2012 USA FAI JUNIOR FREE FLIGHT TEAM SELECTION PROGRAM (JrTSP)
MISSION STATEMENT
The Junior Team Selection Program (JrTSP) exists to provide a substantial opportunity to young Free Flight modelers who have demonstrated a high degree of interest in the sport and the willingness to continually improve their flying skills and the performance of their models. They must demonstrate a degree of proficiency of competing with their models without direct adult involvement. The purpose of this program is to provide a fair process of selecting the Junior Free Flight flyers to represent the USA in the Junior FAI Free Flight World Championship currently scheduled for the summer of 2012 in Slovenia.
1.0 Program Entry
A participant must have a current AMA membership.
Any person who will be under the age of 19 throughout the entire calendar year of 2012 is eligible.
Participants are to send a program entry application (Form A) postmarked on or before July 1, 2011 to the AMA. This requirement is needed to facilitate the planning for timers at the Jr Nats selection contest. On-field entry will be accepted with a $50 late fee. Other than the late application fee, there is no monetary charge for JrTSP entry.
The AMA license fee and any contest entry fees are the responsibility of the entrant. The events to be flown are F1A Nordic, F1B Wakefield, and F1P Power.
2.0 Junior Team Selection Committee
The Free Flight Team Selection Committee (TSC) will govern the Junior Program. The TSC shall appoint a Junior Team Selection Committee (JrTSC), which is to be composed of three or four open flyers. The JrTSC members will hold the following positions at a minimum: JrTSC Chairman, Scorekeeper and Fund Raiser. It is also desired to have one JrTSC member in the East, Central and West part of the country. Interested individuals should contact the JrTSC Chairman after the proceeding Junior World Championships.
3.0 Team Selection
The USA Junior FAI Free Flight Team for the 2012 Jr World Championships will be the three flyers with the highest times of 14 rounds to be flown in conjunction with the 2011 Free Flight Nationals (Nats), to be held at AMA Headquarters, in Muncie, Indiana, between July 18th and July 22nd. The first day of flying, rounds one through seven, will be the Nat’s F1A, B and P events. The second day of flying, rounds eight through fourteen, will be flown on Friday July 22, 2011 and will be referred to as the Jr. Qualifying Competition. These fourteen rounds from here out will be referred to as the Jr Finals.
Five completed rounds is the minimum required to select a team. In the event of extenuating circumstances at the Nats that prevent a total of five rounds from being completed, the JrTSC will determine if the Jr Finals times will be used to select the team or an alternate plan will be generated to select the team.
Final team selection is contingent on meeting the qualification requirement.
3.1 Qualification
To qualify for the 2012 Jr team, the flyer must score a minimum of 75% (flyoff time not counted) of the winning Jr Finals time for his/her event. A flyer with less than 75% of the winning time may apply for uncontested team spots per Section 5.
In addition, the Jr must accumulate 60 minutes flight time in their respective event at any AMA contest sanctioned for the Jr’s event(s). The Jr shall maintain a written record with the Contest Director’s signature validating the time flown. The Jr TSP Scorekeeper will keep a record from published contest results, but it is the responsibility of the Jr flyer to provide the Contest Director& rsquo;s validated times to the Jr TSP Scorekeeper, if requested to resolve any discrepancies (see Form B).
The 60 minute qualification will be retroactively scored after program entry. The Jr may accumulate this qualifying time any time in 2011, either before or after the Jr. Finals.
4.0 Program Schedule
The JrTSP starts January 1, 2011 and ends at the conclusion of the 2011 King Orange, if not concluded in 2011. The three team members and alternate for the three events will be notified approximately two weeks after the King Orange contest by the JrTSC, but the official notification will come from AMA.
4.1 Jr. Qualifying Competition (JQC), rounds 8 through 14
On Friday July 22, 2011, day 2 of the Jr Finals will be flown. This will be a seven-round, one-hour long rounds, contest with three-minute maxes. Details will be communicated using JrTSC Bulletins and the NFFS website. Each flyer is entitled to use up to 4 models for Rounds 8 through 14. A flyoff will be flown to determine the top four fliers if necessary.
4.2 Special restrictions and conditions for the JQC:
The purpose of this day of flying is for the junior participants to demonstrate their flying skills and proficiency. Adult involvement will be limited and individual pole positions and timers will be assigned.
-Access to the flight line will be strictly limited to only juniors entered in the program, officials, officially designated timers and F1A launchers.
-Non-participants may only watch the activities on the flight line from two designated areas, one located near the flight line and the other down wind. Both areas will be clearly identified
-Junior participants shall not receive outside communication while on the flight line or when towing in the case of F1A.
-Non-participants may retrieve models and shall return the model to the competitor at the designated areas only. At no time should a non-participant approach the flight line.
-Helpers must not intervene with any Jr while on the flight line. Specifically, they are not to check the model for flight worthiness and should not have any part in the decision when to launch.
-If outside communication is deemed by the Contest Director (CD) to have potentially influenced a flight, the CD will void the flight in question and a re-flight will be given. However, additional time will not be added to the round.
-The junior participant may leave the flight line and retrieve.
4.3 Jr Finals, 1st day rounds 1 through 7:
There are no special restrictions. Only 180 seconds of any extended max times will be used. Fly off times will not be used. The Nats F1A, B and P fly off times are not used in the Jr Finals total time. The Jr is responsible for the Nats entry fee(s). Each flyer is entitled to use up to four models for Rounds Eight through Fourteen, but they do not have to be the same models used for Rounds One through Seven.
5.0 Official team designation.
The top three junior flyers will be required to complete the AMA team membership agreement form, which will be sent from AMA. The final announcement of the Junior Team will then be made for the 2012 Junior World Championships. It is the prerogative of the JrTSC not to select a full 9-member team as deemed appropriate due to the qualifications of the applicants per Section 3.1 and/or funding constraints.
The JrTSC will also maintain the authority to place late entrants in uncontested Junior Team positions, but is not obligated to fill an open team position. Application for an uncontested team position must be submitted in writing or email to the JrTSC chairman by April 30, 2012. The Jr must enter per Section 1 and provide contest performance information as an attachment to Form A. If more than one application is received, the Jr TSC will use the following criteria to make a selection: the provided contest performance information; other contest performance information; verbal and written references from other free flight flyers; the number of future Jr TSPs the applicant is eligible for. The applicant must fulfill all qualification requirements.
5.1 Team and Travel Requirements
Team members must have a current NAA membership (FAI Stamp, available from AMA), along with a passport for travel and to verify age as required by the FAI. The Academy of Model Aeronautics requires that all minors have a parent or legal guardian with them during the Jr. World Championship trip. A legal guardian must have a documented Power of Attorney, be committed to traveling with the minor, and be responsible for the minor for the entire trip. The Junior Team Manager has the discretion to accept or not to accept the legal guardianship of a minor if so requested. The Junior Team Manager must submit to a background check in compliance with AMA regulations.
5.2 Financial Requirements
AMA will provide up to $400 for travel to and from the Jr. World Championship per team member. Additionally, AMA will provide necessary funding for World Championship entry fees, room and board per team member. Donations will be sought to offset additional costs of travel and competitions. However, it will be the responsibility of the team member to pay for any costs if donated funds are not available.
5.3 Certification of Models
Team member’s models must have an identifying voucher on the model and a Class F Aeromodels Specification Certificate filled out per the FAI Sporting Code for each model. Vouchers and Specification Certificates are available through AMA Headquarters. The team member’s models must also have “USA” and the flyer’s AMA number on the upper surface of the wing(s) as specified in the FAI Sporting Code. Other regulations, as specified for that model type in the FAI Sporting Code, must be certified on the voucher.
FORM A -- APPLICATION
2012 USA FAI FREE FLIGHT JUNIOR TEAM SELECTION PROGRAM
Date Completed:
Entrant’s Name:
AMA#
Address:
City, State & Zip:
Telephone Number:
Email Address:
Date of Birth:
Junior Team Event(s):
Parent/Guardian Name(s):
Optional: Please provide a 200-word summary of your modeling experience and your interest in the Junior Team Program. A 5 x 7-inch photo of you with a model should be included. This information and photo will be used on the Junior Team Web site and other model aircraft publications to promote the Junior Team Program.
Applications submitted after the Jr Finals, for a non-contested Jr team spot, attach a separate sheet showing the applicant’s contest performance.
Mail Completed Form to:
Academy of Model Aeronautics
Attn: Jr Free Flight Team Selection Program
5161 East Memorial Drive
Muncie, Indiana 47302
FORM B -- QUALIFICATION FORM
2012 USA FAI FREE FLIGHT JUNIOR TEAM SELECTION PROGRAM
Entrant’s Name:
AMA#
Address:
City, State & Zip:
Telephone Number:
Email:
List your contest results with the following information.
ContestLocation AMA Sanction # Date Event Total Time* CD Name and Initials
* Maximum time per flight is 180 seconds. Maximum time per contest is 1260 seconds. Max times less than 180 seconds due to valid contest conditions are ratio to 180 seconds. Example, 120 second contest declared max and a flight time of 88 sec would be 88 * 180 / 120 = 132 seconds qualifying time.
