GAAR 2017 Test Flight

Great Australian Air Rally 2017

presented by Bluegrass Airlines

Instructions for Test Flight

Download the Test Flight zip file and unzip the enclosed files to your Flight Simulator files folder. The default location for FS9 is c:\Documents and Settings\user\My Documents\Flight Simulator Files. The default location for FSX is c:\Documents and Settings\user\My Documents\Flight Simulator X Files.

GAAR Test Flight

In preparation for the flight, ensure you have added a flight timer to the panel of you chosen aircraft. It is recommended that you download and use Tom Goodrick’s FTime flight timer available from the following link.

FTimeV4

Select the aircraft that you wish to fly in the GAAR.

This can be any piston engine or turboprop driven aircraft manufactured between 1903 to 1975. Pilots please remember that the shortest runway for the GAAR is 3,000 ft in length.

Your cruising altitude will be 4-7,000 ft for the test flight.

This is a compromise altitude between piston and turboprop driven aircraft.

If your aircraft has difficulty reaching or operating at 7,000 ft, you may fly the test flight at a lower altitude. The minimum suggested altitude for the test flight is 4,000 ft.

PROCEDURES AND INFORMATION

The Test Flight is flown from Kununurra (YPKU) to Argyle (YARG) on a heading of 192. The Test Flight file has you at Kununurra (YPKU) on Rwy 30 in the default Cessna in perfect weather conditions. Change the aircraft to your selected aircraft. Set the Nav 1 radio to the KU VOR frequency of 116.50 and set the OBS to 192. Take-off and climb and establish yourself at 4,000-7,000'. Turn right to heading 045 and intersect the KU VOR 192 radial. Turn right to heading 192 and follow the radial to overfly YPKU. As you overfly the runway at YPKU, note the time on the timer (this is the "start" time). Set the Nav 1 radio to the ARG VOR frequency of 113.90 and set the OBS to 192. Continue to Argyle (YARG) and as you overfly the runway at YARG note the time on the timer again (this is the "finish" time). Subtract the "start" time from the "finish" time to calculate your Test Flight time which then must be submitted with your Pilot Registration.

Remember, all times must be in minutes and converted to decimals (see the Rules for clarification).

Test Flight Hints

Trial the Test Flight a number of times before submitting your Test Flight time in order to achieve a consistent result. You will find this helpful during the flying of the actual Flight Legs. There is no rush to get Pilot Registration submitted and sufficient time has been allowed for the flying of the event (even in advance for those who have other commitments that may conflict with the official February-March period).

In particular, give yourself sufficient time to establish your aircraft at the cruise altitude of 4,000-7,000' and a steady cruise speed before intersecting and turning onto the KU VOR 192 radial and overflying YPKU to commence your timed run.

The Test Flight is to be flown in perfect weather conditions. The actual Flight Legs of the GAAR will have a variety of suggested weather variables which you can set in the flight sim of your choice. Therefore, it is strongly recommended the Test Flight is flown at an economical cruise speed. This should ensure you will have enough of a performance margin capability in your chosen aircraft to compensate for the weather variables.

Good Luck.

Because this time is used to calculate the reference speed on which all estimated times and scoring are based, it is a good idea to use an autopilot to make the flight as steady as possible. Due to a flaw in Flight Simulator 9, which does not calculate the speed = distance / time correctly, we are including a correction in calculations for Reference Speed, Estimated Flight Time and Scoring. We are using Reference Speed = 57.78 / Time x Distance. If FS 9 made the computations correctly the 57.78 would be 60.00 57.78 is an average we obtained by testing eight aircraft.

Submit your elapsed time in minutes rounded to 2 decimal places on the GAAR 2017 Application.

If you are using another timer, convert seconds into a two decimal place number.

Add the decimal equivalent for the seconds to the minutes flown.

Here is a conversion chart. Use this method for all of the GAAR 2017 flights.

Seconds	Decimal	Seconds	Decimal	Seconds	Decimal
1	0.02	21	0.35	41	0.68
2	0.03	22	0.37	42	0.70
3	0.05	23	0.38	43	0.72
4	0.07	24	0.40	44	0.73
5	0.08	25	0.42	45	0.75
6	0.10	26	0.43	46	0.77
7	0.12	27	0.45	47	0.78
8	0.13	28	0.47	48	0.80
9	0.15	29	0.48	49	0.82
10	0.17	30	0.50	50	0.83
11	0.18	31	0.52	51	0.85
12	0.20	32	0.53	52	0.87
13	0.22	33	0.55	53	0.88
14	0.23	34	0.57	54	0.90
15	0.25	35	0.58	55	0.92
16	0.27	36	0.60	56	0.93
17	0.28	37	0.62	57	0.95
18	0.30	38	0.63	58	0.97
19	0.32	39	0.65	59	0.98
20	0.33	40	0.67	60	1.00

Once completed, submit an email to gaar15director(at)gmail.com (substitute @ for (at) in the email address) with the following information:

Name: "Your Name"
Email Address: "Your Email Address"
FS Version: "FS9 or FSX"
Aircraft: "Aircraft you are flying in the event"
Country: "Country of Residence"
Virtual Airline: If Applicable - "Virtual Airline you fly with"
Virtual Airline ID: If Applicable - "Your Virtual Airline ID"
Test Flight Time: Time flown for the Test Flight (in minutes and decimals, e.g. 53.84)

No confirmation email will be sent regarding Pilot Registration. The Roster is the authoritative confirmation of your Pilot Registration being received by the event organisers. Any queries, concerns, errors or omissions should be directed immediately to the Rally Director at gaar15director(at)gmail.com (substitute @ for (at) in the email address).

Your submission of Registration for the GAAR is taken as your acceptance of the Rules for the event.