The Rich Matros Memorial X-C Contest
How to Join the Contest:
All SDHGPA Annual Members are Eligable
Revised 2-15-17
General Rules
  1. Pilot must be a full SDHGPA member in good standing on the day of the flight.
  2. Contest season runs from November 1st through October 31st of each year.
  3. Pilots are encouraged to submit flights using Leonardo. Straight line and triangle distances as calculated by Leonardo optimization will be used. If flights are submitted on paper, then flight defining points must be pilot selected latitude and longitude from a GPS and attested to by at least two witnesses. Paper submitted flights will not benefit from Leonardo score optimization point fitting. 
  4. In the case of a tie in any category, the pilots' next longest flight in that category or site will be considered the tie breaker.
  5. All flights must be conducted in a safe manner.  Any flight that results in a documented legal infraction (FAA or local law enforcement), will disqualify that flight from the contest. Simply, flights violating air space will be disqualified and not scored.
  6. Flying with a Spot or inReach Personal Trackers with a tracking option subscription is highly encouraged for safety and aids in retrieval. 

Hang Gliding
  1. All flights must originate in San Diego County.
  2. All distances will be measured as geodesics on the WGS84 ellipsoid.
  3. A flight used in the combined score can also qualify for a shirt award.
  4. The combined score is obtained by adding a pilot’s best scores in two of the following categories with appropriate multipliers.
  5. Distances will be measured by the great circle method in the following Categories and multipliers for scoring:
  • Straight line:  Distance is measured from start point to end point. Start point and end point are anywhere along the flight path, not necessarily launch and landing locations. This is max distance in Leonardo.
  • Out and return:  Out-and-return flights are considered complete only if the pilot lands at or overflies the start point.  Complete out-and-return flights will be measured by twice the straight line distance from the start/end point to the turn point.  Multiplier is 1.2.
  • Triangle:  Triangle flights are considered complete only if the pilot lands at or overflies the start point.  Complete triangle flights will be measured by the straight line distance from the start point to the first turn point plus the straight line distance from the first turn point to the second turn point plus the straight line distance from the second turn point back to the start point.  The shortest leg of a completed triangle must be at least 28% of the total distance (FAI triangle).   Multiplier is 1.5

HG Awards will be presented at the end of the contest season in the following categories:
  1. XC Master: Best combined score from any two categories with appropriate multipliers: Grand Champion, 2nd Place, and 3rd Place
  2. Grand Champion: from best combined score will be awarded name on the Rich Matros Perpetual Plaque. 
  3. Shirt Awards: One shirt will be awarded to each pilot for his/her longest straight line XC distance passing the following Mile Marks:
  • A pilot's first flight over 10 miles (1st year achieving).
  • Flight over 25 miles.
  • Flight over 50 miles.
  • Flight over 75 miles
  • Flight over 100 miles, miles listed


Paragliding
  1. Best Leonardo score will be used for all scoring
  2. San Diego County and Southern California Basin sites included in the running are: Laguna, Horse, Blossom, Little Black, Big Black, Palomar, Elsinore, Soboba, Crestline/ Marshall. (Note that Otay was removed from the list of sites starting in 2017)
  3. The combined score is obtained by adding a pilot’s best XC score, as scored by Leonardo, from each of the 10 San Diego/ Southern California Basin Sites. 

PG Awards will be presented at the end of the contest season in the following categories:
  1. XC Master: Best combined score: Grand Champion, 2nd Place, and 3rd Place
  2. Grand Champion: Awarded name on the Rich Matros Perpetual Plaque.
  3. Shirt Awards: One shirt will be awarded to each pilot for his/her longest straight line XC distance passing the following Mile Marks:
  • 1st XC Flight over 10 miles  - from SD/ SoCal list above (1st year achieving)
  • Flight over 25 miles   - from SD/ SoCal list above 
  • Flight over 50 miles   - from anywhere
  • Flight over 75 miles   - from anywhere
  • Flight over 100 miles, miles listed   - from anywhere
Key for XC Safety and Socal Retrieval:
  • Use a Spot or InReach Tracking device and use a Tracking Subscription: Also turn on device tracking when flying.
  • Tracking can also be set-up using several Smart Phone apps or GSM enabled Instruments. 
  • Join the ***New*** SDHGPA LiveTrack24 Group : This Free service will combine all tracing Device Data into one location so that others can easily find you with limited communications. Tracking via: Cell Phone , Personal Satellite Tracker (Spot or In-Reach), or GSM Instrument (or combination of all for best coverage and detail) 
  • Set-up Flight Start & End Tweets from your Device Account or LiveTrack24.
  • Also ask to be added to the XC Find California Tracking Group (if using Spot or InReach) :  Email David Wheeler at the email listed on the bottom left of the XC Find page. ​
Rich Matros Memorial X-C Contest History
​The SDHGPA was originally known as the Ultralight Flier's Organization, or UFO. The UFO was formed in 1973. The name was changed in 1987. Rich Matros was one of the earliest members of the UFO, and one of its strongest supporters for over 15 years before succumbing to cancer. The cross country contest was renamed the Rich Matros Cross Country Contest in 1988 to honor Rich and to recognize his years of contribution to our club and his passion for XC.