the official definition of a swoop

[Unutsch 0]

Hi there!!

I've checked and rechecked the site of the pro swooping tour more then once, but couldn't find a understandable definition of a swoop... well, the thing that i don't understand is, how is the end of the swoop defined --> what does "till the first point of contact" mean? Does the swoop end where the swooper puts his leg(s) down on the earth? Does it count as an end of the swoop if someone touches the grass with his knees for a millisecond or not??

Why I am asking this, our club is organizing a swoop competition this weekend, based on the ADVANCED distance rules, and we are having a lot of trouble and argument about what exactly defines the end of a swoop... In my opinion, if someone touched the grass during the swoop with anything else but the sole's, this wouldn't count as the end of the swoop... but as soon as someone would put a sole down, this would count as the end of the swoop...

So, does this make any sense, or should we just addopt the simple and understandable rule: FIRST POINT OF CONTACT?

Check out the site of the Fallen Angels FreeflY Organisation:
http://www.padliangeli.org

[dragon2 2]

First poin of contact is just that, the first point where you touch the ground! If you touch the ground with any part of your body (be that your feet, your thighs, your nose) that's your first point of contact. This is for distance. Sand makes this much easier to judge, or clipping the grass... This is a rule that has lead to a lot of arguments during our Dutch Swooping Tour. Backup video shot from a point far enough away is helpful here, but can be hard to judge because of the angle (and also, make sure you have a clear shot of the entire course with no judges/spectators/landed swoopers in the way).

For speed, you can kite the canopy and make a run for it, clear the 2nd gate before your canopy hits the ground.
For accuray, besides water points, your first point of contact counts plus the spot where you come to a complete standstill (if that spot gives you less points).

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[Unutsch 0]

Thanks for your reply
Just to see if I understand what you said: no matter how your first contact looks like, it is the first point of contact, and thus defines the end of a swoop? But (i hate those "but"'s ) what if someone just touches the grass with his toes or knees, is this too a point of contact?

Check out the site of the Fallen Angels FreeflY Organisation:
http://www.padliangeli.org

[ianmdrennan 2]

Quote

what if someone just touches the grass with his toes or knees, is this too a point of contact?

Yes.

If you clip the grass, barely touch a toe, etc before the gate it's a big fat ol' zero - if you do it 5ft past the gate and then go another 300 ft, it's still a 5 ft swoop according to the rules.

Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[BrianSGermain 1]

I would be very careful with your definition of the start point of a "swoop". Measuring from a vertical distance lower than five feet from the ground increases the chances of someone getting hurt.

This is because pilots often experience target fixation, and neglect to consider the big picture. They line up to tight to the entry gate and dive their canopy too steeply for too long, in order to fix a bad approach. This can result in an impact at or near the entry gate.

I recommend measuring from two gates. The first is the compulsory entry gate, which is 16 feet tall. Missing this gate results in a zero for the round. The second gate is only 6 or 8 feet tall, and gives the competitor an extra point score.

This method has proven to increase the safety margin, especially when dealing with a field of mixed experience level pilots.

For more thoughts like this, please read The Parachute and its Pilot.
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