a)Aeromodelling Gold Medal

Vilim Kmoch (Croatia)

Radoslav Cízek (Czech Republic)

A Aarts (The Netherlands)

a)Paragraph A12, Effective Date of Rule Changes - United States of America (USA).

For all classes, rule changes from the current Sporting Code will become effective only when the following Sporting Code is issued. The only exceptions will be for real safety matters and for absolutely indispensable rule clarifications; also changes affecting noise. Changes to model specifications involving model size and/or power limits and the introduction of new manoeuvre schedules shall receive separate consideration in each case, allowing for World Championship schedules. These rule changes should become effective the first of a non-world championship year for the event(s) affected.

The guideline to be applied for proposed exceptions is whether necessity is involved rather than desirability or mere rule improvement. Technical rule changes affecting model, engine or equipment for flying must be accompanied by supporting data.

Within seven weeks after the Plenary meeting, the FAI will submit an Amendment List with accepted proposals

a)B.2.3. Continental Championships - Bureau. Amend to read:

These are limited international contests in which the competitors are nominated by their NAC and are persons or teams from at least three four classification and should be organised only in the years when there is no world championship in the particular class.

Reason. To align with the General Section of the Sporting Code (Paragraph 3.5.3.)

b)B. 3.2. Sporting Licence - Bureau. Amend to read:

Every competitor and team manager entering an international contest must possess a Sporting Licence of the FAI. This Sporting Licence is issued by the NAC of the competitor or team manager under the conditions of the General Section of the Sporting Code and must bear the national identification mark.

Reason: To permit some form of sanction action to be taken against a team manager acting in an unsportsmanlike way.

c)B.3.4 Age Classification of the Contest. - Russia Amend the first sentence as follows:

A competitor is considered to be a junior up to and including the calendar year in which he attains the age of 18 21 . All other competitors are classed as Seniors.

Reason: Expansion of the age for juniors up to 21 will have a favourable effect on increasing the number of countries/entrants for World and European Championships. Besides. it will allow to train juniors as a reserve contingent for senior national teams on a regular basis. Competition organisers experience (according to the statistics) some difficulties in recognising Junior Championships as such. In the majority of sports disciplines, including aeromodelling, the age for juniors is 21 years.

d)B.3.5. National Teams for World and Continental Championships - Control line Subcommittee. Amend to read:

A national team shall consist of three individual competitors, or three pairs of competitors for each category as a maximum, and a Team Manager. For control line (F2) only, the team may consist of four individual competitors or four pairs of competitors for each category as a maximum provided that the fourth competitor is/are junior(s), plus a Team Manager. The reigning World or Continental Champion would have the right (subject to the approval of his National Airsports Control) to participate in the next world or continental championships in that category regardless of whether he qualifies for the national team or not. If he is not a member of the national team, his score will not be considered in the team results.

Reason: See 4.B.g) below.

g)B.12.2. International Team Classification - Control line Sub committee. Amend sub paragraph B.12.2a):

Reason: The issue of clarification of junior participation as a team member of F2 teams at Continental and World Championships is not a matter for proposal but one for proper wording of the amendment adopted previously. As minuted in the 1995 Bureau Minutes (page 5, item 9) the President noted that the decision to adopt the original French proposal had ben taken at the 1993 Plenary but the implementation at the 1994 WC in China was flawed. A better wording was requested of the technical meeting ad committee. Further requests came from the Sub committee Chair who indicated at the 1996 Fall Bureau meeting that the system worked well at the 1996 F2 World Championships in Sweden and recommended continuation for at least two more World Championships. The changes proposed are in response to the requests of the President and the Plenary.

b)1.2 General Characteristics for Aeromodels

Noise limits apply to all aeromodelling categories. Limit per model is 96 dB (A) at 3 metres when measured over concrete or 94 dB (A) when measured over short grass. Further noise reduction may be imposed in category-specific rule sets. Unless otherwise specified, noise measuring procedure must comply with the procedure delineated in rule 5.1.2 of the present sporting code.

Reason: Clarification. Worldwide, noise reductions on air traffic are enforced. The FAI recommended overall noise reductions for all air sports during the general conference of 1997. The present rule in section 4 of the sporting code failed to impose significant noise reduction for most categories - no significant effort was made in F1C, F2A, F2C, F2D, F3C and F4.

This proposal intends to impose a blanket noise reduction for all aeromodels that should prevent any combustion engine being used without an efficient noise muffler. The intent of the rule as it was written in the early 1990s was exactly as stated here. Sadly, it was bypassed by some subcommittees who obtained derogations (F1C, F2A) arguing about a limited time of a motor run. For other categories, fake silencers were introduced in the definition of the models (F2D, F3C) based on physical dimension, not on effective noise reduction. These appendages are essentially useless in their function as "silencing devices".

Many categories of combustion engine powered model aircraft are no longer allowed in several densely populated countries because they are too noisy. Imposing a blanket noise reduction will significantly contribute to the regaining of the popularity of aeromodelling.

a)2.3.9 - Israel. Amend to read:

Except for Indoor and Scale, each model must bear the nationality abbreviation of the International Olympic Committee and for Free Flight models the FAI licence number or the National Identification Number of the competitor., all this on the upper surface of the wing. The letters or figures of the national abbreviation must be at least 25 mm high and appear at least once on each model (preferably on the upper surface of the left wing for Free Flight models). See Annex 2 in Section 4b and examples on the following pages.

Reason: Until recently, the FAI licence of the competitor appeared only on the FAI sticker and since it is just a code there is no necessity to show it using big letters or figures.

Competitors with long FAI numbers need to cover a certain part of the wing un-necessarily.(In Israel, we use a seven-digit number ........).

a)4.1.7 Control Handle and Pylon Fork (Diagram) - France. Amend:

b)4.1.18 (New) International Team Classification - France. Add a new paragraph:

4.1.18 International Team Classification

a)4.2.8. Number of Flights - France. Amend to read:

At World and Continental Championships and other limited international contests, each competitor is entitled to two qualifying flights, in World Championships during the first 2 - 3 contest days (depending of the number of entries). A maximum of 45 to 50 flights per day is recommended. The 15 highest scoring individuals, on the basis of their highest single score in the qualifying flights of both senior and junior competitors, are entitled to three final flights, which in World and Continental championships will be flown on the third contest day. For Open International contests, each competitor is entitled to three flights. Under exceptional circumstances, the FAI Jury may reduce the number of flights.

(Definition of the draw with three days?)

Reason: Clarification of the rules:

b)4.2.13. Judges and Timekeepers. - Control Line Sub committee. Amend:

The organisers must appoint a panel of at least three judges who shall preferably, each be a different nationality and be selected from a list of persons who are approved by National Airsports Controls for their proficiency and experience. The same personnel may duplicate duties for Aerobatics, Speed or Team Racing according to programme of events. In the case of W/Ch and C/Ch in Aerobatics the panel of judges must be increased to five. At World Championships and other limited entry international competitions the judges must be of different nationalities. The judges must be the same for all competitors in any particular series of flights. In this case, be selected from a list of persons proposed by National Airsports Controls for their proficiency and experience and approved by the CIAM. In the case of World and Continental Championships, the panel of judges must be increased to five. At World Championships and at other limited entry international competitions, the judges must be of different nationalities. In open international competitions the judges must be of at least two nationalities and, if the panel is composed of five judges (recommended) only three of them must be approved by CIAM. The judges must be the same for all competitors in any particular series of flights. In the case of five judges the highest and lowest score card for each flight will be discarded and only the three middle scores shall be counted. Aerobatic judges will be responsible for observing each attempt at an official flight and to record their awarded score for each manoeuvre as it is executed. Each judge will be provided with a secretary. There shall be training flights for judges, with a briefing before and debriefing after, to be held immediately before every W/Ch and C/Ch in this class. In aerobatics, a master timekeeper shall give visual indication of elapsed time from the moment the competitor gives a hand signal prior to starting his motor, at one minute, three minutes and seven minutes stages.

Reason: See 4.G4.f)

a)4.3.7. Race from Start to Finish

b)4.3.9. Warnings- Eliminations - Sweden Add a new sub paragraph h) :

c)4.3.10 Team Qualifications and Classification

d)4.3.12. Jury and Timekeepers.

a)4.4.5. Characteristics of Combat Model

b)4.4.6. Controls - Technical Verification. - Control Line Subcommittee.

c)4.4.8. Streamer. - Control Line Sub committee.

Replace the diagram:

See Annex E. 1.

d)4.4.16 Classification. Russia. Amend 4.4.16.j)

Previous opponents and competitors of the same nationality shall be drawn apart if possible with competitors of the same nationality to fly against each other only if there are no remaining opponents.

Defending champions are considered as individuals not possessing any specific nationality. A defending Champion is considered as an individual but he shall not be matched by a draw against the members of his national team.

Reason: The present team classification is exposed to playing into the hands of one’s national team. Defending the title of World Champion at the 1998 World Championship in Kiev, V Beliajev was matched by draw twice against the members of his national team.

e)4.4.17. International Team Classification. - France

f)4.4.18. Judges and Timekeepers. - Control Line Sub committee. Replace:

The organiser shall appoint a panel of three CIAM approved judges, for open internationals only one needs to be CIAM approved) and who shall be of at least two different nationalities. The judges must have at least one language in common. Three timekeepers/scorers, efficiently briefed about their task and trained on the field during the practice flights, shall be allotted to each competitor for World and Continental Championships two for open internationals. They are only responsible for the competitor's score. If required, they can ask the advice of the judge/circle marshal.

The organisers shall appoint a panel of three judges who shall be selected from a list of persons proposed by National Airsport Controls for their proficiency and experience and approved by the CIAM. The judges must have at least one language in common. At World Championships and other limited entry international competitions the judges must be of different nationalities. In open international competitions the judges must be of at least two nationalities and only two of them must be approved by CIAM.

a)4B.3 Competitors Activities During the Race. - Control Line Sub committee. Add a new 4B.3.4:

a)Paragraph 3 Contests - Control Line Subcommittee. Amend:

Contests included in the World Cup must appear on the FAI Contest Calendar and be run according to the FAI Sporting Code. The contests to be counted for a World Cup in a particular year are to be nominated at the CIAM Bureau Meeting at the end of the preceding year and are to be indicated on the FAI Contest Calendar. The selection of the contests for each class should be according to the following guidelines:

Reasons : Both clarification of the rule.

b)N < 20 or N = 20

c)Paragraph 5 Classification - Control Line Sub committee. Amend:

The World Cup results are determined by considering the total of points obtained by each competitor (team in F2C) in the World Cup events. Up to three events may be counted, selecting each competitor’s (team’s in F2C) best scores during the year. The winner of the World Cup is the competitor (team in F2C) with the greatest total.

In the event of a tie for first, second and third place, the winner place will be determined according to the following scheme. The number of events counted is increased from three, one at a time, until the winner place is obtained. If this does not separate the tied competitors then the winner will be determined by considering in the best three events:

Reason: Clarification of the rule. It is necessary to determine the place in a case of a tie not only for first place but also for second and third place. By contrast, it is not important to split a tie for 4th and subsequent places.

d)New Paragraph 9 - Responsibilities of Competition Organisers. - Control Line Sub committee. Add a new paragraph 9, renumber the existing paragraph as 10.

Reason: Same rule as for the Free Flight World Cup.

e)Old Paragraph 9 Jury. Control Line Sub committee. Amend:

Reason: Decision of the CIAM Bureau in order to avoid confusion with the FAI Jury.

f)New Paragraphs - Control Line Sub committee. Add

a) Second Part - Contest Arrangements - Belgium. Amend Item 6 (Secretariat)

Reason: Due to the large number of competitors in the four categories of F2, the various locations of lodging during the championships and the often late availability of results by the organiser, it is frequently difficult for the team manager to provide his team members with the necessary information in time. Cost of the copies is negligible.