Hunt Racing Rules

These rules are in addition to the General Racing Rules.

1. Any qualifying Falcon may be entered into ‘Open classes.’ ‘Restricted classes’ limit entries to Falcons of a specified class.

2. The feet of the Falcon must be in natural hunting condition, that is to say, with sharp claws and fully functional toes. Fitting beads to the claws or any device or surgery that prevents the falcon from having full use of its feet will disqualify the Falcon.

3. The Pilot is on the same side as the Falcon and can be an in-house Pilot or a freelance Pilot, the same as jockeys in a horse race.

4. A ‘Team’ at minimum consists of the Falconer who slips the Falcon and the Pilot. It may also include the Owner or Owners and the Trainer, if different.

5. An Owner can have Falcons in more than one Team.

6. The Falconer, Pilot and Trainer can act only in one Team during a given Race.

7. The number of Falcons entered by one Owner in a race may be restricted by the Organisers.
8. The Pilot can fly for more than one Falcon in the same Team.
9. The Pilot can fly for more than one Team in Qualifying races, but is restricted to one Team in Finals.
10. The Roprey is supplied by the Pilot or the Trainer, not by the competition Organisers. The wings, fuselage and tail of the model must be unmodified factory models supplied by Wingbeat. The motors, electronic controls, batteries, heads and airbrake springs can be modified from factory issue. The transmitter can be any model. Any feathers added to the model must be non-detachable and must not extend more than 5 cm beyond the end of the tail. No modification will be allowed if, in the opinion of the judges, the model risks injury to the Falcon or spectators.

11. All models must have properly padded heads to prevent injury to the Falcon or spectators.

12. The models may carry any amount of logos.

13. In the event that the model malfunctions for any reason, this is the fault of the competitor, not the Organisers.

14. While a race is in progress no person may distract the Falcon in any way, including showing a lure or Roprey, or feeding a Falcon, within 100 metres of the Landing Square. If a competitor files a formal complaint of distraction, and it is upheld by the Timekeeper, the competitor will be allowed a re-run and the distractor, if a member of a competing team, will have his or her Falcon(s) disqualified.
15. If the Falcon wanders off and the Pilot runs out of battery and is forced to land, the Falcon is declared ‘lost’ and is disqualified. The Timekeeper will then consult the GPS location of the Falcon and decide whether or not to fly the next Falcon.
16. In the event of any cheating, irregularity or uncertainty the Timekeeper’s decision will be final.

17. The standard Landing Square is 120 x 120 metres marked out by corner posts and white tape 30 cm above ground level so that the falcon cannot go underneath it. Outside the tape is a 5-metre-wide clear zone separating the tape from the crowd barrier. This zone must be kept completely clear at all times.
18. The Falcon must be fitted with a standardised GPS tag with a barometric altimeter transmitting the height reading down to the Timekeeper in real time. This tag is supplied by the race Organisers.

19. The classes will be 120, 200, 300, 400 and 500 metres altitude for the top height.
20. The model can be any colour but only one size in each class. So, the 120, 200, 300 and 400 metre competitions will usually be the standard V2 size model, and the 400 and 500 metre classes will usually be the larger V1 Robara model.
21. The model can include an altimeter allowing the Pilot to know the height of the model.
22. Only the Falconer, the Pilot and the Timekeeper are allowed inside the Landing Square.
23. The competition starts with the Falconer and the Pilot standing inside the Landing Square facing the wind. They can be any distance apart.

24. The Pilot can be in any position in relation to the Falcon as long as both are within the Landing Square.
25. The braces on the Falcon’s hood can be open but the hood must be on, with the Falconer’s free hand at his side. When the Falconer and the Pilot are ready to slip, they must both raise their hands to signal to the Timekeeper.
26. Once both hands have been raised, the Timekeeper sounds the start horn and starts the clock. The Pilot launches the Roprey and the Falcon is unhooded.
27. In the event that the Pilot has a mis-launch, one more attempt is permitted provided that the Falcon has not left the Falconer’s fist. Once the Falcon is in the air the flight is underway and cannot be repeated. In the event of a mis-launch, the clock continues running from the initial horn time.
28. The Pilot can do anything he likes to encourage the Falcon to reach the top height as quickly as possible and use any part of the sky, including outside the Landing Square.
29. When the Falcon reaches the top height, the Timekeeper sounds the second horn.
30. The Pilot must then immediately dive to encourage the Falcon back down as fast as possible. When the Falcon has descended past 50 metres altitude the Timekeeper sounds the third horn. At this point there is a break of 30 seconds during which time the Roprey can do anything it likes but must not get caught. The reason for this is to reduce the risk of the Falcon being injured by hitting the Roprey in a hard stoop, and to provide spectators with the excitement of an aerial combat at close quarters, demonstrating the flying skills of the Falcon.

31. If a Falcon touches the Roprey at any point after the third horn the pilot may ditch the model any time after the fourth horn.

32. Thirty seconds after the third horn the Timekeeper sounds the fourth horn. The Falcon must catch the Roprey in the air in the shortest time possible after the fourth horn. The fifth horn sounds at the moment the Falcon touches the ground holding the Roprey. This is the Finish.
33. The winner is the Falcon with the shortest total time between the first (start) horn and the fifth (finish) horn. The logged time includes the mandatory 30 second chase period between the third and fourth horns.

34. If at any time the Falcon touches the prey but does not bind to it, the hunt can continue.

35. If the Falcon catches the prey and lands on the ground with it before the third horn, the Falcon is disqualified.

36. If the Falcon catches the prey between the third and fourth horns and lands with it before the fourth horn it incurs time points equivalent to the number of dogfight seconds remaining, times ten.

37. All parts of the model must be clear of the ground at the moment that the Falcon catches it.
38. The Pilot may use the airbrake, or reverse thrust, but nothing external to the model, such as a parachute.
39. If the Roprey hits the ground without the Falcon having touched it, the Falcon is disqualified.
40. If the Falcon hits the Roprey to the ground but does not bind to it, the clock continues until the Falcon has landed on the Roprey on the ground.
41. The decision as to whether or not the Falcon is holding the Roprey on landing is made by the Timekeeper who may consult action replay footage.
42. If the Falcon carries the Roprey and lands outside the Landing Square, the Falcon incurs 15 seconds time faults.
43. If the landing of the Falcon with the Roprey on the ground outside the Landing Square cannot be seen by the Timekeeper the landing time shall be determined from the GPS recording.