Blog | 5th Freedom Open

Blog
Summary
Details
Pilots
Results
Registration

55 Pilots Confirmed
55 Pilots total registered
280 EUR Entry fee

Go to Pilot List

80 Pilots max allowed
24 Countries presented
✅ All certified wings allowed
🏆 FAI Status = CAT 2 🏅

left before start of event

Registration will open on
01/12 13:30 (Europe/Rome)

Safety

🛰️

The organiser will supply Live trackers to you, for safety and scoring

Live trackers supplied
🚁

The region supports helicopter rescues

Helicopter rescue
⚕️

There will be medical rescue services at launch

Medic on takeoff
📱

The region generally has good phone coverage

Good phone coverage
📻

We will be monitoring radios for your safety whilst you fly

Radio coverage
🛰️

Live Tracking is MANDATORY in this event to score. The organiser will provide the trackers.

Live trackers mandatory

Organisation

🚐

There will be vehicles supplied to take you to launch

Launch Transport
🥾

There will be retrieve vehicles available to return pilots to HQ

Retrieve included
💩

There are toilets at, or near, the launch

Toilets on takeoff
🛰

The organisers will download the tracklogs at HQ for scoring

Tracklogs managed
📢

The organisers are using Airtribune for registration, tracking, blogging and to publish scores

Airtribune blogging

Benefits

🥪

There will be daily lunch packs for pilots

Lunch packs
💳

The organisers will give you an ID card with all the essential items listed

ID Cards
⚡

The organisers will have free WiFi available at HQ

Free WiFi
🍺

There will usually be goal beers for winners

Goal beers
🍕

There will be a social evening with food

Food
🎉

There will be an organised party during or after the event

Party
🎵

There will be live music or a DJ at the event

Live music
👕

You will receive a tshirt or other welcome gift

Free gift

Environment

🌲

The organisers have commmitted to Carbon Offset the event and/or Plant a Tree for each competitor

Carbon offset / Plant a Tree
♻️

The organisers support reducing the use of unnecessary plastic at the event. This includes NOT giving disposable water bottles

Plastic reduction

Prize funds and scoring categories

Reynolds |
Female |
Sports |
Overall |
Serial |
Junior |
FTV Prediction |

Contacts

Meet Director
- Luigi Seravili
- brett@flyevent.org

Event info

In 2020 in the depths of the Covid virus, all events worldwide were suspended. However, in the summer of 2020 there were signs that Slovenia may allow an international competition to be organised. And so the Freedom Open came into being. Assembled in just 3 weeks, it became one of the highest scoring WPRS events of the year. Now in 2024, we will continue with the 5th Freedom Open.

The Freedom Open dates and schedule have been carefully designed to allow pilots to score some early season WPRS points and practice for the coming season. The results will be posted to CIVL in time to appear in the 1st May calendar. Important for some for national team selection.

There are 6 tasks scheduled, from Sunday to Friday. However, the following Saturday & Sunday are scheduled as reserve days in case we do not achieve 3 valid tasks.

It will be open to all pilots and wings.

For 2024 we will adhere to the following:
- The event will be limited to 130 pilots
- 6 scheduled tasks, plus 2 reserve days
- Scoring is by Flymaster Trackers
- FTV 25%*
- All pilots must have prior competition XC experience
- Sports pilots (EN-C & below) shall benefit from MRT scoring.
- Safety briefing will be predominantly by PDF document, in advance

The focus on the event is to deliver a safe competition to pilots that have been looking for an opportunity to compete at high level.

* Traditionally we have not included FTV. However, with the scheduling of reserve days we felt it important they were offered this year to allow for pilots that cannot stay for the extra task/s, if they are needed.

FUTURE YEARS
Plan ahead. This is how the series will develop in the future:

2024 = Gemona, late April
2025 = Tolmin, mid June
2026 = Gemona, late April
2027 = Tolmin, mid June
And so on......

Flying site

Mt Cuarnan, Gemona

Gemona located in the North East of Italy has hosted a number of international PWC and CAT 2 events over the years.

The Gemona flying arena has a great variety with a mix of Alpine and Flatland possibilities. Enjoy the views of the Alps to the north and Mediterranean coastline to the south.

For this event, we will be using the new HQ/LZ location by the river, with no obstructions and land out options for those that don't make it to goal. The LZ also features a camper van area. It has limited facilities, but there is some electric available, and plentiful water. There is also a bar, showers and toilets. The camper van charge is 50€* per vehicle for the duration of the event.

If camping at the HQ area, you must not camp inside the trees, but on the edge of the track. The trees, although open access, are private property. Thank you for assisting us. Additionally, the tent must not be erected during the daytime. In other words, you can erect the tent in the evening to sleep, but it must be dismantled in the morning each day. It will probably be easier to simply camp at Hotel Willy for the week and use the event transport from Gemona each day.

*This was the charge for 2023. We have not heard if it will increase or not for 2024.

Selection and entry fee

QUALIFYING
♦ The event is open to all pilots of any level of wing.

SELECTION
Places will be offered on the following basis:
♦ Any pilot ranked top 500 WPRS will immediately be offered a place.
Thereafter by the following:
♦ The top 10 ranked females that have registered
♦ WPRS order until 70 places are filled
♦ At organisers discretion for the remaining places

PAYMENT
♦ Payment will be made by Paypal. Details will be sent by email if your application to participate is accepted.
♦ If you receive a payment offer you should pay immediately, otherwise we will offer your place to another pilot on the waiting list.
♦ Do ensure you have read the cancellation policy before making any payment!

INCLUDED
The payment will get you:
♦ Up to six quality tasks, with the option of two reserve days
♦ Daily transport to launch for all tasks
♦ Retrieves daily
♦ Daily lunch packs
♦ Trackers, for safety and scoring
♦ Typical tasking/scoring services
♦ T-shirt & other souvenirs as we are able
♦ Discounts for alternative activities in the event of bad weather
♦ Other event benefits, as they are made available
♦ There will be a few social evening with drinks organised, and as has become custom, an open, free bar one evening.

REQUIRED BY YOU
All Pilots must hold the following:
♦ An FAI Sporting Licence (Don't confuse this with an IPPI card)
♦ Medical/Travel insurance
♦ Third party liability insurance (usually from your National Organisation)
♦ A mobile phone
♦ Recently repacked reserve parachute
♦ Helmet, certified for paragliding use
♦ Harness with certified back protection
♦ 2M Radio capable of 143.900 Mhz FM
If you do not have ALL of the above you will NOT be permitted to participate.

Documents required at registration

Issued by your local NAC on behalf of the FAI. You cannot normally compete in an FAI event without one. Contact your National Association (NAC)

FAI Sporting Licence
The FAI IPPI card is an International card that states your skill level. It is issued by your National Association and matches the level or your flying Licence

FAI IPPI Card
The organiser requires you to present your National flying licence.

National Licence
You will need to sign an applicaton form at the venue. Usually the organiser will provide it on arrival.

Signed Application form
You will need to sign a waiver or release document to show you understand the risks. Usually the organiser will provide it on arrival.

Signed Waiver/Release form
You must provide the organiser with a copy of your liability (3rd party) insurance documents

Liability Insurance
You must provide the organiser with a copy of your medical, rescue and repatriation insurance. You can purchase Global Rescue cover from Airtribune

Rescue/Medical Insurance

Cancellation Policy

CANCELLATION BY YOU
Pilots who want to cancel their registration should do it as soon as possible.

♦ A pilot who cancels at least 45 days before the event start can ask for a refund of their deposit, less an administrative fee of €50.
♦ Cancellations received less than 45 days before the event start will lose the deposit and not be refunded. Nothing further will be due.

Cancellations must be informed by email and the date at which the email is received will be used to calculate your refund, if one is due.

♦ Refunds are not immediate. We have one admin day per month.
♦ Your deposit and/or payment is NOT transferable to another pilot. There is a strict selection process and you cannot bypass this by passing your payment to another pilot.
♦ Please ensure you have adequate holiday travel insurance to cover any losses if you later find you are unable to participate.

CANCELLATION BY US
In the event the organisers deem it necessary to cancel, relocate, or reschedule the competition you will be entitled to a partial refund:
♦ Up to 7 days before the event start : 50% of the deposit
♦ Less than 7 days before the event start: A percentage of funds once any costs incurred by the local organiser have been deducted.
♦ After the start of the competition any refunds will be at the sole discretion of the organisers.

The organisers will not be liable for any costs incurred by anyone attending, or intending to attend the event, or any consequential losses arising from the cancellation, relocation, or rescheduling of the event.

Prize fund and scoring categories

Overall - All gliders in the competition
Serial - All gliders EN-D and below
Sports - All gliders EN-C and below
Women - All females

General schedule

REGISTRATION
Saturday 20 April June

PRACTICE DAY
Saturday 20 April
Unofficial practice. Transport will be available at the camping and a suggested task distributed. No retrieves or scoring. The transport cost this day is the standard parataxis charge and should be booked through the camping reception, as normal.

SAFETY BRIEFING
Sunday 21 April
8.45am: “Mandatory Safety Briefing”

TASK DAYS
1st task Sunday 21 April
Last scheduled task Friday 26 April

Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 April are scheduled as a Reserve days, if we have not achieved 3 valid tasks in the days prior.

PRIZE GIVING
Last task day

Daily schedule

On competition days:

09h00: Headquarters open
09h30: Transportation to take off
10h15: Task and Safety Committee meetings
11h15: Pilot briefing/Task briefing
11h30: Take-off window opens (depending on the actual weather conditions)
16h00: Scoring office opens
19h00: Provisional results (depending on the last pilot being retrieved)

The daily schedule is subject to change. Any changes to the schedule will be posted on the whiteboard in HQ. Changes will be announced by the Meet Director at the Daily briefing

Accommodation and Activities

How to get here

You can park your camper or caravan at the HQ. Tents can only be erected at night and must be dismantled in the day. FOr tents it is better to stay at Hotel Willy, in Gemona. We will run daily transport from Hotel Willy.

Via Campo Sportivo, 33010 Bordano UD, Italy
Gemona Italy