World focus: Women’s World, World OLC, World Air Games…

Highlights from this year’s Bureau Meeting in October, in Iceland include: • Agreement that Italy will hold the Women’s World Hang Gliding class 1, World Hang Gliding Class 5 and possibly Class 2 Championships combined in July 2008. • Agreement that CIVL will run a trial World Online XC Competition in 2008. • Significant progress in the new FS flight scoring and verification system. Beta version should be available before the end of the year. • World Air Games – promising to be a highly prestigious event in Turin in 2009. A word of warning – the 1st Pan American Paragliding Championship, scheduled for March 2008, could be in jeopardy if Brazil does not pay its FAI membership fee. The CIVL Bureau met in Iceland this October, hosted by Agust Gudmundsson, Bureau member and head of the CIVL software working group. A warm welcome, despite chilly weather, ensured the team worked efficiently through the lengthy agenda. Reviews of the year’s Category 1 events, de-briefs on test competitions, plans for upcoming competitions and reports from the subcommittees and working groups, kept CIVL President, Flip Koetsier, four vice presidents, treasurer, secretary and adminstrator busy for several days. The bureau was pleased to agree that the Italian organisers presenting a bid to hold the Women’s Worlds class 1 hang gliding and World Rigid Hang Gliding Championships combined, at Monte Cucco at the end of July 2008. A number of concerns were raised, and subsequently allayed by the organisers. Although not unprecedented, running a Category 1 event without holding a test event is rare, and the Bureau, together with appointed Steward, Heather Mull, intend to keep a close watching brief to ensure preparations progress satisfactorily. As soon as the bid fee is paid, the dates and a link to the competition website will be published the FAI calendar. Agust Gudmundsson raised the issue of setting up a world online XC competition (WXC) to be administered by CIVL. With so many online competitions running successfully around the globe, the Bureau quickly agreed that this is an area that CIVL should explore. It was agreed that a WXC would be trialled by CIVL. Agust confirmed that it could be up and running within months, and should run until October 2008, with flights accepted from 1 October 2007. The rules are under construction, and will define carefully the flight validation process. Pilots will not need an FAI licence to participate in the trial. Watch this space for further announcements. Agust also announced significant progress in the FS flight scoring system, with a beta version soon available. Organisers will be encouraged to download the software, try it out and feed back comments. Meanwhile, the last planned version (6.2) of Race will be available early in 2009. More information will be published soon. Reporting from the FAI General Conference and the ASC (Airsports Commissions) Presidents’ meeting, Flip Koetsier outlined the ongoing plans for the next World Air Games, scheduled in Turin, June 2009. There is still some work to complete on the rules and selection processes for the CIVL ‘spectator-friendly’ disciplines to be featured: Hang Gliding and Paragliding Aerobatics, Hang Gliding Speed Gliding and Paragliding Accuracy. Participation will be by invitation. Test events are planned for 2008. It was also reported from the FAI General Conference that unless Brazil pays its FAI membership for 2007 before the end of the year, it will be suspended from 1st January 2008. This has serious implications on FAI and international airsports events that are planned to be held in Brazil next year, including the 1st Pan American Paragliding Championships. “Brazil is an incredible country to fly and the organisers are superb. A lot of money has been invested, and it would be a terrible loss if the competition could not take place because of the country’s internal politics,” commented Scott Torkelson, who was Steward at the test event last year. Meanwhile, plans for the Plenary meeting in Manzanillo, Mexico 9th & 10th February, are progressing. Subcommittee and Working Group meetings will be held on Thursday and Friday, 7th and 8th February, and there will be a Jury & Steward seminar on Thursday afternoon, 7th February. Further Jury & Steward seminars are planned to be held to coincide with several Category 1 events during 2008. Don’t forget, bids for 2010 Category 1 events must be received by 10 December 2007. This includes European and other Continental championships for hang gliding, paragliding and paragliding accuracy, and world championships for aerobatics and hang gliding Class 5 and Womens’ Class 1. Minutes of the October 2007 Bureau Meeting will soon be available for downloading at: http://www.fai.org/hang_gliding/meetings/bureau