Official Observers, please, when you help someone with their badge or record attempt, your primary role is to make sure that the claim, sent to Beryl for badges, and to me for records, is complete. Check through the log file, look for obvious problems, sort them out and put in with the claim all the evidence required. If you are not sure about something, it is often batter to email me or Beryl, send the log file, ask the questions, and then prepare the claim, rather than sending a deficient claim, and having it sent back to you.
>> For Records, the claim envelop will contain at least the following: claim form(s), completed & signed by Observer and pilot, a copy of the original log file, a barograph calibration (I might not always require this), measuring certificate, and a Narrative by the OO. The OO Narrative will address issues such as: (1) That the OO observed the pilot(s), glider, and Flight Recorder(s) in the glider either at take-off or landing. (2) That the OO downloaded, or observed the download, of the log file and kept an original copy. (3) That all FRs in the glider were downloaded, to check the declarations. (4) Any other issues, such as evidence regarding airspace penetration : was the airspace inactive? Is there a copy of a notam? Have you asked the pilot about it? Did they get a clearance from ATC? Is there some local airspace agreement? Why are these things important? (1) Probably the single most important duty of the OO is to ensure that the FR from which the log file is taken, was carried by that pilot in that glider. No substitution has taken place. (2) An original log file is essential, because log files that have been modified in any way will fail the 'data verification' which I must perform when checking record claims. Send it to me on the same evening after the flight, and if there is a problem, you have the opportunity to download the FR again before the next flight, using different software for example. If a log file has been sent to OLC, it will often fail verification. It gets modified, extra lines of data get added. It is no longer the original log file. (3) This is to prevent cheating, where two tasks are declared, and the pilot decides which one to fly after taking off. The last declaration made before take-off is the valid one. If there are two declarations, an assessment must be made as to the significance of this. (4) Obviously, your flight must be legal. When I am asked to Observe a flight, I make a note of the serial number of the FR before the pilot takes off. That doesn't take long. After the flight, I have plenty of time to sit down with the pilot and go through all the evidence. If you have done the flight and landed, but did not have an OO available before take-off, DO NOT remove the FR from the glider. The evidence for your take-off and landing in the glider can be taken from the daily flight log kept at the pie cart, but if you have removed the FR, the OO can no longer certify it was in the glider. It is always best to have the OO there at take-off, because if you land out, and get retrieved, and then offer the FR to the OO the next morning, the OO is again not in a position to certify the relevant actions. >> Pam Kurstjens Records Officer, Data Analyst, GFA
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