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FAI Badges/Awards

Introduction

Gliding offers you a life time of challenges - from training through to cross-country competition flying, and attempting national and world records!

For the pilot-in-training there are the Gliding New Zealand certificates to recognise your development and to help track your progress:

• The A-certificate celebrates your early development in being able to safely fly a glider solo in close proximity to the airfield
• The B-certificate focuses on your ability to safely fly a glider in early cross-country,
• The Qualified Glider Pilot celebrates your arrival as a fully fledged glider pilot.

Many pilots use the FAI awards system as a means of setting goals for their cross-country flying development. The FAI awards system is a graduated system of badges, certificates and diplomas which recognises a pilot's achievements in cross-country soaring.

For other pilots, the ultimate challenges lie in attempting National and World Records.

Official observers (OO's) are the volunteers who ensure that the requirements for FAI badge and record flights are met, consequently being an OO is a very responsible position in the gliding movement.

FAI Awards System

The FAI awards are a graduated system for recognising achievements in cross country flying. The FAI badges are internationally recognised, and the same standards are applied in every country. The full requirements for badge flights are detailed in the FAI Gliding's Sporting Code which can be found on the FAI-Gliding website.

Award		Activity	Description
Silver Badge		Duration	A flight of at least 5 hours
		Distance	A flight over a straight course of at least 50 km
		Gain of Height	A gain in height of at least 1000 metres
Gold Badge		Duration	A flight of at least 5 hours
		Distance	A distance flight of at least 300 km
		Gain of Height	A gain in height of at least 3000 metres
Three Diamonds		Diamond Distance	A distance flight of at least 500 km
		Diamond Goal	A goal flight of at least 300 km over an out and return or triangular course
		Diamond Gain of Height	A gain in height of at least 5000 metres
1000km Badge and Diploma		Distance	A distance flight of at least 1000 km
2000km Badge and Diploma		Distance	A distance flight of at least 2000 km

Application should be made on the appropriate form, and must be accompanied by the correct payment (see Paperwork Corner below). Claims will only be processed if the pilot is currently a financial flying member of an organisation which is, itself, a financial member of the GNZ.

Individual "legs" for Silver or Gold badges may be claimed separately and will be held in GNZ's records pending completion of all "legs". All claims must be lodged with the GNZ Awards Officer, within 6 months of the date on which the flight was made, using Form OPS 04.

All cross country flights entered for record or FAI awards are automatically entered for the Air New Zealand Cross Country Championship, even if the record or award is not homologated, provided the distance portion of the claim is valid.

Official Observers

Official Observers (OO's) are the volunteers who ensure that the requirements for FAI badge and record flights are met, consequently being an OO is a very responsible position in the gliding movement. Click for a list of Official Observers.

Becoming an OO requires an understanding of the Gliders Section of the FAI Sporting Code, and the approval of your club's Chief Flying Instructor. Being an OO is not an onerous task, and greatly assists your fellow club members in their quest to meet their goals. Gliding New Zealand maintains a register of Official Observers. From time to time, as significant alterations to the Sporting Code occur, the register may be cancelled and a new one created. See Paperwork corner below for application to become an Official Observer.

Paperwork corner

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