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<DIV><FONT size=2>Matt,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>In FAI the judges should be 7 to 10 (22 feet to about 33 feet)
meters behind the pilot. This is in the Sporting Code. All judges
should calibrate themselves to the box by standing at the pilots position and
finding a distant reference for the box, then return to their chair and insure
that reference is visible. If you are too close to the pilot and caller
some maneuvers can be lost as they pass in front of the pilot. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>AMA says the judges should not be more than 10 meters (33
feet) back from the pilot The NATS judges are about 20 feet
behind the pilot. AMA also says the judges should be within the
extension of the 60 degree lines. This gives a good view of center, gives
a little better perspective of the geometry and allows good definition of the
box if the judge did the calibration.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Don</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=mjfrederick@cox.net href="mailto:mjfrederick@cox.net">Matthew
Frederick</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org
href="mailto:nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org">nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, May 12, 2007 1:29
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NSRCA-discussion] Judges'
Positioning, Zero Lines,and Box Definition</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>OK, this forum has been too quiet lately, so
let's get some controversy going! This comment/question is mainly directed to
Don Ramsey, but I would appreciate everyone's opinion. The good thing is, Don
was at the contest where what I'm about to describe happened. What I'm talking
about here is the positioning of judges behind the pilot. Under most
circumstances the judges are positioned maybe 3-5 feet behind the pilot with
each judge's seat placed on (or very close to) one of the 60-degree
lines. Now, at a contest I attended last week the judges apparently decided it
was too hot out there on the actual flight line, and they moved their chairs
about 15-20 feet behind the pilot in the shade of the shed at this particular
field. My question is, should this be something that is allowed since the
judges' chairs define the zero line of the flight line (and moving it back
this far puts spectators in danger), and also because it gives the judges an
even more skewed view of the 60-degree lines than they already have? I bring
this up partly because of what Don wrote in this month's K-Factor, but also
because I was gigged for busting the box by these "displaced" (in Louisiana we
call them refugees) judges when in fact, I knew I was close to the edge,
but since I was actually standing on the line, I knew I didn't bust it. As a
pilot I should not have to adjust the size of the box that I'm permitted to
fly in just so the judges can be more comfortable (granted, comfort in the
heat and humidity of Louisiana is relative). I didn't bring it up at the
contest because by the time it bit me, it was too late to complain. In the
future, however, I think there need to be rules regarding the positioning of
judges if there aren't already, and if there are rules, let's bring them to
light and enforce them, and you can bet I'll refuse to fly before judges that
are that far behind me. Then again, I also think the close edge of the runway
should be the zero line on maneuvers, not the judges' chairs. I did a little
(ok, a lot) of math to figure out how much box a pilot would be
missing out on with the judges postitioned 15 feet behind him. Using
approximated numbers from the contest in question I calculated that if the
poles are 40 feet out from the pilot, and the judges are 15 feet behind the
pilot, the box size at 150 meters (which is 259.81m) based on the judges'
point of view is reduced by 232.61 feet (70.9 m), or 25.2%! This would
have been even greater if the poles were closer in or the judges were further
back.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Matt</FONT></DIV>
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