Tips for Judges

Arrive early - Be considerate of the event directors by being there.  Take the extra time to review the pattern to be judged and to acquaint yourself with the box and center markers.

Be prepared - Bring a comfortable chair, sunglasses, hat, sun block, plenty of chilled fluids, a small towel (can be wetted in cooler).  Consider your clothing, it may be very hot and light colored garments that cover arms and legs serve best.  Bring warm and wind/rain resistant apparel if inclement weather is likely.

Be comfortable - Change your posture often.  Stand and stretch when there's a break in flying.  Use your ice chest for a footrest.  Ask the event personnel to reposition shade as needed during the event.  Consume plenty of fluids in warm and/or windy weather to avoid dehydration.  Use a towel wetted in your ice chest for cooling.  Personal breaks should be scheduled regularly, notify the line director if you need an unscheduled break to be added between flights.

Ensure that you are positioned properly - Judges should seat themselves within about a 7 to 10 meter zone behind the pilot.  If you are too close an excessive amount of a maneuver may be blocked from view by the pilot or caller.  Ensure that you are positioned so that any shade cover does not limit your view of the top of the box.

Educate your scribe - Explain the process of a flight and how you will communicate your scores.  Explain that the scribe should concentrate on correctly recording scores and is not to watch the flight.  Ensure that the scribe has the necessary items to be comfortable and efficient. 

Be courteous - But limit conversation.  The flyer may find it distracting.

Record your score-  Use a scratch pad to record your score for each maneuver without looking away from the aircraft.  This is the only way to preserve the original data if the scribe makes an error.  Your scribe will transcribe your score from the scratch pad to the official score sheet (When no scribe is available, you can take a moment between flights to transcribe the scores to the score sheet).  Do not be concerned if you need an entire sheet for each flight, with practice you will find that it's easy to record several flights on a sheet.

Score by accumulation of downgrades ONLY - Focus on each maneuver from the straight-line entry through the straight-line exit.  Tally observed downgrades.  Please do not casually observe a maneuver in general and assign a number basis your impression of the maneuver.  If you have to think of the score after the maneuver then you are impression judging!

Be independent - Ignore the scores of other judges.  Do not converse about scores.  Score each maneuver on its individual value.  Dismiss consideration of each maneuver as soon as you record its score.

Be confident - You know the principles, fundamentals, and elements of scoring.  Apply them to the best of your ability.  If you have a lapse in concentration and miss a maneuver, simply record NO (not observed) and continue.  Please do not guess or base a (missed) score on previous maneuvers. 

Thanks for judging!