SCHEDULE OF EVENTS


A list of team members and University Advisors attending (including name, nationality, and T-Shirt size (S/M/L))
must be sent to rcmichelson@gmail.com by May 15.

The following U.S. Army forms must be completed and mailed to the Ft. Benning point of contact shown below
no later than June 1:

DD2401 CIVIL AIRCRAFT LANDING PERMIT

DD2402 CIVIL AIRCRAFT HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT

DD1494 APPLICATION FOR EQUIPMENT FREQUENCY ALLOCATION

                            McKenna MOUT Site
                            Hourglass Road
                            Ft. Benning, Georgia 31905
                            Phone (706) 544-7317
                            Fax (706) 544-6811


                            Attn: Rick Ivey / Mike Kennedy (IARC)

Without the above forms, your team can not legally operate on Ft. Benning.

 

MONDAY JULY 28, 2008
==============================================


Check In
At 8 AM teams may arrive on site and begin set up. Teams may obtain their security badges
beginning at 12 noon.
Remember to have personal ID with you.  Teams may move operations
to the staging area and set up in the work area building on tables that will be provided
for team use.  Arrangements to pick up items shipped to the McKenna Urban Operations Site
at Ft. Benning can be made at this time.

         2:00 PM  MANDATORY TEAM ORIENTATION & RANGE SAFETY MEETING
         At this orientation, you will be given further information about the facilities, administrative
         announcements will be made, the competition day procedures will be discussed,
         and questions will be answered. TEAMS NOT HAVING A REPRESENTATIVE AT THIS
         ORIENTATION WILL NOT FLY.


         3:00 PM
 Practice by teams will be permitted and will be governed by the frequency control officer.
         Flight test times will be informally coordinated between the teams.
         
         6:00 PM STARTING ORDER ANNOUNCED
         The order in which the teams fly will be based on the Static Judging of the Journal Papers in 2008..





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TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, and THRUSDAY JULY 29-31, 2008
==============================================


         STATIC JUDGING

         
         Note: since 2008 is the final year of the current mission and only existing official teams will be
         qualified to compete, Static Judging will be based solely on the Journal Paper submissions. The
         "extra attempt" normally awarded to the team with the best Static Judging score will in 2008,
         "be awarded to the team with the best Journal Paper. It is essential therefore that your team do
         "its best on this paper and to get it in on time. We have posted the best Journal Paper received
         "thus far during the 4th Mission on the web [click here to see the highest scored paper received to date]
         "so you can see what the Judges are looking for in the Journal Paper submission.
         
         Due to the expected volume of teams mak
ing attempts at the grand prize in 2008, there will be
         "no practice day. Instead the Performance Judging will begin on Tuesday.


         PERFORMANCE JUDGING

         6:30 AM  Teams arrive at the McKenna Urban Operations Site at Ft. Benning.



         7:30 AM
 2008 International Aerial Robotics Competition Performance Judging begins according the initial order
         of the Static Judging (first day) or continues where left off (second day).



         4 PM
(Estimated end time for International Aerial Robotics Competition each day)



         4:30 PM
 Put vehicles on static display at arena and answer questions by interested guests/media.
         




FRIDAY AUGUST 1, 2008
==============================================

(Rain Day for International Aerial Robotics Competition)

         Note:  in the event that the performance judging must be postponed
         due to violent weather on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, the performance
         judging will continue Friday (rain day). If safe operation is also precluded by

         weather on this scheduled rain day, there is no provision for continuing 
         into a "second rain day" and the performance judging portion of the
         Competition will conclude even if all teams have not flown. The likelihood of 
         this is remote due to the July morning weather patterns in Georgia.  

         Should the competition spill over into a Friday "rain day", all previously  
         scheduled events will be shifted accordingly.

         At the conclusion of the rain day flying (or at 8AM if all Performance Judging flying was completed on schedule the day prior),
         teams should begin the process of packing their equipment.

         6:00 PM  Awards Banquet.  Teams will assemble at the McKenna Parking area and proceed in a caravan to the banquet area
         announced during registration/orientation. This is a free dinner hosted for the teams at which time Static Judging and Performance
         Judging scores will be provided, questions answered. Prize money will be awarded at
this Awards Banquest and teams
         must be present to receive awards.

         Five Static Judging awards will be presented for:

                               Best T-Shirt
                               Best Technical Paper
                               Best Technical Presentation
                               Most Innovative System
                               Most Innovative Aircraft Design

         In addition, the $80,000 prize money based on the Performance Judging will be distributed at this time. At the end of the
         Awards ceremonies, the new 5th Mission for 2009 will be unveiled. Specifics of the Official rules will be released on the internet
         
in September 2009.


----- IMPORTANT GENERAL INFORMATION FOR THE TEAMS -----

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday July 29-31, Aug 1  
                            Teams are encouraged to set up their entries for
                            display at the competition site after their run has
                            concluded.  Expensive or delicate equipment should
                            be removed to a secure area as soon as it is no
                            longer needed.



Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday July 30/31, Aug 1  
                            Teams may want to do flights for the public under
                            "manual control". This is acceptable and encouraged,
                            but you must clear such flights with an AUVSI official
                            on site beforehand so precautions can be taken to
                            assure that the public is out of the arena.  All such
                            flights must be within the confines of the arena.



PARKING:
          
Designated parking for the teams and staff will be announced
                           upon arrival. No team vehicles will be allowed up at the
                           competition arena during the day of the performance judging
                           except for those teams who are moving their equipment into
                           place or clearing the field as the next team moves into place.




ID PASSES and CAMERA PASSES:
                            All valid team members (not uninvolved family members)
                            whose names are provided beforehand, AUVSI staff,
                            judges, and designated helpers will may be provided
                            with official ID badges upon arrival.  These badges
                            will identify you as part of the competition during the
                            event and will give you greater freedom to move
                            about the McKenna Urban Operations Site.
                           


LODGING:
                            Columbus Georgia has many economical hotels and motels.
                            Teams are cautioned by Ft. Benning to stay in loations that
                            are near the Columbus airport or along the I-185 corridor
                            North of Victory Drive (don't stay on Victory Drive).
                            AUVSI no longer secures room blocks for teams because
                            many teams has expressed a preference to decide their own
                            lodging choices independently.



WHAT SHOULD YOU WEAR?:
                            Casual business attire is acceptable (e.g., polo
                            shirts and khaki pants).  Team members should wear
                            their team T-shirts during the days of the Static
                            and Performance judging.  AUVSI Competition T-shirts
                            (to be given out during Registration) are also
                            acceptable.  It may be hot, so dress cool and drink
                            about 8 oz of water per hour.

                            Dress for the Awards Banquet is "business casual"
                            which means NO SHORTS OR T-SHIRTS.
                            This event is more formal than in the past, and will
                            be held in the former Officer's Club on Post.
                            Ties are not necessary for men (but are OK).



OPERATING HOURS:
                            Hours of operation are as listed in the schedule above.
                            Teams arriving in the area earlier than Monday of the
                            Competition week must make special arrangements for
                            flight tests and will need to be self-policing regarding
                            frequency use.



SECURITY:
                            Security will be provided on Post at all times from Monday
                            through Friday.  Team members are encouraged to take
                            any and all valuables with them when they leave the display
                            areas for the evening. The Soldier Battle Lab and AUVSI
                            are not responsible for any lost or stolen items.
                            



CAN I ASSEMBLE MY VEHICLE ON LOCATION:
                            Yes, however we encourage you to have your vehicle as
                            complete as possible prior to your arrival.  We are
                            aware that minimal assembling will be necessary.  All
                            teams are responsible for providing the tools necessary
                            to assemble their individual vehicles.



POWER:
                            The venue at the McKenna Urban Operations Site will
                            provide clean 110VAC, 60Hz power to the arena and to the
                            Team work area. 3-prong grounded outlet receptacles are
                            the standard. The starting area of the arena will also
                            have 3-prong grounded outlet receptacles. Plan to bring
                            your own outlet expanders to suit your needs. Teams using
                            50Hz or 220VAC power must supply their own transformers/converters.
                            Power will be commercial (not generator) and will be available
                            24 hours a day.



USE OF 2-WAY RADIOS:
                            As you are all aware, each team will radiate on various
                            frequencies during the conduct of its robotic missions.  
                            The team members often use personal communicators during
                            a run. All frequencies of operation should be noted so
                            AUVSI can relay these not only to each of the teams, but
                            also to Ft. Benning personnel for their information.
                            



SHIPPING:
                            You can have items shipped to the McKenna Urban
                            Operations Site (prepaid) in advance of your arrival.
                            Use this address:

                            McKenna MOUT Site
                            Hourglass Road
                            Ft. Benning, Georgia 31905
                            Phone (706) 544-7317
                            Fax (706) 544-6811


                            Attn: Rick Ivy / Mike Kennedy (IARC)
                           

                            Be sure to identify the contents and who it belongs to
                            as well as the purpose (e.g., "Oscilloscope, University
                            of Knowledge, International Aerial Robotics
                            Competition")

                            If you have any questions please contact: Rick Ivy   <richard.ivey@us.army.mil>
                          or Mike Kennedy
<Michael.Kennedy@benning.army.mil>
                            Also, your team is responsible for shipping your
                            equipment back after the competition.  Do not expect
                            the Ft. Benning or AUVSI to package up your
                            equipment and pay to ship it back to your school.
                            International teams should start early to secure all
                            documents necessary for international shipments.

                            International teams must have a receiving agent for items shipped
                            by Federal Express, DHL, UPS, etc. The items will arrive in Atlanta,
                            but will not be released by customs without the approval of such an agent.
                            U.S. Customs requires that the agent be a U.S. citizen or U.S. entity.
                            Rod Rodrigues <nrarobotics@msn.com>, President of the Columbus
                            AUVSI Chapter has offered to assist international teams by having the
                            Chapter act as this agent. Contact Mr. Rodrigues if you are planning to
                            ship your vehicle or equipment internationally ahead of your arrival.
                               



IMPORTANT:  
                            Please ensure that "your team name" and the name of
                            the event (International Aerial Robotics Competition or
                            IARC) is on the package being shipped.  Shipping costs
                            to/from the McKenna Urban Operations Site venue
                            will be YOUR responsibility.
                               



OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST:
                            Those who are staying in the area after the competition
                            should be advised that use of the McKenna Urban
                            Operations Site venue and practice sites terminate after
                            the "rain day." Facilities, security, insurance,
                            and flight access will have to be negotiated separately
                            after this date.