F3B - CIAM rules update

Technical Notice 2009-04-27: F3 Soaring

At the recent Plenary Meeting, the following two rules were amended and unanimously approved by CIAM with immediate effect.

Class F3B – Multi-task Model Aircraft

5.3.1.10. Safety Rules
b) After release of the model aircraft from the hand of the competitor or helper, any contact of the model aircraft with any object (earth, car, stick, plant, tow-line, etc) within the safety area will be penalised by 300 points, except in the circumstances described in paragraph 5.3.1.5 b) items 1, 2, 3, and 5, and in the case of a line break at the moment of release of the model aircraft. Contact with a person within the safety area will be penalised by 1000 points. The number of contacts during one attempt does not matter (maximum one penalty for one attempt). The penalty will be a deduction of 300 or 1000 points from the competitor’s final score and shall be listed on the score sheet of the round in which the penalty was applied.

5.3.2.2. Launching
q) After release of the model aircraft from the towline, the towline must be rewound without delay by operating the winch, until the parachute arrives at the turnaround device. During this procedure the towline should be guided by a helper to avoid damage to other competitors’ towlines. The towline must be provided with a measure, eg a stopper or a metal ring, to prevent it being drawn down through the towline pulley. The towline(s) must then be retrieved by hand to the winch. A winch must not be operated when the towline is lying on the ground and across other towlines or strikes another towline during launching.


Mrs Jo Halman
CIAM Technical Secretary
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