PilotEdge Forums

All PilotEdge users are invited to participate in the “PRECISION FLYING CHALLENGE”.

WHAT IS IT?
The idea is that pilots will fly a defined course at specified altitudes. The resulting PEaware flight data will be analyzed and scored with an automated scoring system. The concept is loosely based on one event of the National Intercollegiate Flying Association competitions. Note that Peter has won 4 NIFA awards so we may need to impose a handicap system on him!!!!

HOW DOES IT WORK?

• File a VFR flight plan that starts and ends at P20 - Avi Suquilla
• After departing P20, climb to 6500 and maneuver to fly the following legs (skyvector):
  1. LEG 1 - PKE - GFS @ 6500 MSL
  2. LEG 2 - GFS - TNP @ 6500 MSL
  3. LEG 3 - TNP - PKE @ 5500 MSL
• Return to land at P20
• Submit the URL of your PEaware flight data on this webpage: PRECISION FLYING CHALLENGE

HOW IS THE FLIGHT SCORED?

• For this challenge, you are expected to maintain altitude within +/-100 feet and maintain course within .5 NM. At each PEaware datapoint (recorded every minute), altitude error and cross track error will be computed and penalty points assessed (if appropriate).
• Scoring begins once you exceed 4000' AND are WEST of PKE VOR
• A perfect score is 1000 points. Penalty points assessed as follows:
  • .2 points per .1 NM course deviation (if deviation is over .5NM)
  • .2 points per foot (if deviation is over 100 feet)
  • Altitude penalty is not assessed in a "transition zone" around TSP during your descent. The radius of the "transition zone" is determined by your reported ground speed using a 500 ft/min descent (for example, at 150KT, transition should begin and end within 2.5NM of TSP)
• Tie breaker is the sum of average cross track error (measured in feet) and average altitude error

WHAT AIRCRAFT CAN I FLY?

• Aircraft and airspeed are at pilots discretion. NIFA rules stipulate a single engine aircraft up to 250 hp with a max capacity of four passengers but you are welcome to fly whatever you wish. Something in the 150-170 KT range is probably a good choice but its up to you.
• Be sure to check for existing traffic if you suspect that you might be capable of overtaking slower aircraft.
• Use of autopilots is not permitted (no one would try to cheat would they?)
• Navigation equipment is at pilot's discretion

WHEN CAN I FLY THE COURSE? WEATHER?

• The course can be flown at your convenience. Obviously you must complete the flight while connected to PilotEdge and please make the appropriate CTAF reports at P20 (CTAF 122.725)
• Weather settings are at pilots discretion, however real world weather is preferred.
• You may complete the course as many times as you like. Each run will be scored individually.

PRIZES?

• Personal pride and satisfaction
• ....the obligatory 1 free day of VATSIM membership

CREDITS
Huge Thank You to Peter for his help and to Steve, David, Reece and Milan for volunteering to fly test runs of the course. You guys are welcome to submit the URL of your test flights or fly it again now that you know the rules!! Also thanks to the work of Ed Williams (http://williams.best.vwh.net/avform.htm) for his explanations of how to compute cross track error.

Initially, Chris and I envisioned this as a one day competitive event (similar to the Poker Run), but with spring (and soon summer) now upon most of us, it is difficult to get everyone together at a specific date and time. So instead, we are opening this up as an ongoing challenge (similar to the Alphabet Challenge). If there is sufficient interest, perhaps this fall we will plot a more challenging course and plan an event around it.

I just entered the log from my test flight, and I'm wondering how altimeter settings are considered, because I'm constantly in the 6300-6400 ft range. could be a wrong altimeter setting on my part, at least it was a good exercise to practice some handflying and trimming techniques.

This sounds cool....

Only issue for me is I doubt I will ever win that free Vatsim membership

I will give it a shot this week and see what I can do.

Stupid question, but just want to confirm. Is the FD considered AP?

Nelson L. wrote:Stupid question, but just want to confirm. Is the FD considered AP?

I'd simply say that it's up to each pilot to decide what equipment is appropriate based on their own experience, abilty and training objectives. For me personally, that would not include use of a FD but I have no problem if someone feels it is appropriate for them.

898! Not bad for the test run....now to try it in all planes, starting small, ending big. Maybe Peter will do it in a 732!

What a great idea! I will lose horribly, but I'll still participate. The only issue for me is that it's rather a long flight, at some 200-plus nm, and that will take a while in the aircraft I normally fly on PE -- a Piper Archer. Maybe I should live dangerously and bust out my Bonanza?

Assuming I do use the Archer, I won't use a flight director because my aircraft (by Carenado) doesn't have one. Thus far, I have made all my flights on PE by hand, never with an autopilot, so I look forward to putting my awesome VOR-needle-chasing skills to the test!

Anyway, thanks for putting this together, Ken. Activities like this, the ratings, and the Alphabet Challenge really spice up PE.

Edit: Just to double-check my chart-reading skills: the western leg is underneath the Bristol MOA, correct? The altitude floors for MOAs are given in feet AGL, not MSL, right? (The Turtle MOA's floor is 12000 feet, so that's well above the eastern leg, regardless of whether it's AGL or MSL.)

Geoff wrote: the western leg is underneath the Bristol MOA, correct? The altitude floors for MOAs are given in feet AGL, not MSL, right? (The Turtle MOA's floor is 12000 feet, so that's well above the eastern leg, regardless of whether it's AGL or MSL.)

Bristol 5000' MSL - 17,999' MSL - 0700 - 1500 MON - FRI, other times by NOTAM (course penetrates the Bristol MOA by ~1.5NM)
Turtle 11,000' MSL - 17,999' MSL - 0700 - 1700 MST MON - FRI, other times by NOTAM (no issue for the course)

NOTE: You are not precluded from operating within a MOA. Per an old post of Peter's:

Peter Grey wrote:2. Officially we don't control MOAs here at PilotEdge, however we won't mind if you let us know.

AIM
3−4−5. Military Operations Areas
c. Pilots operating under VFR should exercise
extreme caution while flying within a MOA when
military activity is being conducted. The activity
status (active/inactive) of MOAs may change
frequently. Therefore, pilots should contact any FSS
within 100 miles of the area to obtain accurate
real-time information concerning the MOA hours of
operation. Prior to entering an active MOA, pilots
should contact the controlling agency for traffic
advisories.

Thanks for your reply. Oh wow, so it is MSL, not AGL. The chart does say "all altitudes are MSL unless stated otherwise," so I guess I should've divined that myself.

And yes, I recall Keith's comments on MOAs in one of his workshops. I dimly recall that he might have fighter jets zipping along MTRs or such? In any case, I won't worry about it for your Challenge. I'm looking forward to it!

Hi PE Flyers,

Trying to fly the Precison Challenge, I couldn't select KP20 as my Destination Airport. X-Plane 10.32 only found CP20 as best match.
apxp.info lists that Airport, but without an option to download the scenery.

Any clues?

Regards
Friedhelm