

What if you place high enough in the qualifier, to fly in the final US team contest. And you don’t care anything about going to Sweden next year. Should you choose not to compete in the finals and give someone else that spot

You should fly the contest and put pressure on the top pilots to fly better.

What if the same few pilots place high in most every contest. How can they fill more than 10 places unless you use a lower placements in the qualifiers?

Last years test makes me think there seems to be enough qualifier contests that we will have a diverse group of qualified pilots. There are even more qualifying contests this year.

What if we have pilots form other country’s placing high in a contest. Could this eliminate some US pilots from qualifying ? Or would they pick the next highest placing US pilots?

At this point the general census is the international pilots will displace someone if they finish high.

What if you attend a contest where the top dogs aren’t there and you place high. I guess this will qualify you but not necessarily deserving of the honor.

You beat the field, you deserve to fly in the team select!

The team select event will be a great contest with the best talent we have in the US going head to head. The guys that do not place in the top 3 will play a big role in the selection process. It is the field that will make sure the top guys earn the points in every round! If I don't make the team I will hold my head high knowing I forced the top 3 to to fly their best and work harder to make the cut.

Bruce