MizzFlyer wash your mouth out......
The World Championships is a true World Champ event, this year held in Czech Republic, in recent years it has been in the UK, Portugal, Germany, Spain. It is fiercely competitive. There was 15 nations competing this year. The event is run by the FAI.
The event comprises many precision flying tasks, many of which would come as a shock to most of the GA fraternity. How would you fancy a spot landing competition which starts by turning off the engine at 1000 feet and then aiming to land on a 100 metre long box marked on the ground? You gain 250 points for touching down in the first 5 metres, 200 for the second 5 metres etc. If you touch before the first box you score zero, if you can't stop within the 100 metres you score zero. There are tasks with a limited fuel allowance but you have to fly as far and/or as long as you think you can and return with the safety fuel only. Add to that some precision navigation tasks, short take off over a tape 1 metre off the ground, short landing over said tape and tasks where the turning points have to be found by flying a true course till you see, on the ground, something you have a photo of in your task briefing notes.
I have been and spectated at some of the national competitons, used to help select the team for the worlds, what little you see from the ground is most impressive. The medals our team are bringing home will certainly have been earned. It's just a shame that even flying types know so little about it.
Andrew.