Flying Assigned Area tasks

In an Assigned Area task one has a choice of a large area where a turnpoint can be set. Speed is all that  matters in an Assigned Area task. The pilot should have one fix in each are so, that he can maximize the given meteorological conditions. Assigned Area tasks can hardly be considered without using the Oudie  and its intuitive use of the touch screen.

1. Enter the task you will be flying.

You will need to go to the Menu > Task dialog. Use the keypad to enter waypoint names in list view.  Type first few characters, then use left and right keys to complete the selection.

After you have entered the task waypoints, you must setup the properties for the Assigned Areas. Click on the Edit button of each waypoint to open Edit point dialog.

 To make the sector an Assigned Area, you should:

• check the Assigned Area checkbox
• enter Direction, Angle12, Radius1, Angle1, Radius2 and Angle2 values as assigned at the briefing. 

To setup a “disc” shape sector, you should enter :

• Direction = Symmetric (not required)
• Radius1 = a value in kilometers or miles, given at the briefing
• Angle1 = 180°
• Assigned Area = Checked 

The next thing to do is to setup the task time, also specified at the briefing. It is setup in minutes through Menu > Task > Tools > Options > Task Time.

2. Before the flight

Turnpoints in each sector are setup to the center of each sector by default. But this is probably not where  you are going to fly to given the latest meteo situation. If you have a rough idea about what you are going to do, go to Menu > Task >Tools > Map or tap on the screen and select the Task tab in Cursor Info dialog. Change the “navigate to” point in each sector to create a task of the desired length and speed which you think is achievable in Task Time for the given day.

3. Start the task in flight.

Look at the screen to see where the start line is in order not to miss it. You will get a sound warning telling you that you have successfully crossed the start line. After you have crossed the start line a box appears where the start time is displayed. To start navigating on the task, press the Start Time box. Navigation is moved to the first waypoint of the task and statistics runs. 

To make a re-start. Change the target waypoint back to start point. The quickest way to do it is to open  the Task dialog, select start point and press Goto. Statistics will be reset, when you cross the start line again.

4. Flying the task

To navigate during the task use all of the features that are made available to you through SeeYou Mobile:

• Map pages to see where you are
• Navboxes to see the flight parameters you are interested in
• Statistics to see what you have done
• Airspace warning to keep yourself out of trouble
• Goto dialog to find nearest airports etc.

While on the task, you will get a much better idea about what the weather is doing for you. You will want to move the point in the next sector to optimize it for the speed you think is achievable for the rest of the flight. 

Observe how the finish time indicators change as you move the point around. This will give you a very  good idea about what you should be doing in the next couple of hours.

5. Statistics

While in flight, you will also be interested in the Task Statistics of what you have achieved. Two  pages will help you understand what is going on. Task statistics gives you distance and speed achieved since crossing the start line while 60 minute statistics tells you how you are doing in the last hour. Comparing the two gives you a good idea about what you need to do to finish the task.

6. Final glide

Here’s a suggestion. Flying final glides is the most comfortable when you use the Required L/D and  Current L/D navboxes. What they do is they show the required L/D to the finish line and current L/D you are doing at the moment. You are on glide slope when Current L/D is higher than Required L/D. The calculation already includes reserve altitude. The nice part is that it is insensitive to the MC setting, glider polar, wind calculation, setting for bugs and ballast. All of them can be wrong when you try to math through the glider polar.  

Current L/D however is pragmatic – it tells you what you are doing. Required L/D is pragmatic as well. It  tells you what you should be doing. If Current L/D is higher than the Required one you are doing good. If it looks like you can keep going like that, you are doing great. 

Enjoy Assigned Areas!