8th European Gliding Championships in Räyskälä, Finland, 1996

Bulletin No. 3

Helsinki 28.11.1995

This is the Bulletin Number 3 accompanying information about the 8th European Gliding Championships. The Bulletin Number 1 was published last spring and the Bulletin Number 2 on 13.9.1995.

The President of Finland is the Patron of the Championships

The President of the Republic of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari, has accepted our request to act as the Patron of the 8th European Gliding Championships. His positive attitude shows that gliding in Finland is a respected sport. We shall invite him to the opening ceremonies, but it is uncertain whether his tight schedule will allow him to be present.

The local commune, Loppi has invited the Team Captains, top officials and invited guests for a cocktail party after the Opening Ceremonies. You may not know that Räyskälä is located in the municipality of Loppi, which is very big by area, but very sparsely populated.

Dead line for the Final Entries is 1 February 1996

The amount of the preliminary entries well exceeds our expectations. We have 134 pilots from 22 countries (including reserve ones) on the list. After lengthy discussions we have decided to adopt the guidelines for the amount of final entries from the airline business. If you want an airliner to leave fully, you must slightly overbook it. Most probably there will be a few no-shows. According to the principle of equal opportunity, we want to give every country an equal possibility to send a reserve pilot.

In practice this means that we are able to accept a maximum of one reserve pilot per country. The dead line of the Final Entries is 1 February 1996. All the countries, which have sent their Final Entry Forms and paid the Entry Fees before that date have the equal chance to field an extra pilot. However, all these reserve pilots cannot fly in the same class, because the maximum amount of pilots in one class is 40 (+ 10% tolerance). That's why the quickest NACs will choose first the class of their reserve pilot.

Please find enclosed the Final Entry Forms (not in the HTML -version). There is one for each confirmed pilot and the Team Captain plus one extra for the conditional reserve pilot. Return them filled before the deadline. A photo of every pilot and Team Captain with the forms is highly appreciated. Kindly write the name on the back side of each photograph.

The entry fee is 3400 FIM and it covers all the operational costs during the Championships except Aero Tows. It should be paid not later than 1 February 1996 to the bank: KOP Helsinki-Aleksanterinkatu, account: 157230-317982.

Accommodation

Since mailing the Bulletin Number 2 we have found a company, which is based some 50 km from Räyskälä and which rents good quality caravans for a reasonable price. The rental fee for the three weeks period is only 2700 FIM. The name of the company is Lomapalvelu and the contact person is Olli Haverinen, fax +358 12 334 503. Please contact him directly.

The local motel is fully booked. Leisure Centre Laakasalo some 5 km away has organized some extra capacity in an estate next to them. The rooms are for two to seven persons. The price is 100 FIM/person/day including a good breakfast. The contact fax of Laakasalo is +358 14 448 965.

The low-cost accommodation in the near-by ex-school is still available. The price is only 30 FIM/day/person. The house is under repair at the moment. Well before the contest it will be neat and well equipped. Contact Jukka Salokannel in Räyskälä, fax +358 14 448 990.

We recommend quick reservations for any accommodations. We have many choices of different levels, but best facilities go always first. Enclosed find revised and more detailed information about different lodgings.

Eating and drinking

We are very glad to inform that we have made an agreement with the Leisure Centre Laakasalo about eating and drinking on site. They will build a cozy restaurant into one of our hangars. It will be open from early morning till late in the night. They will hire two cooks, who are specialists in Continental European food. They will concentrate on quality of food to meet good European standards. And yet the prices will be reasonable. The restaurant will be decorated to tempt people to hangar flying after the finishes. There will be result monitors, videos and music (sometimes even live). Also the permanent restaurant in the airfield will be open normally. The Laakasalo people will also organize different activities for the non-flying days. More details will follow with the next Bulletin. Very few of even us locals knew how interesting possibilities there are in the vicinity of Räyskälä.

Shipping

We urge you to make your bookings for the ships as soon as possible. Especially the return to continental Europe will take place during the peak period. Although the capacity between Helsinki and Lübeck has been doubled since last summer, the boats will be fully booked at the busiest times. The marketing body of the Finncarriers roro- boats is Marco Polo Travel. The special prices are valid only if booked directly with them. Out and return price for the trailer and car is 1800 FIM. Contact fax is +358 0 693 1330.

Viking Line is one of the shipping companies, who operates every day from Stockholm to Helsinki and Turku. They give a 50% discount of the normal prices for the participants of the EGC96. Contact person is Mrs. Carola Laaser, fax +358 0 175 551. More details were enclosed with the Bulletin Number 2.

Make your reservations today!

Finnish Evening on 31.5.1996

We offer you the opportunity to organize special evenings during the competition. There are lots of different solutions for such events. You can cooperate with restaurant keepers, use briefing hangar or the army camping facilities, which will be totally in our use during the competition period.

As a host we have chosen to have a Finnish Evening after the last practice task on Friday 31.5.1996. Some of you may remember the famous Finlandia Evening from Benalla. Our aim is to beat the quality and fun of that evening.

Book the date for your special night with the organizers. Once again, the best dates will go first.

Cambridge Aero Instruments offers GNSS Black Boxes

In Bulletin Number 2 we told that GNSS will be the main Documentation System during the Europeans 96 and that every glider must have at least one IGC approved GNSS logger on board every flight. We also urged the manufacturers to organize the leasing of the GNSS Navloggers for those who do not have their own ones. We sent the request to every manufacturer that we knew is planning to build such devices. We received two offers. One of them wanted us to guarantee a fixed amount of rentals, which we did not want to do. Until the writing of this Bulletin the negotiations did not come into a close. However, we received a really generous offer from the pioneer of GNSS documentation, Cambridge Aero Instruments. They offer their new model Black Boxes without NAV Display FREE OF CHARGE for those, who do not have one. The conditions to accept their offer are:

"The Cambridge GPS-NAV Model 20 (built in antenna) or Model 25 (separate antenna) flight recorders are available to competitors at no cost. This offer is for the recording unit only. The Cambridge GPS Navigation LCD display is also available for a rental fee of 400 USD. The following conditions apply to this offer:

This will be the only GNSS Recorder used by a competitor during the event. Cambridge GPS-NAVs will not be available as a second, backup GNSS Recorder.
The competitor, not Cambridge, is fully responsible for GPS-NAV installation.
This offer is only for this competition and associated practice days.
Cambridge will send equipment to a competitor prior to the event, if requested. In this case, the competitor is responsible for shipping costs.
The competitor must return the GPS-NAV in good working condition. Competitors will be charged for repair of damaged instruments or replacement of lost instruments.

Dave Ellis of Cambridge will be in Räyskälä during the event, but he will not do the installations. He will, however, have tools and spare instruments. Inform us with the entry forms, if you need a Cambridge Logger or if you plan to use your own approved unit.

Rules and regulations

The rules of the EGC96 were approved in IGC Meeting in Helsinki on 30.9.1995. No noteworthy changes were made to the version, which was mailed with the Bulletin Number 2. The Jury President will be Alf Ingesson-Thoor (SWE) and Jury Members Hannes Linke (USA) and Jaakko Kaskia (FIN). The Stewards will be Jacky Clairbaux (FRA) and Fred Gai (GER).

The final version of the Rules will be mailed to you along with the Local Regulations latest with the next Bulletin in February.

The Finnish Aeronautical Association has signed the agreement concerning doping tests. It means that the local Doping Committee has the right to make arbitrary tests during the competition and practice period. If you are not familiar with the international Doping rules, contact your local Olympic Committee or National Sports Organization. The rules are international. You can also request more information from us.

Tow ropes

We are planning the smoothest and fastest way to launch the big armada of gliders as soon as possible. Normally the tow planes land with the rope attached in Finland. The second solution is to have a private tow rope for every glider. However, it is expensive to buy more than 100 ropes for one contest. Therefore we ask, if you are able to bring your own ropes with you. Please fill the corresponding points in your entry forms. We will inform you later whether we need your ropes or not.

Contacts

If you have any questions what so ever, please do not hesitate to contact us. The main contact is:

Finnish Aeronautical Association (SIL)/Kai Mönkkönen
Helsinki-Malmi Airport
FIN-00700 Helsinki, FINLAND
phone: +358 0 370 316
fax: +358 0 374 1551

The others are:

Airport Manager Jukka Salokannel
Räyskäläntie 311
FIN-12820 Räyskälä
phone: +358 14 448 814
fax: +358 14 448 990

and

Competition Director Tapio Savolainen
phone: +358 0 698 0245
fax: +358 0 698 1255
Mobile: +358 500 433 059
Email: savolainen@tapio.pp.fi

EGC 1996 Preliminary entries

Country       Standard        15-meter        Open    Total
              pilots  res     pilots  res     pilots  res     pilots  res
Austria       2       1       2       1       2       0       6       2
Belgium       2       1       2       1       2       0       6       2
Czech Rep.    2       0       2       0       0       0       4       0
Denmark       2       1       2       1       2       1       6       3
Finland       2       1       2       1       2       0       6       2
France        2       1       2       1       1       0       5       2
Germany       4       0       2       1       3       1       9       2
Hungary       2       1       0       0       1       0       3       1
Ireland       2       0       1       0       0       0       3       0
Israel        0       0       2       0       0       0       2       0
Italy         2       1       3       0       2       0       7       1
Japan (h.c.)  1       0       0       0       0       0       1       0
Lithuania     2       0       2       0       0       0       4       0
Netherlands   2       2       2       2       2       0       6       4
Norway        2       2       2       2       0       0       4       4
Poland        2       1       2       0       2       0       6       1
Russia        2       2       0       0       0       0       2       2
Slovakia      1       0       1       0       0       0       2       0
Slovenia      1       0       1       0       0       0       2       0
Sweden        2       1       2       1       0       0       4       2
Switzerland   2       1       2       1       2       1       6       3
U.K.          2       1       2       1       2       1       6       3
Yugoslavia    2       2       2       2       0       0       4       4

Total 23     43      19      38      15      23       4     104      38


The Schedule

Preliminary entries due                 01. November 1995
Final entries due                       01. February 1996
Registration                            24. -- 30. May 1996
Configuration Change closes             30. May 1996 at 10.00 hrs
Official training                       26. -- 31. May 1996
First Team Captains briefing            30. May 1996 at 20.00 hrs
Finnish Evening                         31. May 1996
Opening Ceremony                        01. June 1996 at 10.00 hrs
Cocktail Party at Loppi Town Hall       01. June 1996 at 14.00
Contest flying                          02. -- 15. June 1996
Closing Party                           15. June 1996 after flying
Closing ceremony and Prizegiving        16. June 1996 at 10.00 hrs

The field will NOT be closed for training at any time before the contest.


Championships Officials

Competition Director                    Tapio Savolainen
Deputy Director                         Hannu Halonen
President of the International Jury     Alf Ingesson-Thoor (SWE)
Members of the Jury                     Hannes Linke (USA)
                                        Jaakko Kaskia (FIN)
Stewards                                Jacky Clairbaux (FRA)
                                        Fred Gai (GER)
Secretary                               Kai Mönkkönen
Meteorology                             Tapio Tourula
Chief Marshal                           Juha Silvennoinen
Search and Rescue                       Markku Rissanen
GPS (and photo) evaluation              Sakari Nyberg
Airfield                                Jukka Salokannel
Towing                                  Jorma Laine
Competition Office                      Jaana Pirtola
Scoring                                 Tapio Honkanen
Finish Line                             Riku Rissanen
Press                                   Riitta Savolainen

TS 27.11.1995

Tapio Savolainen
Kaitalahdentie 31, FIN-00840 Helsinki, Finland
tel. +358 0 698 0245
fax +358 0 698 1255
mobile +358 500 433 059

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