The XLV CIVL Plenary took place in Lausanne, Switzerland, from January 31 to February 3, following the well-tested planning: 2 days for open meetings and 2 days for the plenary. It was a busy time again with 80+ items on the agenda. A summary of how it went…

Opening of the meeting. Roll call. Declaration of conflicts of interest. Voting procedures.

Present: BRA, DEN, FIN, FRA, GBR, GER, IRI, ITA, JPN, KOS, MAK, NED, POL, POR, ROU, SRB, SLO, SUI, SWE, TPE, TUR, USA.
Proxies: ALG to FRA, CRO to SLO, LAT to SWE, CAN to USA.

Twelve items are added and included in the agenda. The Plenary approves the addition.

The minutes of the last 2018 Plenary meeting are approved.

The FAI Secretary General and the CIVL President address the plenary and sum-up the year.

Report of the Bureau activity. The  decisions that need the Plenary approval are OK’d.

The CIVL Treasurer reports on past and future years. We are spending more than we earn: a tendency to be addressed soon although our reserves are plentiful.

The plenary approves the 2018 accounts and discharges the Bureau of responsibility.

The 2018 championships and test events are reviewed.

The Live-tracking Coordinator reports positively on the first year of use of our LT fleet.

The following ‘special events’ are reviewed:

• The Asian Games, an Olympic event; a negative experience from which we all have to learn.
• The World Air Games, now postponed to 2022. Commissions are consulted to see what they can deliver. The plenary has agreed that CIVL will organise full-scale Cat 1. The Bureau will come up with precise proposals on sites, formats (World championships or just World Air Games...) and funding.
• FAI as an International Federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee: general organisation, what it means, how we can profit (or suffer) from it.
• The project for PG XC Asian development is explained: set up of a PWCA ‘Asian Tour’ with the political support of CIVL.

Reports are heard from the Hang Gliding XC Committee, Paragliding XC Committee, Paragliding Accuracy Committee, Paragliding Aerobatic Committee, Safety Officer, Software Officers, Records & Badges Officer, Competition Coordinator, Jury & Steward Coordinator and Communication Officer.

Proposals from the CIVL Bureau are discussed and passed:

• Allocation and defending champion: requests must come before the first allocation.
• Cat 2 Sanction fee in case of a refund: an administrative fee of €50 is kept.
• Screening Committee: a chairperson is appointed.
• Local regulation approval: done by the Bureau, not the plenary.
• Steward nationality: can be the same as the organisers’.
• Sanctioning Cat 2 in countries with no NAC: said country must be informed.
• Safety Director: his/her ‘main’ task, not ‘sole’ task, is safety.
• Complained and protest deadlines: adjusted for the last day and extended to the penultimate day.
• Provisional and official results: rules are specified.
• XC leading points: S7 rule unchanged. CIVL Bureau may adjust the rule for the coming World Championship.
• Time-based scoring test in Cat 2: on request, the Bureau may allow ranking.

Proposals from the Hang Gliding XC Committee are discussed and passed:

• Ordered Launch: rule specified. Will move it from local regulations template to Section 7.
• Distance measurement: Cat 1 will be measured with the WGS84 ellipsoid.

Proposals from the Paragliding XC Committee are discussed and passed:

• Maximum number of pilots. It stays at 150. Overcrowding issues would not be solved by just taking the number down.
• Ballast: pilots must stay within the limitations of their gliders.

Joint proposals from the Hang Gliding and Paragliding XC Committee are discussed and passed:

• Approved Instruments: the list is published and updated on a daily base.
• Distance measurements tolerances: 0.1% in Cat 1 and between 0.1 and 0.5% recommended in Cat 2.
• Minimum number of pilots in Cat 2: set at 2.
• Safety Committee: it should include pilots of lower rankings.
• Time points: rule specified.

Proposals from the Paragliding Accuracy Committee are discussed and passed:

• Ta and Pq WPRS parameters: adjusted to better reflect the true value of events..
• Various proposals integrated in Section 7.

Proposals from the Paragliding Aerobatic Committee are discussed and passed:

• Projects and budget: agreed to finance judges' training, tutorial video and scoring software updating.
• Minimum number of pilots in Cat 2: set at 2.

Proposal from the Software Officers is discussed and passed:

• Application and Event Management Systems and their budget: around €68,000, already approved by the FAI Executive Board.

Proposals from Portugal are discussed and voted on:

• Differentiate launch type for PG and HG Record flights: defeated.
• Ranking non-FAI competition -  withdrawn. The issue is solved by allowing more than 1 reserve dates for Cat 2 events.

Proposals from Brazil are discussed and voted on:

• Records – Forbid flights after sunset: reformulated and passed.
• Declared records – Intention must be declared before the flight: reformulated and passed.
• Elapsed time start and multiple start gate: withdrawn.
• Race to goal and individual start gates: reformulated and passed.

Proposal from the USA is discussed and passed:

• Alternate Class 2 launch technique. Bureau will find where to include this rule in S7.

Proposal from Switzerland is discussed and voted on:

• Junior Class in paragliding. Passed for ranking, withdrawn for championships.

Proposals from France are discussed and voted on:

• Top 3 WPRS Women and Allocation. Amended: the top 5 women can have a wild card.
• HG Class 2 auxiliary motor launch. Passed, but the Bureau must check with CASI if it can fit with the glider definitions as per General Section of the Sporting Code.
• SafePro tandem. Work still in progress. Must be checked by lawyers. Will be implemented by the Bureau, not the plenary, as SafePro are guidelines, not rules.

Proposal from Estonia is discussed and voted on:

• PG Accuracy: various proposals. Failed.

Proposals from the Hungarian pilots are discussed and passed:

• Records and Badges: various proposals.

Bids for championships are discussed and voted on:

• 2020 – 4th Pan-American Paragliding to Guayacil, Ecuador. Failed.
• 2020 – 4th Pan-American Paragliding to Baixo Guandu, Brazil. Passed.
• 2020 – 3rd World Paragliding Aerobatic to Trasaghis, Italy. Passed.
• 2020 – 2nd World Hang Gliding Class Sport, 14th World Women Hang Gliding Class 1, 9th World Hang Gliding Class 5 and 21st World Hang Gliding Class 2 in Groveland, USA. Passed.
• 2020 – 1st Pan-American Hang Gliding Class 1 in Big Spring USA. Passed.
• 2021 – 23th World Hang Gliding Class 1 to Krushevo, FYR Macedonia. Passed.
• 2021 – 17th World Paragliding to Annecy-Chambéry-Passy, France. Passed.
• 2021 – 11th World Paragliding Accuracy to Prilep, FYR Macedonia. Passed.

The FAI Anti-doping Program is explained.

A working group will be implemented to define minimum criteria for Cat 2 XC events.

The provisional budget is accepted.

Is nominated to be the recipient of the FAI Air Sport Medal:

• Domina Jalbert, inventor of the multi-cell rammed-air wing.

Are nominated to be the recipients of the FAI Air Sport Medal for their successful running of Cat 1 events:

• Associação Capixaba de Voo Livre (ACVL) for the 3rd Pan-American Paragliding in Baixo Guandu, Brazil.
• Sport Club Cross Country XSC for the 20th European Hang GlidinWere nominated to the recipient of the g Class 1 and the 8th World Hang Gliding Class 5 in Krushevo, FYR Macedonia.
• Portuguese Free Flight Federation (FPVL) for the 15th European Paragliding in Montalegre, Portugal.
• Društvo Adrenalin and KJP Krokar Železniki for the 6th European Paragliding Accuracy in Kobarid, Slovenia.

Is nominated to be the recipient of CIVL Hang Gliding and Paragliding Diploma for his innovations:

• Jean-Louis Darlet from France.

Is nominated to be the recipient of CIVL Pepe Lopes Medal for his sportsmanship:

• Rok Dolinsek from Slovenia.

Venue of next plenary meeting: the CIVL Bureau will choose between Istanbul (Turkey), Ohrid (FYR Macedonia) and Belgrade (Serbia).

Bureau members and Committee Chairs are elected for a 2-year term as follows:

• President: Stephane Malbos.
• Vice Presidents: Goran Dimiskovski, Igor Erzen, Zeljko Ovuka, Jamie Shelden.
• Secretary: Mitch Shipley.
• Treasurer: Andy Cowley.
• HG XC Chair: Jami Shelden.
• PG XC Chair: Goran Dimiskovski.
• PG Accuracy Chair: Riikka Vilkuna.
• PG Aerobatic Chair: Claudio Cattaneo.

The FAI Secretary General and CIVL President make final comments and close the plenary.