Acheiving Silver Distance 50KM

On Jul 15, 3:26 am, Scott Alexander <liv2s...@*****.com> wrote:
> Can just anyone be a witness to the 50km if you do a straight line distance
> and land at another airport?  

A field is fine as well.... :)


> For example, if my wingrunner who is a commercial pilot, drags the trailer
> to a declared airport 50km away and then come to pick me up there, can he
> official witness this?
>
> Will this count?  I don't have a gps data logger.

In the UK you need to take a form with you (we have them printed out
in the shelves in our clubhouse) which need signing by two Joe
Bloggses or one Official Observer stating where you landed. There is
also no need to do a declaration before the flight if you are going to
land far enough away. However, you need to watch out for your height
lose, from where you are released to where you land. If it's over
1000m (I think that's the value) you have to fly further. So, if you
are on a hill-top site and land in the lowlands it can be an issue.

>> Can you define an "Official Observer" what do you have to do to become
>> an "Official Observer"???- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
> The qualifications for to be an Official Observer aren't prohibitive,
> you just need to have earned a Silver Badge.

I thought it was a B badge.


A0s far as landing
> witnesses, you either need ONE Official Observer, or TWO people who
> aren't. I think most of this is explained if you follow the links
> above.

> However, you need to watch out for your height
> lose, from where you are released to where you land. If it's over
> 1000m (I think that's the value) you have to fly further. So, if you
> are on a hill-top site and land in the lowlands it can be an issue.

I'm pretty certain it's 1%, i.e. 500 metres (work on 1500 ft and you'll
be fine). So if you take a 2,000 ft tow (600 metres), climb straight off
tow and land at the same altitude as your launch airfield, you have to
fly 60 km. In other words, your height loss must be no more than 1% of
the straight line distance, and the flight must be over 50 km.

Height loss is measured from your lowest point immediately after
release (or tug pilot certification of release height if there's no low
point), so one option is to find a thermal, open airbrakes, descend to
whatever height you've worked out you need, and then climb back up.

You need a barograph to record that you made the flight without landing
half way and taking another launch, and that barograph will also record
your lowest point after release.

On Jul 14, 7:26 pm, Scott Alexander <liv2s...@*****.com> wrote:
> Can just anyone be a witness to the 50km if you do a straight line distance
> and land at another airport?  
>
> For example, if my wingrunner who is a commercial pilot, drags the trailer
> to a declared airport 50km away and then come to pick me up there, can he
> official witness this?
>
> Will this count?  I don't have a gps data logger.

SCOTT,
PLEASE VISIT THE SSA WEBSITE. LOOK AT SOARING ACHIEVEMENT, BADGES.
THERE IS ALL THE INFORMATION YOU REQUIRE TO DO YOUR SILVER DISTANCE
AND BADGE. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THE SILVER
BADGE APPLICATION FORM. IT IS MUCH MORE THAN AN APPLICATION. IT TELLS
YOU EXACTLY HOW TO DO THE PAPERWORK AND DESCRIBES VERY WELL THE
ALTITUDE CONTRAINTS FOR DISTANCE AS WELL AS CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE
OTHER REQUIREMENTS.

WHERE ARE YOU FLYING?

HAVE FUN GETTING YOUR SILVER. BADGE FLYING IS CHALLENGING, REWARDING,
AND FUN!

JOHN