1. Time Limits and "Official" Delays: Time limit for each flight will
start from the moment the contestant begins his/her preflight discussion with the judges,
and ends at the conclusion of the flight after taxi back (or carry back) to the judges.
During the preflight discussion, the contestant can also present documentation they
believe may be appropriate to explain or defend any unusual flight, mechanical, or scale
operational features of the aircraft. However, this should be kept brief since the clock
is running. The CD will designate actual time limit allowed. as dictated by various
logistical factors of the event at the pilots meeting. This typically is 15 minutes for
most events. Once started, such time will be extended only for officially recognized
delays such as prevailing traffic. Also an additional one half minute (30 seconds) will be
added for each "multi-engine" beyond the first engine.
1.1. If any maneuver is delayed or started and aborted due to an immediate and obvious
traffic-safety problem, the contestant will be granted a restart of that maneuver. In such
recognized cases, the clock will be extended accordingly. An abort shall not have been
deemed necessary for later restart if the maneuver was only "questionably interrupted
as an afterthought", and instinctively continued and completed by the pilot in such a
manner that it could be scored in a complete and fair manner to the contestant by the
flight judges. The decision by the witnessing flight judges will be final on such
infrequent and unpredictable events!
1.2. The clock will also be extended for prevailing ground traffic contest related
delays or safety requests to hold in taxi or takeoff without penalty to maneuver or
continuity. If "official delays" result in "engine loading" and
subsequent engine restart, the clock will also be extended if done in a timely manner
without further technical problem(s) and delay. Engine restarts caused by official delays
will be put back on the clock after restart or one minute of added time (whichever is
shorter).
1.3. If any unusual combination of these unpredictable events results in a
"formally extended time clock" as to make it unlikely to safely complete a
flight, the contestant will be permitted an out of sequence emergency landing for
refueling or, in the case of electric powered aircraft, battery replacement. The CD shall
be consulted immediately upon landing by the flight judges as to the status and unusual
circumstances leading up to this extended flight and emergency refueling. Only that
portion of the flight yet to be completed in sequence (including landing) will be
permitted immediately or later in that same flight round. This will further be decided by
the CD for suitable logistical timing within the event activities when refueling is
completed.
2. Transmitter Rule: Touching of the transmitter by
anyone other than the
contestant to make control or trim adjustment during the scored flight interval (from taxi
out to taxi back), will disqualify the entire flight. This shall also include such
violations during "trim" passes. An engine restart during taxi out or prior to
becoming airborne will briefly permit handling the transmitter by another person for
restart. However, see "Engine Restarts" for other applicable penalties for such
restarts.
3. Loudly Announce Each Maneuver Entry: The contestant or caller is expected to
loudly announce each maneuver and its beginning to assure the judges are prepared for the
specific scored item(s) to follow. Judges should not conclude the "judging period
window" until a satisfactory clean exit is recognized, in spite of the contestant
abruptly calling... "Maneuver complete"! Most maneuvers are entered and exited
in straight and level flight. Therefore the Inverted Flight maneuver (for example) must
include the half roll entry and exit. Also the combined maneuvers (for example) of tank
drop entry or exit with other "action maneuvers" must also be considered. (NOTE:
The judges should also be alert for Realism features throughout the flight as
described in Overall Flight Realism.)
4. Ground Option Limitations: Flight options listed for scoring may include only
one performed on the ground. Taxi out and taxi back is one maneuver. Scale operations may
further compliment the taxi Precision, Placement, and Realism, but they will still remain
as one listed option in scoring content. Examples include, Taxi with brakes, Taxi with
canopy movement, Taxi with folding wings, on-board engine start with Taxi, etc.
5. Engine Restarts: Engine restarts NOT caused by contest related or
"official" delays that occur after departing the immediate judging area and
prior to becoming airborne will have various deductions in score depending on when it
occurs: A minimal 0.5 point deduction penalty will apply on the informal taxi out
(or back) in the CONTINUITY portion of Overall Flight Realism (whether it is taxied or
carried). A zero score will be applicable during the first part a formal
"Taxi" maneuver (5 point loss). A zero score also applies during the roll
sequence in a formal listed "Takeoff" (10-point loss) prior to becoming
airborne. If it becomes airborne with flying speed and then immediately lands with engine
failure, it is an official flight and may not be restarted. Engine restarts will remain on
the clock and be immediately reminded to the contestant.
6. Skipped Maneuvers: If any listed maneuver(s) are
skipped from the order shown by
the contestant on the score sheet, those skipped may not be retrieved once a subsequent
maneuver has been entered or performed. If the aircraft becomes airborne with flying speed
but is also forced to land immediately thereafter, it is an official flight and all other
maneuvers have effectively been skipped without retrieval (regardless of aircraft and
options).
7. Takeoff and Landing Aborts: In the interest of safety, a takeoff or landing may
be aborted and restarted with 7 points (or 70% for each subsequent retry) rather than be
given an automatic zero. The contestant will still be on the clock for these additional
attempts. Example scoring: After the first abort, the maximum score for the first retry
is 7 points, 2nd retry is 5 points (70% of 7), 3rd retry is 3.5 points, etc. The Scale
Masters program does not want anyone to jeopardize safety of the judging line because the
pilot felt compelled to continue a bad takeoff roll or landing simply to avoid an
automatic zero score.
8. Flight Line Sequence Changes or "Mulligans": These are any
contestant requested changes to the approved flight line order, or request to go to the
end of a flight line after the contestant is on the clock.
8.1. The CD will announce in the pilots meeting which option is to be used as dictated
by the number of contestants present and the logistical schedule of the meet. There are
three options available:
A). The only flight order changes or second opportunities permitted are those for
damage repair, technical anomalies, or transportation damage or problems. All such
anomalies used to justify a flight order change must be declared by the contestant and
approved by the CD before the contestant has been put on the clock. Once the clock
is started, the contestant cannot request a second "shot" opportunity (Mulligan)
to go to the end of the line. When a "Mulligan" has been granted and the
contestant is still not ready to fly at the end of the flight round, the flight will be
forfeited.
B). No exceptions to listed flight order or "Mulligans" will be granted
whatsoever due to the logistics of the event. This choice is primarily used at the
U.S. Scale Masters Championship Event.
C). Allow one Mulligan on the first round only.
9. Maneuver change: Selected maneuver options for any flight
may be changed in
listing by the contestant for the next round flown. Such changes on the flight score
sheets are the responsibility of the contestant prior to each flight. If dropables are
used in static, they must be used in the first flight. They may be deleted in listing as a
complementing option thereafter if desired.
10. Flight Realism and Score Sheet Review: After the flight has concluded, the
flight judges shall confer to review the numerous Overall Flight Realism qualities as
described in this Guide. Identical flight Realism scoring is not required. Individual
judgment scores will still be of value for statistical averaging similar to others. Any
zero scores given for listed items in the flight shall be mutually agreed upon by the
judges at this time.
10.1. If the contestant had declared the aircraft to be Non-Aerobatic, that should be
so noted on the top left hand corner of the flight scoring sheet for any future reference.
Before the score sheets are picked up, each individual judge must put his/her initial in
the upper column heading for the flight round just concluded after verifying that all
line item scores have been included. The flight score sheet provides a space for each
numerical digit (up to three spaces). Scores should be to the nearest 1/2 point (for
example 8.5). With the exception of the perfect score of 10.0, only two of the three
spaces provided are required.
