COMPETITORS COMMITTEE of the CIA, Evaluation of the World Hot Air Balloon Championships , September 2002 , Châtellerault France.

Evaluation of questionnaire responses by competitors participating in the Hot Air Balloon World Championships September 2002 Châtellerault, France
This World Championship was very proficiently run and competitors gave it high notes in the questionnaire. Especially the Organising Team together with the city of Châtellerault did a splendid job. The facilities for competitors were very good with free lodging and meals. The Director with his team worked hard and succeeded in providing pilots, crews and officials alike a good time. It was painful to see the rain pouring down on Sunday washing away an enormous party that was scheduled for the public. But the organisation went on as if nothing had happened and gave us some nice competition flights when skies cleared up. The questionnaire was answered by 13 competitors and they gave the Director and his team a note of 77%. This is little less than in the Pre-Worlds in 2001 (84%). Main reason was the weather making it hard to set challenging tasks. The flight in the clouds was a major concern. Some pilots considered it dangerous, others question the penalties given. Nevertheless the Director managed to set 15 tasks, enough to deliver a deserved Champion, David Bareford. The organisation was given the highest rating (89%!) of all evaluations by the CSC until now. The police escort to the take-off site in Richelieu was unforgettable. As well as the meals after the evening flight, where competitors and crews had the chance to tell each other that they actually had won the task when this or that wouldn’t have happened. Thank you Jacques Bernardin and your team, thank you City of Châtellerault and thank you Fédération Française d’Aerostation for staging this successful event. WELL DONE! Mathijs R. de Bruijn. FAI/CIA Competitors Subcommittee

Evaluation of questionnaire responses by competitors participating in the
Hot Air Balloon World Championships
September 2002
Châtellerault, France
Worlds

This World Championship was very proficiently run and competitors gave it high notes in the questionnaire. Especially the Organising Team together with the city of Châtellerault did a splendid job. The facilities for competitors were very good with free lodging and meals. The Director with his team worked hard and succeeded in providing pilots, crews and officials alike a good time. It was painful to see the rain pouring down on Sunday washing away an enormous party that was scheduled for the public. But the organisation went on as if nothing had happened and gave us some nice competition flights when skies cleared up.

The questionnaire was answered by 13 competitors and they gave the Director and his team a note of 77%. This is little less than in the Pre-Worlds in 2001 (84%). Main reason was the weather making it hard to set challenging tasks. The flight in the clouds was a major concern. Some pilots considered it dangerous, others question the penalties given. Nevertheless the Director managed to set 15 tasks, enough to deliver a deserved Champion, David Bareford.

The organisation was given the highest rating (89%!) of all evaluations by the CSC until now. The police escort to the take-off site in Richelieu was unforgettable. As well as the meals after the evening flight, where competitors and crews had the chance to tell each other that they actually had won the task when this or that wouldn’t have happened.

Thank you Jacques Bernardin and your team, thank you City of Châtellerault and thank you Fédération Française d’Aerostation for staging this successful event.

WELL DONE!

Mathijs R. de Bruijn.
FAI/CIA Competitors Subcommittee

Competition

Nr. Gen.
satis. Task
set. Area Map Task
Brief. WXr
Brief. sc Comments

1 80 40 100 90 60 60 100

2 70 40 90 80 60 60 50

3 100 80 100 80 80 80 70 I was very satisfied with the organisation in France. They have done a great job. It was a pity we had task 8 and 9, this brought down the atmosphere. Also a pity of the weather in the beginning of the week. Jacques Bernardin and his staff have done a great job.

4 50 50 80 80 80 80 80

5 50 40 100 100 80 70 30

6 50 50 100 100 90 40 40

7 60 90 100 95 95 90 60 Task setting on 1st flight should have been HES to have les congestion. I would have liked to have preliminary results earlier. I propose to install the preliminary results list like in the WAG as a normal tool of competition. We had competition numbers below the basket for convenience of the scoring officials. For safety reasons I would suggest to install competition numbers also on the crown ring. In future ambiguous numbers on markers and below baskets (on crown rings) should be written to avoid the ambiguity e.g. 66 and 99.

8 60 45 100 90 85 50 50 Use all the tasks that are in the rulebook, especially for a World Championship.

9 100 100 90 90 80 80 70

10 70 80 95 90 75 50 70

11 95 95 100 100 100 100 95 Task 8 was unsafe. The safety officer must have power to enforce safe standards. At the moment he can only advise the competition director.

12 70 70 100 100 90 90 90 Competition pleasure has largely been affected by the bad weather conditions and the limited task setting possibilities in the beginning of the event. Good competition areas as there were not too many PZs, good landing facilities. For JDG, FIN, HES I would have expected the provisional results of the measuring team.

13 80 50 90 90 80 75 70

72 64 96 91 81 71 67 Competition average =77%

Competition
Nr.	Gen. satis.	Task set.	Area	Map	Task Brief.	WXr Brief.	sc	Comments
1	80	40	100	90	60	60	100
2	70	40	90	80	60	60	50
3	100	80	100	80	80	80	70	I was very satisfied with the organisation in France. They have done a great job. It was a pity we had task 8 and 9, this brought down the atmosphere. Also a pity of the weather in the beginning of the week. Jacques Bernardin and his staff have done a great job.
4	50	50	80	80	80	80	80
5	50	40	100	100	80	70	30
6	50	50	100	100	90	40	40
7	60	90	100	95	95	90	60	Task setting on 1st flight should have been HES to have les congestion. I would have liked to have preliminary results earlier. I propose to install the preliminary results list like in the WAG as a normal tool of competition. We had competition numbers below the basket for convenience of the scoring officials. For safety reasons I would suggest to install competition numbers also on the crown ring. In future ambiguous numbers on markers and below baskets (on crown rings) should be written to avoid the ambiguity e.g. 66 and 99.
8	60	45	100	90	85	50	50	Use all the tasks that are in the rulebook, especially for a World Championship.
9	100	100	90	90	80	80	70
10	70	80	95	90	75	50	70
11	95	95	100	100	100	100	95	Task 8 was unsafe. The safety officer must have power to enforce safe standards. At the moment he can only advise the competition director.
12	70	70	100	100	90	90	90	Competition pleasure has largely been affected by the bad weather conditions and the limited task setting possibilities in the beginning of the event. Good competition areas as there were not too many PZs, good landing facilities. For JDG, FIN, HES I would have expected the provisional results of the measuring team.
13	80	50	90	90	80	75	70
	72	64	96	91	81	71	67	Competition average =77%

Organisation

Nr. Commu-
nication.
prior event Recept
in
Chatell. Individual wishes Refuelling Comments

1 100 100 N.A. 100

2 70 60 60 90

3 80 80 N.A. 100 I had a lot of Emails of the organisation which did not belong to me (and virus ! )

4 80 80 80 50

5 100 95 100 100

6 100 100 100 100

7 90 100 N.A. 90

8 95 80 90 100

9 90 80 N.A. 100

10 90 60 N.A. 100

11 100 100 100 100 A first class event.

12 100 70 N.A. 90 Hotel rooms were very far away from competition centre (30-70 min. drive depending on traffic). No welcome desk available as instructed from organisers. Confusing information on check-in, early check-in, refuelling before event.

13 80 90 90 80

90 84 89 92 Organisation average =89%

Organisation
Nr.	Commu- nication. prior event	Recept in Chatell.	Individual wishes	Refuelling	Comments
1	100	100	N.A.	100
2	70	60	60	90
3	80	80	N.A.	100	I had a lot of Emails of the organisation which did not belong to me (and virus ! )
4	80	80	80	50
5	100	95	100	100
6	100	100	100	100
7	90	100	N.A.	90
8	95	80	90	100
9	90	80	N.A.	100
10	90	60	N.A.	100
11	100	100	100	100	A first class event.
12	100	70	N.A.	90	Hotel rooms were very far away from competition centre (30-70 min. drive depending on traffic). No welcome desk available as instructed from organisers. Confusing information on check-in, early check-in, refuelling before event.
13	80	90	90	80
	90	84	89	92	Organisation average =89%

GPS Loggers

Nr. First use
a success? Observation
Scoring
Task Setting Would you
like
3D task Comments

1 Yes Observation No

2 Yes Observation No

3 Yes (but...) Observation No

4 Yes Observation Yes

5 Yes Ob+Sc+Ts Yes

6 Yes Observation Yes

7 Yes Ob+Sc+Ts Yes

8 No None No The loggers are fine to have on board the balloon, if you use them according to the rules. In rule 6.8 it states that the loggers will be used only as an observation tool or for PZ infringement. This does not mean that you just change rules and make penalties at ambiguous altitudes.

9 Yes Ob+Sc No

10 Yes Don't know

11 x x x

12 Yes Ob+Sc+Ts Yes I like the idea to have new tasks developed and old tasks reviewed and adopted to logger scoring. Some tasks however will only be interesting and challenging if we keep on using markers (minimum distance, shortest flight, … scoring in scoring areas, CRATs ). I am looking forward to the next competitions as I see a new dimension of ballooning competition coming up.

13 Don't know Observation Yes

10Y, 1N, 2? 6O, 4O+, 1N, 2? 6Y, 5N, 2?

GPS Loggers
Nr.	First use a success?	Observation Scoring Task Setting	Would you like 3D task	Comments
1	Yes	Observation	No
2	Yes	Observation	No
3	Yes (but...)	Observation	No
4	Yes	Observation	Yes
5	Yes	Ob+Sc+Ts	Yes
6	Yes	Observation	Yes
7	Yes	Ob+Sc+Ts	Yes
8	No	None	No	The loggers are fine to have on board the balloon, if you use them according to the rules. In rule 6.8 it states that the loggers will be used only as an observation tool or for PZ infringement. This does not mean that you just change rules and make penalties at ambiguous altitudes.
9	Yes	Ob+Sc	No
10	Yes		Don't know
11	x	x	x
12	Yes	Ob+Sc+Ts	Yes	I like the idea to have new tasks developed and old tasks reviewed and adopted to logger scoring. Some tasks however will only be interesting and challenging if we keep on using markers (minimum distance, shortest flight, … scoring in scoring areas, CRATs ). I am looking forward to the next competitions as I see a new dimension of ballooning competition coming up.
13	Don't know	Observation	Yes
	10Y, 1N, 2?	6O, 4O+, 1N, 2?	6Y, 5N, 2?