Announcing the USA F3K Team Select event for the 2025 World Championships in Germany
This event is hosted by the Southwest Soaring Society (SWSS) at the Silent Wings Ranch in Arizona.
Date: Saturday, Sunday, and Monday 2/3/4 November 2024.
The 2025 F3K USA team will be selected at this event. The top three Adult fly-off finishers will constitute the team. The fourth-place Adult fly-off finisher will be the alternate.
Eligibility
To enter a Team Selections Finals for an event, an individual must meet the following conditions (per AMA Blue Book- Page 13, Paragraph J, K, L.):
- Must be an Adult (19yrs or older) AMA member for minimum 6 months or have a Youth (18yrs or younger) membership.
- Need not possess a USA-issued FAI Sporting License but must be able to meet the requirements for one at the time of the Team Selection Finals.
- Must hold NO FAI Sporting License from any other country.
- Must be a US citizen, or a documented legal resident with two years US residency and expectation of residency at the time of the World Championship.
- Cannot be a current World Champion in the event who has committed to participating in the pertinent World Championships as the defending World Champion.
- In addition to meeting the FAI requirement “3.5.4 Change of Representation” for the pertinent World Championships, must not have been a competitor for any other country at the immediately preceding World Championships for the event.
- Participation in a Team Selection Finals by any competitor who cannot be a member of the team, where such participation can affect the results of another, is not allowed.
-
If selected for a team, team members must have or obtain a USA-issued FAI sporting license within 90 days of selection to the team.
All participants are expected to be familiar with the 2024 F3K FAI rules and tasks.
AMA USA F3K Program
The "USA F3K Program" is a voluntary registration and fundraising system for the USA F3K team conducted by the AMA. All USA pilots are encouraged to join the USA F3K program to show their support of the USA F3K team (contact Colleen Pierce <cpierce@modelaircraft.org>). All proceeds from the program go towards financing the future USA team. Entering the F3K program is not required for flying the qualifying (preliminary) rounds. However, to fly in the team selection finals (flyoffs) entering the F3K program is mandatory.
Classes
OPEN/Adult – Any pilot 19 years of age or older.
JUNIOR/Senior - Any pilot under 17 years of age or younger in 2024 (turning 18 in CY 2025 or later.)
Registration
The AMA has agreed to SWSS collecting all fees and registration information so you can complete your entire enrollment in a single step here. All fees are collected upon registration (PayPal and Credit Cards accepted) before the late registration deadline of October 15, 2024 at 11:59PM. Lunch will be provided on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday as part of the entry fee.
Early Registration Fees for Adult and Junior/Senior Pilots: $20 AMA, $75 USA Team, $55 SWSS ($150 total)
Early registration ends September 30, at 11:59PM, MST.
Late Registration Fee and Cut-off Date: $50 Adult and $30 Youth beginning October 1 at 12:00AM MST
and ending October 15 at 11:59PM.
Refund Policy: All early registration fee are refundable until September 30, at 11:59PM, MST.
Late Fees are non-refundable.
NOTE: Pilots are allowed a total of five (5) planes for the contest.
Format
The event begins with sign in and practice on Thursday and Friday, October 31 and November 1. Preliminary rounds will be held on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning.
At the conclusion of the preliminary rounds, the best 12 Adult pilots (but not more than half of the total number of pilots if fewer than 24 entries) will proceed to the fly-off rounds. Preliminary scores carry into the fly-offs.
Youth pilots will not participate in the flyoffs. The Youth team shall be determined based on the preliminary rounds.
Weather permitting, there will be 8 fly-off rounds flown.
If the fly-offs cannot be flown due to weather or other circumstances, the Adult team shall be determined based on the preliminary rounds. The contest rules will be in accordance with the FAI sporting code. Protests must be submitted in writing within one hour of an infraction, accompanied by a $20 fee. If the protest is rejected, the fee will be deposited in the F3K team fund. The protest fee shall be returned to the protester if the protest is allowed to stand.
Scorecards will be provided by the contest organizer and must be initialed by the timer and the pilot to confirm that the recorded score is correct. The organizers will post printed scores within one hour of the completion of a round to enable the competitors to verify their scores are correct.
Upon making the 2025 F3K team, the pilot is required to possess an FAI stamp.
Jury
A jury shall be impaneled before the start of the Finals (Fly-off) rounds to adjudicate disputes and/or protests arising over interpretation or implementation of the Sporting Code or Finals contest rules. Authority of the jury is as described in document entitled "World Championship Teams Procedures Governing the Academy's Sponsorship of FAI Teams". There will be no appeal from decisions of the jury. The jurors do not have to be present at the venue but must be available to reach over the phone at any time during the Finals event.
Tentative Schedule
Thursday October 31 and Friday November 1
Sign in and free practice.
Saturday November 2
08:30 am Pilots Meeting
9:00 am to 1:00 pm Preliminary rounds
Lunch (provided)
2:00 pm to 5:00 pm Continuation of preliminary rounds
Sunday November 3
08:30 am Pilots Meeting
9:00 am to 1:00 pm Continuation of preliminary rounds
Lunch (provided)
2:00 pm to 5:00 pm Continuation of preliminary rounds
Monday November 4
9:00 am to 12:00 pm Continuation of preliminary rounds
Lunch (provided)
12:30 to 3:00 pm 8 Round TS Flyoff per Team USA selection process rules.
3:30 pm Announce Team Pilots
Scoring
The contest will be run using the F3xVault, and all scores will be visible to everyone after the official contest start. We will use paper tickets to document flight times and record them using smartphones and the QR code on the ticket. Every round will be audited before the scores are uploaded.
Accommodations
On-site RV (no hookups) and tent camping are welcomed. The nearest town to the flying site is Maricopa, a 15-minute drive to the east of the ranch. Visit our club's Location page for Silent Wings Ranch details and nearby accommodations that are 20-to-45-minute drive from the ranch. Use the Expedia link to see the nearest hotels.
Meals
Lunch will be provided on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday as part of the entry fee.
Site Weather
We have a weather station on the field and are connected to other weather services. See SWSS weather resources on our Weather page.