XC League Rules

The aim of the XC League is to encourage pilots to fly cross-country in the UK and to provide them with the means of measuring their achievements compared to others. It hopes to provide a varied and interesting level of tasks, and to go some way towards preparing pilots for world distance record attempts. And also, of course, to find a National XC Champion!

Entry to the XC League is open to all full members of the BHPA who have a Pilot or higher rating. The Pilot exam demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary for XC planning, in particular for avoiding restricted airspace. It is essential, in the current climate, that the BHPA and the flying community as a whole do everything they can to prevent future airspace infringements. If you are a Club Pilot and interested in XC flying, then please study for and take the Pilot exam first. The next Airprox filed could well chain us to the hills forever.

The XC League has a £5 entry fee, which is payable on submitting your first flight of the season. Please make your cheque out to BHPA Paragliding Competitions, write your BHPA number on the back, and send it to: XC League, 2 Willow Grove, Hoole, Chester CH2 3JZ.

If your club league is listed, you can enter flights without having to pay. If your flight qualifies for the main XC League you have the option to enter this as well.

This document is divided into the following sections:

If you have any queries about these rules, please email

 

XC League 2006
All flights must be flown on a paraglider between 1st November 2005 and 31st October 2006. A Winter League ends on the last day of March 2006. Pilots should submit their flight within one calendar month, but by 15th November 2006 at the latest. Supporting evidence (IGC track log files, barograph trace etc) should also be submitted within one month.

The XC League is open to all classes of paragliders. There will be an Overall winner and a Serial Class winner. All flights must be made on a Serial class glider for the total score to count for a Serial Class ranking. The scores of the top 4 pilots of each Club are computed to award the best Club Trophy. Flights must start in the UK by hill-launch, tow or winch. A paramotor launch is also allowed as per FAI Sporting Code Section 7 regulations. When more than one paraglider is used, the wing that was used on the longest distance is listed. Dual gliders are allowed but only the pilot in command scores.

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Flight Types
Only a pilot's 6 best flights will count. The permissible types of flight are as follows:

Open Distance (score: distance)
Open Distance flights do not have any turnpoints. Open distance flights will score the straight-line distance from the start point to the end point. The minimum flight distance is 10km.

Turnpoint Flights (score: distance)
Turnpoint Flights are open distance flights with up to 3 turnpoints. This means that you can use flight optimization software to compute your best distance. Our 3 turnpoint rule, which includes separate start and finish points, is in line with the DHV's popular Online Contest (OLC). The minimum flight distance is 15km.

Flights to Goal (score: distance x 1.25)
Flights to goal will also be scored in a straight line. The start point and goal must be declared by the pilot prior to launching. Completed goal flights score the straight-line distance multiplied by 1.25 when the majority of the flight is out of ridge lift. The minimum flight distance is 10km.

Out and Return (score: distance x 2, or distance x 2.5 when declared)
Out and Return flights commence at a start point, go round a single turnpoint, and return to the original start point. The coordinates of the start point and finish point are therefore identical. The start/finish point may be different to the actual launch/landing points but the flight distance is only measured from the start, to the turnpoint and back.

Completed Out and Return flights score the distance multiplied by 2 when the majority of the flight is out of ridge lift, or the distance multiplied by 2.5 when the flight has been declared beforehand. The minimum flight distance is 15 km.

FAI Triangle (score: distance x 3, or distance x 3.75 when declared)
An FAI Triangle is one which satisfies the FAI's 28% Rule (shortest side must be greater than, or equal to, 28% of the distance flown). To fly a triangle you must round three turnpoints, and return to the original start point. The coordinates of the start point and goal are therefore identical and for declared triangles and local records, must be one of the turnpoints. The start/goal point may be different to the actual launch/landing points.

Completed FAI Triangle flights score the distance multiplied by 3 when the majority of the flight is out of ridge lift, or the distance multiplied by 3.75 when the flight has been declared beforehand. The minimum flight distance is 15km.

Note that for non-declared triangles, using GPS verification, you can fly a loop and you will be scored the best triangle which can be fitted inside it. Your track log points must cross to complete the loop. This means you don’t have to start and finish at a turnpoint but may start midway along a leg. However for declared triangles and local records the FAI rules still apply, and your start and finish must be at one of the three turnpoints.

Flat Triangle (score: distance x 2, or distance x 2.5 when declared)
A Flat Triangle is a triangular flight as above, except that it does not conform to the FAI 28% rule. Completed Flat Triangle flights score the distance multiplied by 2 when the majority of the flight is out of ridge lift, or the distance multiplied by 2.5 when the flight has been declared beforehand. The minimum flight distance is 15km.

Note that for non-declared triangles, using GPS verification, you can fly a loop and you will be scored the best triangle which can be fitted inside it. Your track log points must cross to complete the loop. This means you don’t have to start and finish at a turnpoint but may start midway along a leg. However for declared triangles and local records the FAI rules still apply, and your start and finish must be at one of the three turnpoints.

Competition Tasks (score: distance x 1.25)
Competition Tasks fly around a number of turnpoints and on to a goal declared before take-off. They score the total distance from the start point around the turnpoints to goal, multiplied by 1.25. The minimum flight distance is 15km.

Note: Flights flown during a competition will not be entered into the XC League for you. If you made goal then you can select the Competition Task option from the list of Declared flights. All turnpoint information is pre-entered. If you failed to make goal then you can enter your flight as a Turnpoint Flight, having optimized it to get the best possible score.

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. Note, however, you can only declare one task per flight.

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Flight Evidence
The onus is on the submitting pilot to produce irrefutable evidence that the flight they are claiming took place, if challenged. The XC League is policed to ensure that no unfair play takes place, although in essence it is largely based on trust and relies on pilots entering data accurately and honestly. Pilots who are vying for position at the top of the table should be especially careful to abide by the rules and provide all the necessary proof to validate their flights.

Witnesses
Open Distance flights (i.e. no turnpoints) can still be validated with just a take-off and a landing witnesses, provided that your track is clear of certain controlled airspace - see Altitude Data below.

Track logs
Primary evidence is now considered to be a GPS track log. A track log in the form of an IGC file must be provided, within one month of the flight, to validate the following:

  • Turnpoint flights
  • Flights to Goal
  • Out and Return flights
  • Triangle flights
See GPS Help for information about recording and downloading your track logs, and submitting a valid IGC file.

The track log must provide unequivocal evidence that no intermediate landing was made and must generally substantiate the flight. Interruptions in the tracklog will not invalidate the flight provided gaps do not bring into question the continuity of the flight (generally speaking gaps of less than 10 minutes are acceptable). Notwithstanding, your track log must include your claimed start point, any turnpoints, and finish point.

Mark and Enter points are not acceptable. Witnesses are NOT allowed for turnpoints (for Out and Return or Triangle flights the start/finish point are considered turnpoints).

Altitude Data
Altitude data is required if your track log or direct-line track on any flight takes you:

  • under airspace with a lower limit of 2500 feet or below
  • over any controlled airspace, for example ATZs, CTRs (Lynham, Brize Norton etc), prohibited areas
Altitude data can be provided from either a 3D track log, or a 2D track log and a separate barograph trace. If you intend making flights close to the above airspace, you should consider buying a GPS or flight instrument which records altitude data. A selection of popular instruments that do is shown below:
  • Garmin 76, 72, some Geko and some eTrex models
  • MLR XP24C Free Flying
  • Brauniger Compeo and Competino
  • Flytec 5030 and 5020
  • Aircotec Top Navigator and XC Trainer
Note that the ubiquitous Garmin 12/12XL does not record altitude data.

If only a 2D track log is available and the flight passed under airspace with a lower limit of 2500ft or below, then the flight will be scored to the edge of that airspace as long as the pilot is able to convince the panel that the whole flight remained legal (i.e. the pilot landed just under the airspace).

 

Entering a Flight
The new XC format is (hopefully) self explanatory. Enter the data requested in the fields provided and use the Help buttons for extra information.

Filling in web forms can be particularly tedious, but we have endeavoured to make this process as user-friendly and painless as possible. Please be careful with your spelling and capitals when you are entering text fields. Entries like adVANCE Omga 6 as the glider, or long MIND as the takeoff are visible to everyone and make both this website and the pilot concerned look unprofessional.

Don't worry if you do make a mistake - you can edit your flight details later. This option is available when you are logged on and view your flight.

If you are using a GPS to validate your flight then you can now upload your tracklog directly to the XC League. Make sure you are logged on, then view your flight and click the Upload button. See GPS Help for information about recording and downloading your tracklogs, and uploading a valid IGC file.

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Declared Flights
Declared Flights are Flights to Goal, Out and Return or Triangle flights that are declared in advance. You can make your declaration in either of two ways:

Each of these methods will provide a time-stamp for your declaration that will be valid for 24 hours. You must state: BHPA No, Surname, Start grid ref, [optional turnpoint grid refs], Goal grid ref and approximate length of flight.

For example, a Flight to Goal would be declared as follows:

  • 12345, Surname, SN123123, SN456456, 55k

You can only declare one task per flight. If you make two separate flight declarations on one day, only the last one is valid. Successful declared flights score the distance flown, multiplied by a specific factor - see Flight Types. This will not show when you first enter the flight, but once the declaration and GPS tracklog have been verified you will be awarded the multiplier. You should upload the IGC file within one month of the flight. See GPS Help for information about downloading your tracklog and submitting a valid IGC file.

Note that Competition Tasks are, by their very nature, officially declared flights, and you do not need to make a declaration yourself. You will however, have to enter these flights into the XC League yourself.

Cylinders
To align the XC League with the latest FAI Sporting Code, the XC League uses Cylinders as your observation zones for Declared Flights. A Cylinder is defined as the airspace in a vertical cylinder of 400 meter radius centered on a GPS Waypoint and your GPS track log must show that you were in it. There must be either:

  • A tracklog point within the Cylinder zone, or
  • A pair of consecutive points not more than 30 seconds apart for which a straight line drawn from the first point to the second point passes through the Cylinder.

Scoring
The scored distance will be the minimum distance it is possible to fly by entering the declared cylinders. For example; if you declare a 25km triangle your flight would only score 22.6 km (25 - (6 * 400m)). So, in order to complete a 25km speed triangle, you would have to declare a 27.4 km triangle although it would still be possible to complete it by flying 25 km.

For more information, including diagrams, see the FAI Sporting Code.

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GPS Help

Reading GPS coordinates
Ordnance Survey Landranger coordinates in the form AB123456 are required, where AB is the two-letter reference to the 100km square, 123 is the easting and 456 is the northing. When reading OS coordinates from a GPS, ensure that the Map Datum is set to Ord Srvy GB (rather than the default WGS84) and that the Position Format is British Grid. Your GPS will display more than three digits for each part of the coordinate, so just use the first three digits. For example, SU 12345 12345 should be entered SU123123.

Note that the MLR GPS does not display the Landranger two-letter reference, but instead adds two extra digits to each part of the coordinate. When you are entering a flight, you can use our MLR Converter which can be found by clicking the Grid Reference Help button.

Recording a GPS track
Make sure you clear your tracklog before your flight, and that tracklog recording is turned on. For Open Distance and Turnpoint flights, it is useful to press Mark and Enter when you land, to create a reference waypoint for your landing position. Alternatively, you can download your track later to a GPS mapping program and use its flight optimization option to calculate your best distance. A selection of popular GPS mapping/flight analysis programs is shown below:

For declared flights you must select your turnpoints before the flight, make a declaration, enter the route into your GPS and fly around the turnpoints in the declared sequence. Your tracklog will be checked to ensure you have entered your declared observation zones at all turnpoints.

Downloading your tracklog
To download your tracklog and create a valid IGC file you will need to download a small program called GPSDump. This is free software and is the only authorized program for creating IGC files for the XC League. Make sure you have the latest version, as it is updated as new flight instruments come out. Run the program and follow the instructions below:

  • Make sure your flight instrument is set for data transfer

  • Set the Com Port in GPSDump by selecting Misc | Set COM port from the main menu

  • Read the tracklog by clicking Logs on the main menu, then select your flight instrument type

  • Your tracklog will now be read into GPSDump

Creating a valid IGC file
With your tracklog 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 and we do not want your whole day's activity. If you did not clear your tracklog before taking off, then you could easily have several flights, possibly from previous days, in the log.

  • To find the start of the flight, make sure that you have the correct date then scroll down to the approximate time that you believe you took off. 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 takeoff. 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 is all 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 takeoff and landing.

  • With your tracklog 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 fail our validity checks.

Note: The reason we only allow the use of GPSDump 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. GPSDump is our official FAI observer!

Uploading your tracklog
Your tracklog should be submitted within one month of your flight. You can upload your tracklog directly to the XC League at any time. Make sure that you are logged on to the website, view the flight in question and click the Upload button. Now browse for and enter your saved IGC file and click Next. You will have to wait a short time for the flight to be processed, after which you will be taken back to the XC League table.

Tracklog problems
If you find that your displayed tracklog is incorrect (and it shows your car journey home, for example), you can delete it, correct the problem in GPSDump and re-upload it. To delete your tracklog use the Click here to edit flight details link when you are viewing your flight.

If your tracklog upload fails, tell us about the problem and email it to us at:

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Policing and Airmanship
The XC League has a significant part to play in the British Pilot Ranking Scheme (BPRS). The BRPS is the first port of call for the Competitions Panel when decisions have to be made on selecting the British squad, from which the World and European teams are picked. Therefore it is only fair that we actively police pilots who are in the top 25% of the league. As a rule of thumb, all flights of around 50k and over will be checked.

Consequently pilots who do fly good distances will know that they must have all the proof required to validate their flight. Flights that are submitted without proper proof will be deleted from the XC League.

Cheating and poor airmanship may lead to disqualification with publicity. Pilots wishing to protest another pilot for poor airmanship or cheating should do so within one month of the flight concerned - email

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