Big Day in Lausanne

A quick summary of the main proposals from Friday's PG subcommittee meeting:
1. No change to glider classes / specification in Cat.1 events for this year
2. No redefinition of a paraglider just yet
2. No action to exclude women from the 'normal' selection in cat.1 events. Team sizes to be 1+1 and then reallocation as now.
3. No seperate team / individual Cat.1 events

This may seem like alot of no-change but believe me it probably takes as much if not more discussion to come up with that than it actually does to go down the route of change!
Apologies for no update last night - my laptop had reached meltdown temperature and became a piece of furniture instead of a communications device!

The 'guts' of the discussions on paraglider design / safety follow in a short form:
We started with the definition of a paraglider but after considerable toing & froing on issues of performance v design the discussion was shelved to be returned to later after consideration of safety since the two are inextricably interlinked.

The improving safety in competition discussion was tackled under a series of headings regarding gliders and certification:
1. No change from the current status quo
2. Serial class in all Cat.1 competitions
3. Gliders tested to En-D at trim
4. Restrictive design limits
5. Other limitations
6. Self certification

After lengthy debate the list was reduced to 2 proposals, namely Serial Class and a combination of items 4 and 6 which aim to address the issue of prototypes and uncertified gliders.

The 1st proposal that "Gliders in Cat.1 competitions shall be certified En-D or lower with effect from 2012 was voted out by a majority.
The 2nd proposal which was unamiously voted in is in brief as follows:

The subcommittee is aware that the introduction of new materials and new technology into paraglider design does not necessarily constitute a compromise in safety.
With this in mind it isn't the intention of the subcommittee to limit development / innovation. At the same time the subcommittee feels that there is a responsibility to ensure that all gliders actually adhere to or exhibit a demonstrable level of safety.
To achieve this the subcommittee proposes the following:
1.Introducing self-certification (which already exists under the EN testing regime) such that manufacturers will be required to publish documentation and video evidence of the paraglider in various flight characteristics in order for the paraglider to be allowed into a Cat.1 competition.
This involves the establishment of a working group to determine what will be documented and to determine the parameters under which the 'tests' will take place.
The intention is to include civl representatives, manufacturers and and experts
Working towards implementation in time for the 2011 Worlds.
2. A long term solution is to establish a new 'EN' standard whereby only paragliders conforming to this standard will be eligible to compete in Cat.1 events.
The working group will study the requirements of such a category and the feasibility and means by which the standard could be introduced.
Time scale to be: as soon as possible.
3.The group will also study the possibility of design limitations such as aspect ratio, line consumptions, weight & other options.
Working towards implementation in time for the 2012 Europeans.

The above is aimed to allow any glider whose flight characteristics can be demonstrated to be allowed to be used in Cat.1 events and makes provision for proto gliders with acceptable tendencies, production competition wings and 'serial type' paragliders, particularly those in extra small or extra large sizes which may fall outwith viable EN certification.
The working group can only be established on direction of the Plenary but in principle will be headed by Martin Scheel and supported by Harry Buntz from the dhv, Didier Mathurin French Team manager and other subcommittee members active in the competition scene.

All the above will be presented to the Plenary over the next 2 days for ratification.