To Manufacturers, Test Laboratories, Delegates and Pilots

A new paragliding CIVL Competition Class (CCC) have been implemented last February. It will be in full effect in Roldanillo, Colombia, for the coming World Championship starting January 10, 2015.

Deadline for Manufacturers to certify their CCC gliders is 3 months before the championship: October 10, 2014.

The date of certification is the day CIVL has received the required documents from the Test Laboratories.

In Ronaldillo the following will be accepted:

• New CCC certified gliders, only if the models come in sizes covering a top weight range from 100 to at least 125 kg.
• Any EN A, B and C glider on the condition that it has been certified before October 10, 2014.
• Any EN D glider on the conditions that its flat aspect ratio is 7.0 or less and that it has been certified before October 10, 2014.

In the light of Note 1 in Chapter 6 of the CCC Document (basically, pilots must be allowed to fly with the gliders they’ve just bought), the point 6-2-b has been modified so will also be accepted:

EN gliders with flat aspect ratio between 7.0 and 7.9 on the condition that:

• They have been EN certified in time for the Kopaonik European Championship.
• Their lines are in conformity with CCC requirements, including the risers limiters.
• CIVL has received from the Test Laboratories the proper information needed for glider controls (see Annex B).
• The User’s Manual has been updated in accordance with CCC requirements and is available online on the Manufacturer website.

The deadline to meet these conditions is December 10, 2014.

Pilots’ gliders must be equipped with the new lines and risers limiters for the Roldanillo World Championship. Non-equipped gliders will not be allowed to fly.

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Controls were implemented according to the CCC Document in the late Kopaonik European Championship.

These controls have underlined weakness in the CCC document, concerning mainly the “verifications in competition”.

In this respect, the CCC Document will be adjusted. Verifications will be simplified.

An Annex B is published, stating general principles and detailing what is controlled, how, on which bases, and how gliders that fail are penalized.

Please be aware of these changes and processes.

They will be published on CIVL website.

Pilots are encouraged to verify that their gliders, CCC or EN, are indeed in conformity with the CCC requirements so they will pass the controls defined in Annex B.

Annex B will start with the following general principles:

- Processes, documents and any modification are published on the CIVL website.

- Reliable measurement instruments and processes must be in place before the controls are fully implemented in Category 1 competition.

- Measures are taken by the Test Laboratories after the flight tests. Test Laboratories verify that the Manufacturer Manual measurements comply with the tolerances.

- The Test Laboratories send the Manufacturers Manual measurements to CIVL in a template .xls file. These measurements are the basis of CIVL controls. Tolerances applied are specified in the CCC document.

- The glider User’s Manual must include the same measurements as the Manufacturer Manual.

- Pilots are reminded that modifications that take a glider outside certification are not permitted (Section 7 - 11.1.2), whether the modified part of the glider is controlled or not.

- Controls others than described here can be done if thought necessary.

- Controls are done after a complaint or at the discretion of the Meet Director. Pilots must make available the glider or other equipment for checking, immediately upon any such request. It is suggested that:

• Task winners' gliders are controlled.
• If such gliders have already been controlled, they can be controlled again (primarily lines only). In this case, gliders arriving 2nd are also controlled.
• Podium gliders are controlled (primary lines only if they have already been controlled).
• Meet Directors anticipate and control potential podium gliders before the final day, so on this day only primary lines have to be controlled.

We wish you the very best with your old or not so old EN gliders or/and with your new CCC gliders. Happy flights in competition or in leisure.