Supporting young talents

The "Talented Youth" program is supported by grants from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (MŠMT) and the National Sports Agency (NSA). A pilot or navigator can be included in the program until the age of 26, according to the rules based on the International Aviation Federation (FAI) Section 10, point 4.3.4 Young pilot. The program includes the preparation of young pilots and navigators for competitive ultralights
flying.

Rules for supporting young pilots

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Selection and training of young pilots for competitive ultralight flying, program to support talented youth

I. Objectives of the project

  • Involvement of as many young pilots and navigators as possible in competitive flying.
  • Selection of project members and their participation in the Championship of the Czech Republic a
    international competitions (WMC, EMC).
  • Increasing the flying safety of project members through continuous professional education.
  • Ensuring individual training under the guidance of experienced LAA CR trainers
    (instructors) and competition pilots.
  • Creation of groups according to performance groups, defined below.
  • To improve the knowledge, skills and abilities of young pilots on training courses
    and navigators, and further develop them in a targeted manner.
  • To increase the interest of young people in flying and in using their free time by flying, which fully
    helps the healthy development of their personality.
  • Participate in team sports activities.

II. Project content

1. Introduction to the project

The Ultralight Flying Association (UL Association) has long been striving to involve as many pilots and navigators as possible in competitive flying. The pinnacle of the effort is, in particular, ensuring a sufficient number of pilots and navigators for the selection of the Czech Republic's sports team for international competitions. However, other aspects of competitive flying cannot be neglected, such as the popularization of ultralight flying at home and in the world, the creation of a positive image of ultralight flying in the media, among political representatives and in society in general. A very important element of the widespread involvement of pilots in competitive flying is to increase the safety of flying by improving their skills and knowledge.

This program purposefully involves young pilots and navigators in the system of preparing competitive pilots, their highlight should be the sports representation of the Czech Republic in UL flying.

2. Selection of suitable candidates

A pilot or navigator, a member of the Ultralight Flying Association between the ages of 15 and 23, or a student between the ages of 24 and 26 can be included in the program. In case of reaching 26 years of age during the competition, the competitor is considered a member of the program until the end of the competition. Each candidate must submit an application form "Application for the Sports Talented Youth Program" confirmed by their own signature or the signature of a legal representative. Candidates are divided into three performance groups A, B, C.

Performance groups:

A – narrower representative team

B – wider representative team

C – other pilots included in the program.

The condition for inclusion of new applicants in performance group C will be participation in a preparatory seminar for competitive flying and selected training and educational courses.
Pilots and navigators who were part of the program in earlier years are classified into groups A, B or C according to the performance achieved so far, and their duty is also to participate in a preparatory seminar for competitive flying and selected training and education courses, where they can subsequently be a support for new members, help, acquire new knowledge and pass on experience.

3. Preparatory seminar for competitive flying

The competitive flying seminar is traditionally organized at the turn of April and May as a weekend event. It is intended especially for novice competitive pilots, since 2012 it has been targeted mainly at young pilots. The seminar has a theoretical and practical part. In the theoretical part, participants will get to know the basic types of competition tasks and, in a simplified form, also the LAA competition regulations, or FAI. Methodologically, the flight execution method for individual types of tasks will be discussed. The practical part is focused on an initial introduction to the selected types of tasks. A simple navigation competition is part of the seminar.

4. Navigation flying course

If possible, the course will follow on from the competitive flying seminar. The course is aimed at deepening the skills in navigating the aircraft. Pilots fly individual tasks initially with an instructor, later independently. It will start with simpler tasks. It goes without saying that flights are recorded using loggers (GPS) and their detailed evaluation after the flight. The goal is to prepare the pilot to independently handle a complex navigation task. At the end of the course, there will be an initial classification of new pilots into three performance groups (A, B, C).

5. Landing accuracy and economic disciplines course

The course is aimed at deepening skills, especially in landing accuracy. The course will also include familiarization with flight tactics and practical flight training with a limited amount of fuel (distance flights and thermal flights).

Pilots fly individual tasks initially with an instructor, later independently. Landings will be recorded on a video camera in order to check the accuracy of the landing and evaluate the shortcomings.

6. System of preparatory competitions and MČR

Pilots and navigators from the program will participate in competitions according to the rules applied to the entire Czech Microlight Team. Based on the results of these competitions, they will be classified into performance groups A, B or C.

Every year it will take place:

a) 10 competitions included in the series of competitions of the Petr Tuček Navigation Cup (NPPT). Selected competitions are included in the Czech Republic Championship series,
b) a multi-day competition of technical disciplines (accuracy of landing and economic disciplines) within the framework of the Championship of the Czech Republic,
c) at least 3 out-of-competition training sessions,
d) other official competitions organized by the UL Association (UL Cup, ANR...)
e) seminars and courses organized by the UL Association.

7. Individual training program

In the case of very talented individuals, it is possible to draw up an individual training plan that will take into account the needs of the young pilot and the capabilities of the relevant instructors and aircraft technology. The individual program should be aimed mainly at preparing for international competitions.

III. Funding Policy

Funds for the project will be obtained from sponsors and subsidies from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Science of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, intended for the support of talented youth. The budget is ready for the inclusion of ten crews. The project will use union events and support for competitive flying (seminar, petrol subsidies for PPT).

 

2022 Ultralight Talented Youth Care Evaluation Report

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