A declared flight is a pre-defined task that is declared by a pilot before takeoff. The declaration includes the pilot's identity and the waypoint coordinates for one of the following flight types:
These flight types match FAI record categories and comprise a sequence of 400m radius cylinders, from a start point, around any turnpoints to a finish point. All these must be reached, in the order in which they were declared, with a tracklog point recorded inside each cylinder.
The scoring distance is the minimum distance it is possible to fly by entering the specified cylinders and is defined as the total distance between cylinder waypoints, minus 400m for each Start/Finish point and 800m for each turnpoint.
A pilot may takeoff outside the start point and/or land outside the finish point, but any distance flown before the start or after the finish is not included in the scoring distance.
If the scoring distance is less than 125km, any loss of height between the start and finish must not exceed 2% of this distance, as per FAI rules. These heights are taken at the last exit of the start cylinder and the most beneficial entry of the finish cylinder.
The time taken to fly the task is calculated from the last exit of the start cylinder to the first (or most beneficial) entry of the finish cylinder. It is only relevant for Out and Return and Triangle speed records.
The scoring distance is used to check that a flight meets the minimum distance requirements and for awarding a multiplier.
Declared flights require a greater level of preparation than free distance flights and are rewarded with high multipliers. Pilots should ensure that they fully understand the requirements and must accept that any errors in either the declaration or execution of the task are entirely their responsibility.
A Flight to Goal commences at a start point and goes to a finish point (the goal). The following coordinates must be declared:
|
|
| UK local records | |
|---|---|
| FAI category: | Straight distance to a declared goal |
| General: | 300.9km (Richard Carter 2018) |
| Female: | 234.2km (Kirsty Cameron 2017) |
| Tandem: | 113.6km (Hugh Miller & Laurent Boninfante 2019) |
A declared Turnpoint Flight commences at a start point, goes to up to three turnpoints then on to a finish point. The following coordinates must be declared:
|
|
| UK local records | |
|---|---|
| FAI category: | Declared distance using up to 3 turn points |
| General: | 156.7km (Graham Steel 2017) |
| Female: | None - minimum scoring distance 100km |
| Tandem: | None - minimum scoring distance 50km |
A declared Out and Return commences at a start point, goes to a single turnpoint and then returns to the start point. The following coordinates must be declared:
|
|
| UK local records | |
|---|---|
| FAI category: | Declared out-and-return distance |
| General: | 118.0km (Hugh Miller, Mark Watts 2018) |
| Female: | None |
| Tandem: | None |
A declared Triangle commences at a start point, goes to two turnpoints and then returns to the start point. The following coordinates must be declared:
The triangle must satisfy the 28% leg rule, which requires that no leg may have a length of less than 28% of the total leg distance. For declared flights, a leg is the distance between cylinder waypoints.
|
|
| UK local records | |
|---|---|
| FAI category: | Declared distance around a triangular course |
| General: | 122.9km (Hugh Miller 2018) |
| Female: | 82.0km (Kirsty Cameron 2020) |
| Tandem: | None |
