07/03/08

The rules of the Dutch 3D contest are simple.

You can enter in 1 or more of the meetings, and there will be individual prices for each meeting. For the best of the year contest or the Dutch 3D Champion only the best 75% of the scores throughout the year counts. This means that you can drop you worst scores, or can miss out on a meeting.

A meeting consists of three times flying the set maneuvers for the Dutch 3D Sportsman class. The Dutch 3D Experts class pilots fly two set maneuvers, and one Free Style flight.

For the results of the day in principle all but one flight counts (the worst flight can be dropped). So if 4 flights are flown, only the best 3 counts. If 3 flights are flown, only the best 2 counts. If 2 flights or less are flown (e.g. due to bad whether), all flights of that day count for the day score.

Set Maneuvers

For the set maneuvers you can choose 6 or 8 maneuvers you want to fly from the list of figures. There are many figures you can choose from, from relatively simple to complex. This allows you to enter this contest even if your flying is still in the early phases of learning to fly!

There will be judges who will individually give you marks for the individual maneuvers. The individual maneuvers will be flown between a clear marking of the beginning and the end of the maneuver. The Judges will only judge in between this "begin" and "end" call. The score of the maneuver will be multiplied by the k-factor (indicating the complexity of the maneuver), and added up to a total score for that round of set maneuvers.

A set maneuver flight will take a maximum of 5 minutes including starting up, and final landing of your helicopter.

Free Style

A Free Style flight will take 3 minutes. This means that you have 3 minutes to impress the judges with your flying. Scores will be given by the individual jury members again. They will look for the complexity of the maneuvers and how they are flown. Other things whey will look for is how the maneuvers are joined to a nice overall flight.
The major input for the jury will be the Wow-factor, so just try to impress the judges with your flying capabilities. The judges will provide 3 scores for each free style flight±

1) Complexity and Wow-factor.

2) Symmetry and control.

3) Changes / inventiveness in the flight.

Expert Class and Sportsman Class

The Sportsman Class is intended for pilots just starting this hobby, to give them a chance to have the fun of a contest, and to provide an opportunity to learn! This class only has to fly 6 set maneuvers of which at least one figure shall be a hover figure.

The Expert Class is for the more advanced flyers. They have to fly 8 maneuvers in the set maneuvers flights, and there is no limitation on which figures to fly. They also have to fly a free style flight.

The Flying Field

The picture below depicts the typical flying field layout as seen from above. This diagram shows both the pilot spots for the typical F3C pilot and the Dutch 3D pilot.

Judges training

On April 5th, 2008 again a training day for the Judges has taken place. You can download one of the presentations used here. The presentation may give you a good indication what the Judges will be looking for.

Dutch 3D Jury training presentation

Here you see a picture of the actual jury training taking place for the different figures.

In any case where the rules seem to be inadequate, unclear or ambiguous, the contest director of the meeting will take a decision.

For improvement suggestion on the rules provide feedback here.