I have done a bit of research on the "FAI unique ID." It seems that the FAI wisely wants to be able to uniquely identify those who hold FAI Sporting Licenses and have a master database of all such licenses. However, due to common spelling and other mistakes as well a the fact that different countries use different numbering systems for their national licenses, the FAI is currently assigning a "FAI unique ID" when a FAI Sporting License is first registered with the FAI by the NAC (National Airsport Control). A link to a good summary of this is:
http://rcheli-echs2016.pl/docs/fai_id_number.pdf http://rcheli-echs2016.pl/docs/fai_id_number.pdf
The current FAI rules (spanning three or more different publications) allow for outdoor planes to be marked with either the FAI Unique ID or the FAI National License number (the AMA member number in the US). Also, the entry forms for international events allow for either the FAI Unique ID or the FAI National License number to be used on the entry form. However, the organizers of an international event must include the FAI Unique ID for all competitors in the final result publication.
Thus, for those who have competed in the 2016 Indoor WC, your FAI Unique ID is on the results. The rest of us who hold FAI Sporting Licenses must ask our NAC (the NAA or the AMA in the US) to look up our FAI Unique ID. It does appear that in the near future, the NAC will be required to have the FAI Unique ID number on the issued Sporting License. The NAA/AMA appears not to have done this for 2016.
Don and others' comments about a required FAI Sporting License for indoor fliers to have the FAI Unique ID as plane markings is more germane than seemed at first blush. Perhaps the proposed rule could be amended to read similarly to the current FAI outdoor free flight rules that allow the planes to be marked with either the FAI Unique ID or the FAI National License number (as the AMA rules also require for outdoor free flight planes).
One aside is warranted. If I recall correctly, any proposed rule changes applying to F1D will not, in the normal course of affairs, be voted upon until the CIAM Plenary in 2018 (the 2016 CIAM Plenary meeting was last Spring). Thus, we have a great deal of time to discuss this rule change. I applaud the FAI and Andras Ree in particular for bringing this matter to our attention quite early in the cycle.
One good result of this rule is that we may, in the future, be able to more easily identify planes that get swept off the ceiling tiles at Kibbie many years after being lost.
LeoP
Received on Wed Oct 19 2016 - 16:34:56 CEST