Differences in Judging AMA and FAI Classes

A question has recently come up regarding any differences in our judging rules/responsibilities between AMA classes and FAI classes. I am sure we all remember that we have adopted the FAI rules for judging this year and beyond! That being said, there are just a few differences between judging AMA and FAI that we still have. Below is a list for your review.

1. Takeoff and landing are scored for the AMA classes (not for FAI). The maneuver descriptions and suggested downgrades are listed in the maneuver description documents for each AMA class.

2. Required call outs - In FAI there are no required call outs. For the AMA classes, the following call outs by either the pilot or the caller are still required: takeoff, landing and box entry.

Hopefully this clears up the issue of AMA versus FAI judging.

2026 - 2027 - Judging the P-27 Maneuver 15 - Square from Top with quarter roll, knife-edge flight, quarter roll

There have been several questions raised (to the Judging Committee and online) regarding a maneuver in the upcoming P27 sequence. The maneuver in question is maneuver #15 Square from Top with quarter roll, knife-edge flight, quarter roll. If you draw this maneuver out, it becomes obvious that the maneuver cannot be flown as described and be a true square - it ends up being a rectangle and thus will never match the maneuver description. The Judging Committee, in consultation with the FAI F3A, has determined the following standards and judging criteria for this maneuver.

Here is a diagram of the maneuver. Note that the second radius does not touch the bottom exit line. Also note that the third radius does not touch the top entry line. This allows the maneuver
to be flown as a “square” with the correct 45 degree upline and “real world” radii.

 In the figure above it shows that the maneuver is “inside” a square with constant radii. The judging criteria for this maneuver are as follows:

•       Maneuver fits in a square
•       All radii are the same
•       45 degree line is at 45 degrees
•       Knife edge flight is centered on 45 degree line
•       Wings are in the vertical plane during knife edge flight

2024 - 2025 - Judging the Comet turnaround maneuver

A question has recently come up about the proper execution of the Comet maneuver. This maneuver is used, with some variations, in the FAI P25, AMA Masters and AMA Advanced classes.

The question is, does the first 45 down straight line segment length need to match the second 45 down straight line segment length. Here is a diagram of the maneuver as flown in Masters and FAI P25 for clarity.

Looking at the current FAI Sporting Code yields this in Section 5B.2

“In general, turn-around manoeuvres are positioning manoeuvres. Therefore, entry and exit altitude need not be the same if the pilot wishes to make an altitude adjustment.”

Unfortunately, this does not really clear up the question. This maneuver geometrically enters high and exits low so it inherently is an altitude adjusting maneuver. To ensure that we adhere to an international standard, we requested a clarification from Peter Uhlig.

Here is his response (in italics).

“The manoeuver starts and finishes on the same vertical plane. The lines must be 45 degrees and same length.

Adjusting height rule is only for manoeuvers that start and end at similar altitudes top of box, bottom of box, middle of box.

Adjusting height of a manoeuver that starts at top of box and ends at bottom of box. Does not come under that rule.

To in fact to do this, the geometry can be kept intact, and the length of the lines adjusted to come out higher or lower and be the same length and angle.”

So, in conclusion, this maneuver should be judged with the requirement that the two 45 degree line segments must have the same length for no deductions to happen.

Hopefully this clears up the issue of the Comet’s 45 degree line lengths.