F3K League Event: Radioglide, 27-28th May 2023

[PaulR]

You may already have seen the various Radioglide announcements in the dedicated forum here: https://www.barcs.co.uk/forums/forum/107-radioglide-2023/

Please note that entry for the two day competition must be purchased in advance here: https://www.barcs.co.uk/radioglide/

Details

• Saturday and Sunday 27-28th May, 2023
• All are welcome. Newcomers encouraged. If you can launch and land, safely and consistently then please consider entering and discovering the joys of competition!
• CD will be Neil Harrison.
• Scoring will be using F3XVault.com Please ensure you are registered on the website and ideally have saved your credentials on your mobile device in order to log in at the field.
  • Having said that, difficulties or queries around scoring etc should not discourage you from entering as we can work around most issues and assist on the day.
• Pilots briefing will be at 9:45 for a prompt start at 10:00am. Please give yourself plenty of time to ensure no delay to the event start.
• This is a BMFA UK League and Team Selection event.
• Camping on site is available and must be purchased in advance from the link below.

Entry

• BMFA membership is required.
• Entry is via F3XVault. Link to event: BMFA F3K 2023 Radioglide
• Entry and camping fees are payable in advance.
• Please purchase entry and camping here: https://www.barcs.co.uk/radioglide/
• Once entry has been purchased, please also register your entry on F3XVault.

Current entry list (from F3XVault):

Confirmation

• All F3K events are subject to potential cancellation due to weather conditions or lack of entries (min 8).
• Please check this thread for up to date information before travelling.

Directions

• Getting there: https://nationalcentre.bmfa.org/visitor-info/getting-there
• Location on: Google Maps

[MikeDLG]

I’m afraid I’m away for this one. 

[CTR]

Just wondering, as payment is in advance, are fees refunded if the event is cancelled?

[PaulR]

20 minutes ago, CTR said:

Just wondering, as payment is in advance, are fees refunded if the event is cancelled?

I assume so. 
@steve knowles - can you confirm?

[John Minchell]

I asked this question last year when the Radio glide GPS event was cancelled and I have not had the competition entry fee or the camping fee to Buckminster refunded.

I have had a separate discussion with a couple of SFTC committee members and requested it goes into the rule book for next year (that entrants get a refund from BARCS or BMFA or whoever is the organiser) if an event is cancelled.  Clearly if an individual enters and can't attend due to personal issues or car breakdown etc. but the event goes ahead, then that does not get a refund.

John M

[MikevE]

I'm also interested - my entries and camping ended up at £100. Would not like to lose that if the event was cancelled.

[CTR]

Lost quite a bit a few years ago at the nationals when weather forced cancellation. Hence the question. Don’t want to waste money again. Unless there’s confirmation of refunds I’ll probably wait until the last minute to book up; unfortunately that isn’t too good for the organisers.

it’s an interesting situation because there is a contract between the organisers and the participant. The refund situation, if cancelled, should be straight forward due to a failure on the part of the organisers to complete the contract; unless it is in the ‘small print’!

[John Minchell]

Back in the 2016/17/18 when I was organiser for the indoor scale nationals we had the 2018 RC event cancelled due the the snows when the "Beast from the East" hit us.  The Scale Tech Committee (which I was also on) refunded all entry fees as a matter of course.

John M

[steve knowles]

Paul R

You and your colleagues have raised a good point regarding pre entry that has been highlighted this year following the protracted period of poor weather.

The main reasons for having an entry cut off point are to a) allow the organisers to prepare flying schedules, score cards etc. (not such an issue for F3K but essential for e.g., F5J) and b) to ensure that the fixed costs of running the event, mainly the field hire costs, can be covered by the income we receive i.e. the entry fees.

We are fortunate in being able to have exclusive use of the National Flying Centre for our multi-day soaring events on the two main bank holiday weekends. But....... it does mean that we are responsible for under-writing the field hire costs regardless of how many entrants we get or what the weather turns out to be.

This is no different to previous years, or most other competitions, and as a result entry fees have never been refunded if an event is cancelled due to poor weather. 

Whilst this is not ideal it has always been the case.

However, with the field hire costs/income from entrants being so closely balanced, it is something that the organisers are considering how we manage this in future, or indeed this year if there are significant weather-related cancellations. 

The number of entrants across all classes has picked up in recent days, sufficiently so to again make this year's event viable.

Let's hope that this support continues and is rewarded with good flying weather for the event.

Steve

 

[MikevE]

I do understand that, and it's why I didn't ask for a refund the last time something like this happened. Nevertheless, if someone decided to be arsy about it, I think you'd be on a sticky wicket in a legal sense with not refunding.

[PaulR]

Thanks for clarifying the situation @steve knowles. Now we've had the question answered, lets keep this thread for any F3K specific discussion.

If anyone would like to continue the discussion around cancellation etc then can I suggest starting a thread in here: https://www.barcs.co.uk/forums/forum/107-radioglide-2023/

 

 

[PaulR]

For those of you intending to come and fly F3K at Radioglide, could you perhaps register for the event on F3XVault in advance so we have an idea of likely numbers?

I understand the desire to not commit to paying for entry until closer to the deadline, but right now, I'm not even sure we'll have enough entries to qualify as a league event with the known absences!

So, if you are able to commit to being there unless its cancelled for weather reasons, then please register on F3XVault and then don't forget to pay for entry before the deadline (22nd).

The good news is that the forecast seems to be for a period of more settled, sunny weather for the next couple of weeks so I'm feeling positive about the outlook.

[MikevE]

Will the comp still go ahead if there aren't enough people for a league event?

[Will_A]

I’ve signed up on F3X Vault. 

[PaulR]

2 hours ago, MikevE said:

Will the comp still go ahead if there aren't enough people for a league event?

Hopefully we won’t have to make that call, but basically there would be nothing to stop us flying with less people. But, I’d like to do everything we can get get entries up and we don’t know who to hassle/encourage if we don’t know who’s going

[PaulR]

I'll just leave this here:

[CTR]

Signed up for both days.

Neil P

[PaulR]

On 20/05/2023 at 06:37, CTR said:

Signed up for both days.

Excellent, I think that takes us to our 8 pilot minimum for the comp to count as a league event.

Having said that, I'm still only showing 7 pilots in F3XVault, so can anyone who has bought their entry through BARCS then please remember to sign up in F3XVault and if you've signed up in F3XVault with the intention of purchasing entry later then please don't forget that the deadline for purchasing your entry is Monday 22nd - tomorrow...

[PaulR]

3 minutes ago, PaulR said:

Excellent, I think that takes us to our 8 pilot minimum for the comp to count as a league event.

Having said that, I'm still only showing 7 pilots in F3XVault, so can anyone who has bought their entry through BARCS then please remember to sign up in F3XVault and if you've signed up in F3XVault with the intention of purchasing entry later then please don't forget that the deadline for purchasing your entry is Monday 22nd - tomorrow...

My mistake - Neil was their already, we definitely have 8.

Reminder is still valid for anyone else who needs to purchase entry or sign up in F3XVault.

[antigravitypaddy]

I am in for Saturday only. Family business on Sunday, I’m afraid.

Steve