Competition Tasks
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Pilot Declared Goal (PDG) - Rule 15.1The pilots declare individual goals, usually road intersections, before take off. This task tests the ability of the pilot to forecast wind speed and direction, and navigate to a place of their own choice. |
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Judge Declared Goal (JDG) - Rule 15.2The Championship / Competition Director (Tasksetter / Balloonmeister / Judge) declares a goal, usually a road intersection or other identifiable point. The balloons launch from a common launch site and try to drop a marker closest to a target located near the declared goal. |
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Hesitation Waltz (HWZ) - Rule 15.3The object of the Hesitation Waltz is for the pilot to select, in flight, and attempt to fly to one of several goals previously declared by the Championship / Competition Director. The pilot's decision on which target to select will be based on the available wind speed and direction. |
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Fly In (FIN) - Rule 15.4The object of the Fly In task is for the pilot to select their own launch site that will allow them to fly to a nominated target. The launch site is required to be a set minimum distance from the target. This is often combined with a Fly-On task. |
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On (FON) - Rule 15.5The object of the Fly On task is for each pilot to select a goal during flight a set minimum and maximum distance from their previous goal that can be flown to after completing the previous task. |
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Hare & Hounds (HNH) - Rule 15.6The Hare balloon, nominated by the Director takes off several minutes before the competitors, the Hounds. The Hare's role is to lead the Hounds on a merry chase for a set period of time. The Hare's landing site becomes the goal for the Hounds. |
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Watership Down (WSD) - Rule 15.7A combination of the Fly In and Hare and Hounds tasks. Pilots select their own launch site a set minimum distance from the nominated launch point of the Hare balloon. The Hare balloon launches at a set time and flies for a set period. The hare's take-off point is the first goal for the Hounds and its landing site is the second goal. |
Gordon Bennett Memorial (GBM) - Rule 15.8Competitors attempt to drop their marker closest to a set target within a defined scoring area. To to make the task more difficult the scoring area may be triangular or some other irregular shape with the target in a corner. |
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Calculated Rate of Approach (CRT) - Rule 15.9The object of flying a CRAT task is to arrive at the target when the nearest or inner most scoring area is "open" as per the rules. If a pilot arrives early or late to the target they can only achieve a result based on the scoring area open at the time. There may be several scoring areas at varying distances from the target. |
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Race to and Area (RTA) - Rule 15.10The pilot attempts to drop their marker in the shortest time within a defined scoring area. This task replaces the Race to a Line in which timed take offs and line crossing times were used to calculate a competitor's result. |
Elbow (ELB) - Rule 15.11After taking off and flying for a specific period of time or distance the pilots drop their first markers. The pilots then attempt to fly a path that deviates the most from the direction they flew on the first leg. The greatest change in direction wins the task. |
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Land Run (LRN) - Rule 15.12After taking off and flying for a specific period of time or distance the pilot drops their first marker, Point B. This marker together with a point nominated by the director, Point A, forms the side A-B of a triangle. The pilot then flies on and drops a second marker, Point C, completing the triangle A-B-C. The pilot creating the triangle that contains the greatest area wins. |
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Minimum Distance (MDT) - Rule 15.13The object of this task is the opposite to the maximum distance, to fly the shortest distance from the common launch site in a set period on time. |
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Shortest Flight (SFL) - Rule 15.14The object of this task is for the competitors to drop a marker closest to the common launch point within a set scoring area. |
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Minimum Distance Double Drop (MDD) - Rule 15.15Competitors drop two markers close as close as possible to each other in two different scoring areas. |
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Maximum Distance (Time) (XDT) - Rule 15.16The object of this task is for competitors to travel the greatest distance from the launch point within the maximum time allowed before dropping the marker. |
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Maximum Distance (XDI) - Rule 15.17The object of this task is to fly the greatest distance from the launch site within a set scoring area. The pilot achieving the greatest distance is the winner. |
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Maximum Distance Double Drop (XDD) - Rule 15.18Competitors drop 2 markers within one or more scoring areas. The greatest distance is best. |
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Angle (ANG) - Rule 15.19Competitors will attempt to achieve that greatest change of direction from a set direction. The change of direction is the angle between the line A-B and the set direction. Where A is the launch point and B is the landing point of the marker or balloon. |
3D Shape Task (3DT) - Rule 15.20Competitors attempt to achieve the greatest distance within set airspace. The result is the accumulated horizontal distance between valid track points in the set airspace(s). Greatest result is best. |
