NSRCA JUDGING PROGRAM
CERTIFICATION and TRAINING 2002

View FAI Certification Test

View AMA Certification Test

This program is designed to expose judges to the basic principles, current rules, and detailed maneuver demonstrations applicable to AMA and FAI Pattern judging.  Certification is issued to individuals having participated in the program.

This program will be available to anyone wishing to improve their judging skills and is not limited to NSRCA members. A modest fee (see registration form) is required to cover materials.

Certification requires individuals to attend an approved certification or re-certification seminar presenting the required elements.

Required Elements:

  1. Seminar style introduction to, and detailed discussion of, the applicable judging principles and rules using AMA and NSRCA video aids.

  2. Testing to ensure a familiarity with the basic principles and current rules as presented in a seminar and available in the appropriate rulebooks.

Preferred Additional Elements:

  1. Flight exercises designed to demonstrate proper and improper positioning and execution of maneuvers, with emphasis on complex maneuvers or elements.

  2. Group scoring of maneuvers, or sections of sequences, with post flight discussion.

 General:

  1. To ensure delivery of a consistent message, an approved seminar is defined as one presented according to the guidelines and documents of this program, the published AMA and FAI pattern rules, and approved definitions of the NSRCA Judging Committee.

  2. To ensure certified judges are familiar with the current pattern rules, certification expires upon the issuance of new rules developed during a normal rule cycle.

  3. Certification seminars may vary in format at the discretion of the presenter, provided the information presented is complete and consistent with the program.

  4. There are two recommended formats for certification seminars, one designed for initial certification and another for re-certification.

  5. Initial certification encompasses both AMA and FAI rules and flight sequences. Re-certification may be both or either, as the specific rules cycles are not synchronized. 

Initial certification includes:

  1.  Viewing the AMA Judges video with discussion of each element.

  2. A discussion of the proper method of downgrade application.

  3.  A discussion of wind correction and importance of judging track.

  4.  A discussion of maneuvers in the individual AMA and FAI patterns.

  5.  A discussion of Judging Committee decisions regarding rule ambiguities.

  6.  Completion of  tests on the AMA and FAI rules and scoring methods.

  7.  Discussion of the questions and answers to the completed tests.

  8.  Group scoring of actual flights and discussion of appropriate scores for each maneuver is highly recommended.

 Re-certification (available to previously certified individuals) includes:

  1. The same information of initial certification in a condensed form, with emphasis on rule changes.

  2. Completion of test or tests on the AMA and FAI rules and scoring methods.

  3. Discussion of the questions and answers to the completed tests.

  4. May be AMA or FAI rules specific.

  1. This entire certification process only ensures that participants have been exposed to the basics of pattern scoring, the current rules, and maneuver analysis.

  2. Persons participating in this process are encouraged to participate in judge training exercises and judge events to develop their skills.

  3. Pre-event scoring practice is recommended in order to provide individuals opportunity for gaining judging experience. 

  1. Chief Judge to organize and conduct the exercise.

  2. Schedule to avoid interference with normal meet activities, either day/evening before, or morning before competition.

  3. May present individual maneuvers rather than complete sequences.

  4. May orient individual maneuvers to avoid sun.

  5. Volunteer pilots demonstrate correct and flawed maneuvers.

  6. Groups score a small number of maneuvers or entire sequence and discuss.

  1. Individuals are encouraged to develop comfort levels with each pattern class. An online test is available to provide a metric by which to gauge knowledge of the nuances of each class. 

 The very survival, as well as the growth, of pattern requires fair and consistent scoring. This may only be achieved through study, training, and practice. Good judging, as good flying, requires an element of work. It is essential that we all put forth the effort to ensure we are capable of scoring others as properly as we ourselves want to be scored.

NSRCA JUDGING PROGRAM
TIPS FOR JUDGES

GENERAL

Arrive early.   Be considerate of the event directors by being there.  Take the extra time to review the pattern to be judged and to acquaint yourself with the box and center markers.

Be prepared. Bring a comfortable chair, sunglasses, hat, sun block, plenty of chilled fluids, a small towel (can be wetted in cooler). Consider your clothing, it may be very hot and light colored garments that cover arms and legs serve best. Bring warm and wind / rain resistant apparel if inclement weather is likely.

Be comfortable. Change your posture often. Stand and stretch when there’s a break in flying. Use your ice chest for a footrest. Ask the event personnel to reposition shade as needed during the event. Consume plenty of fluids in warm and/or windy weather to avoid dehydration. Use a towel wetted in your ice chest for cooling. Personal breaks should be scheduled regularly, notify the line director if you need an unscheduled break to be added between flights.

Ensure that you are positioned properly.  Judges should seat themselves within about a 7 to 10 meter zone behind the flyer. If you are too close an excessive amount of a maneuver may be blocked from view by the flyer or caller. Ensure that you are positioned so that any shade cover does not limit your view of the top of the box.

Educate your scribe. Explain the process of a flight and how you will communicate your scores. Explain that the scribe should concentrate on correctly recording scores and is not to watch the flight. Ensure that the scribe has the necessary items to be comfortable and efficient.

Be courteous.  But limit conversation. The flyer may find it distracting.

SCORING

Record your score.  Use a scratch pad to record your score for each maneuver without looking away from the aircraft. This is the only way to preserve the original data if the scribe makes an error. Your scribe will transcribe your score from the scratch pad to the official score sheet. (When no scribe is available, you can take a moment between flights to transcribe the scores to the score sheet.) Do not be concerned if you need an entire sheet for each flight, with practice you will find that it’s easy to record several flights on a sheet.

Score by accumulation of downgrades ONLY.  Focus on each maneuver from the straight-line entry through the straight-line exit. Tally observed downgrades. Please do not casually observe a maneuver in general and assign a number basis your impression of the maneuver.

Be independent.  Ignore the scores of other judges. Do not converse about scores. Score each maneuver on its individual value. Dismiss consideration of each maneuver as soon as you record its score.

Be confident.  You know the principles, fundamentals, and elements of scoring. Apply them to the best of your ability.  If you have a lapse in concentration and miss a maneuver, simply record NO (not observed) and continue. Please do not guess or base a (missed) score on previous maneuvers.

Thanks for judging.

 

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