"Big Bird" Fun-Fly Rules

Adopted August 16, 2000

Background:

The "Big Bird" Fun-Fly, held at Maluhia each summer, was conceived as a means of encouraging M.I.S.O. members to build and fly larger gliders. With so many members flying the venerable Gentle Lady in most contests, this contest was designed specifically to exclude the two-meter class.

I. General:

1. The event shall follow the standard M.I.S.O. format for Fun-Fly events unless noted otherwise herein.

2. All aircraft shall be hand-launched.

3. Each contestant shall launch his/her own aircraft.

4. A contestant may be granted a time extension (alibi) for repairs to an aircraft damaged in the contest.

 II. Registration:

1. All contestants shall register before the event and pay the registration fee to the Contest Director (hereafter "C.D.").

2. All contestants shall be current members in good standing of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (hereafter the "A.M.A.").

3. All contestants shall possess a valid A.M.A. Flying License (A.M.A. Card).  Any person whose flying license has been restricted or rescinded by the A.M.A. shall not be allowed to participate.

4. Each contestant shall complete the M.I.S.O. Registration Form with all pertinent information including name, A.M.A. number, model name and type, number of functions and radio channel.

5. Each contestant shall log appropriate information on the M.I.S.O. Fun-Fly Score Sheet.

6. Late registration is allowable however, any launch window(s) which has already closed by the time of registration may not be flown by the late registrant.

III. Safety Restrictions:

1. All flights, whether in competition, for demonstration or practice and trim-flights shall be in compliance with the current Official A.M.A. National Model Aircraft Safety Code (hereafter the "A.M.A. Safety Code") of the A.M.A. (*In addition to the alcohol prohibition under item #11 of the A.M.A. Safety Code, the Boy Scouts also require that alcohol be prohibited from this site.)

2. Aircraft shall be "airworthy" as described in the A.M.A. Safety Code.

3. Spectators shall remain behind the designated safety line as described in the A.M.A. Safety Code.

4. All contestants shall remain behind the designated flight line except while in the process of actively retreiving an aircraft which has already landed. Contestants may not enter the landing zone while attempting to land an aircraft.

   1.  A contestant may be granted permission to cross the flight line to maintain view of an aircraft when lift is such the he/she would lose sight of the model by remaining behind the flight line.  The contestant must, however, return behind the flight line when the aircraft has been successfully flown back to where it is safely visible from the flight line and the restriction regarding entering the landing zone remains in effect.

5. All pilots shall call out their channel number before switching on any transmitter, i.e. "Channel 28 (pause and wait for response, if there is none then switch on the transmitter and call the channel on) 28 on." All pilots shall also call the channel clear when switching off, i.e. "Channel 28 clear."

6. Any person not entered in the contest who wishes to fly should be directed to clear with the C.D. or the Safety Officer who will then check the channel board for conflicts. The non-competing flyer will then be advised of the contest flying and landing areas and asked to fly in an area which will not impact the contest.

7. All test flights or trim-out flights shall be cleared with the C.D. or the Safety Officer before the aircraft is launched.

IV. Aircraft Restrictions:

1. All contestants shall fly aircraft with a minimum wing-span of ninety(90)-inches. Any configuration glider aircraft is allowable from two(2)-channel-polyhedral ships to F3B/F3J and other "full-house" open-class ships.

2. A contestant may register and fly only one aircraft for the entire contest with the following exception.

3. A contestant may replace a damaged aircraft if:

   1. The aircraft is damaged beyond repairs which may be reasonably be expected at the field, and;

   2. The change is approved by the C.D. before the replacement aircraft is flown in any launch window, and;

   3. If the aircraft was damaged in flight, the contestant may not re-launch in the same launch window but must, instead, accept the score of the flight in which the aircraft was damaged.

4. No manner of propulsion is allowed, specifically, electric-assisted gliders, fuel (nitro-methane) and gasoline engines, rubber-powered "motors" may not be entered, even if the propulsion unit/device is not activated. Note: A glider converted from a powered aircraft may be entered if the motor/engine/power-unit has been removed from the model.

5. Parachutes, skegs, hooks or other devices designed to stop a model when it is landed are not permitted.

V. Scoring:

1. The contest shall consist of five(5) launch "windows" of twenty(20) minutes each.

2. Each flight will be scored at one-point-per-second aloft to a maximum of five(5)-minutes for three-hundred(300) points.

3. Two(2) points will be deducted per second for each second in excess of five(5)-minutes.

4. Bonus points may be awarded for spot-landing accuracy with thirty(30) points being awarded for landing on the designated spot (marker) and one(1) point subtracted for each foot away from the designated spot to a minimum of zero(0) points for landings outside a thirty foot radius circle from the designated spot.

5. Bonus points are measured using the marked cord attached to the designated landing spot and all measurements shall be made to the tip (nose) of the model.

6. Aircraft must be upright and intact upon landing. Bonus points shall be forfeited if the aircraft is overturned or damaged or if parts (including rubber-bands) have come off from the aircraft.

7. All points, including flight-time points, are forfeited if the aircraft lands out-of-bounds. For purposes of this rule, an aircraft lands out-of-bounds if it lands in a location where the score keeper (timer) can not see the landing from behind the flight line.

8. A contestant's final standing shall consist of the total of the three highest scores of the launch windows flown.

VI. Protests:

1. Protests shall be brought to the attention of the Contest Director at the time of the discrepancy or as soon thereafter as is practicable but before the opening of the next launch window..

2. All protests shall be resolved by the Contest Director prior to the opening of the next launch window.

3. Alleged discrepancies in scoring (timing) a flight or in scoring or measuring landing points shall be brought to the attention of the Contest Director immediately.

4. Alleged discrepancies in totalling scores shall be brought to the attention of the Contest Director within 30 minutes of the close of the final launch window.