SEN 3215
- Certifying Altimeter ?
- Where it is at
Certifying Altimeter ?
From PAUL CROWLEY
Roger,
Where can I find the official information on the steps that are required to have an Altimeter certified by the CIAM as a Free Flight timing device? By the way I understand the Altimeter in question has already been certified by the CIAM for use in RC soaring competitions.
Thanks,
Paul Crowley
Paul
There is extensive information on the FAI web site.
Under the page https://www.fai.org/ciam-documents there are sub-sections on the sporting code and documents. Both of these section have information on EDIC, the group that certifies electronic equipment for use in the different aeromodelling disciplines including Free Flight. Look in both sections, there are a number of documents. Some research or just searching may be needed.
It includes very detailed technical requirements. It is such that the manufacturer of the device or their agent would need to make the application because of the information required and commitment to maintain the quality of the device.
The Free Flight Technical Sub-Committee has a lead person on this space and going through them or the USA person on the FFTSC might help you. In our recent work on the About Time project we have seen quite a lot of cooperation amongst the involved parties and a willingness to share information that is very important. We can see some significant advances in this area and a new device would need to be on top of what is happening.
Where it is at
At the recent Fab Feb contests some of the international sportsmen were not familiar with the Sporting Code. To take part in a contest you need to know the “Rules of the Game”, that’s the Sporting Code. For example they did not know that to contest i.e. dispute or question the time give by your timer in a flyoff your airplane MUST be equipped with a certified altimeter and operated in the correct way. AND there is a correct procedure to dispute the time. That rule is fairly new but I was surprised that the coach of one group did not know that if a model was involved in a mid-air collision you had the choice of have a re-flight, but it had to be right away in the round. That rules has been there for a time.
The Sporting Code is on the FAI.ORG web site. Preparation for an event is not just working on the airplane. Reading the rules helps too.
While not part of the sporting code you can see how the World Cup season is going so far at :
https://www.freeflightnews.org.uk/wcup/WC24/WCP24F1.HTM