Policies, Procedures and Past Recipients for The Henry Combs Perpetual Trophy

The Henry Combs Perpetual Trophy was founded on April 15, 1995, to honor Henry Combs, an individual who in 1998 completed his 200th straight-out diamond flight.  Henry Combs continues to inspire glider pilots and encourage crew members to this day.  The founders hope that this award will carry forth that tradition and serve to encourage glider pilots and ground crews everywhere to become active, safety-conscious participants in the sport of straight-out cross-country soaring.
The Henry Combs Perpetual Trophy is awarded annually to the person or persons completing the greatest number of straight-out diamond distance glider flights during the pervious year.
Overseen by the 3-member Henry Combs Perpetual Trophy Board of Trustees, the 15-member Henry Combs Perpetual Trophy Committee administers the trophy.  It is the intent of the Committee that the trophy becomes a Soaring Society of America recognized award that is administered by the Henry Combs Perpetual Trophy Board of Trustees but awarded by the SSA.  The Committee wants the trophy eventually to reside permanently at the National Soaring Museum.

Board of Trustees
Bob Maronde      Term expires April 15, 2001
Hank Marlowe     Term expires April 15, 2002
Gus McCarthy     Term expires April 15, 2003

Current Committee Members

Jim Davis
Bill Laningham
Dave Romer
Tom Edwards
Hank Marlowe
Kelly Scarborough
John Graybill
Bob Maronde
Hedi Seger
Fran Koerner
Gus McCarthy
Karl Sommer
Mike Koerner
Robert Nethercutt
Rock Swanson


The Committee has awarded the trophy 5 times since its inception.

Recipients

Year
Pilot
Straight-Out diamonds
1995
Henry Combs
11
1996
Hank Marlowe
14
1997
Norm Page
22
1998
Norm Page
13
1999
Norm Page
12
2000
Norm Page - West
13
2000
Doug Jacobs - East
1
2000
Jim Hard
1
2001
Mike Koerner
2001
2001

Approved
14 April 2000

1.  The Henry Combs Perpetual Trophy will be awarded annually to the person or persons completing the greatest number of straight-out diamond distance glider flights during the pervious year in each of the three zones: East, Central and West.

2.  For the purpose of this award, the East Zone is defined as the eastern time zone, the Central Zone is the central time zone and the West Zone is a combination of the mountain and pacific time zones.  Therefore, there will be three equal winners each year.

3.  The zone of the release point will determine to which zone the flight is credited.

4.  Straight-out diamond distance flights are defined as flights of at least 500 kilometers as measured over the great circle route from the point of release from tow to the point of landing.  Glider flights involving turn-points or dog-legs will not be considered.

5.  For the purpose of this award, the soaring year will begin on October 1st and end on September 30th.

6.  Any flight resulting in an aircraft being less than airworthy will not be considered.

7.  Only flights made in motorless gliders will be considered.

8.  Only flights originating in the continental United States will be considered.

9.  The trustees will decide the recipients of the award.

10. The committee members intend that each pilot's claim of accumulated qualifying flights be easily compiled using the “honor system”.  Therefore, as a general rule, participating pilots will not be required to, submit any proof of a diamond distance flight beyond his or her personal assurance that the flight was successfully completed and met all required conditions. However, the trustees shall have broad authority to reject any claim for any reason they feel is valid.

11. It is the responsibility of participating pilots to keep the trustees informed by reporting their diamond flights during the year as they accumulate.  This award is a celebration of its recipient's accomplishments and his or her attendant contribution to the sport of soaring.  It is hoped that all participating pilots and crews take part in the spirit of an open, friendly, shared adventure.  Toward that end, the trustees will make available information regarding the accumulation of diamond distance flights reported by each participating pilot.  The essence of the award is to share the fun as well as the challenges.

12. In the event of a tie in the same zone, both or all of the tying participants shall be named recipients.  The pilot with the greatest total distance from qualifying diamond distance flights will be named the primary recipient for that zone.

13. The recipients will be recognized each year at the SSA awards banquet.

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14. The Henry Combs Perpetual Trophy is the property of the Founders and Committee Members.  The care, protection and awarding of the trophy will be the responsibility of the three trustees appointed by the Founders and Committee Members.  Except for the first set of trustees, each trustee will serve for three years in staggered terms.  Trustees will be appointed at the annual meeting of the Founders and Committee members.

15. Decisions regarding award presentation, physical transport of the trophy, its protection, its care and whether or not recipients take physical possession shall be at the sole discretion of the trustees.  The trustees shall use their best efforts to assure that the trophy will survive in like-new condition in perpetuity.  In this regard, the trustees may, at their sole discretion, impose any insurance, contractual, security deposit, bonding or other requirements upon any recipient to assure the trophy's care and protection.

16. A pilot will be ineligible to receive the award after winning the Henry Combs Perpetual Trophy three times.  The win count begins with the year 2000 season that started October 1, 1999.

17. Changes to these procedures and policies and the administration of the award will be subject to the      
       approval of the committee members. The current procedures and policies will be printed and made                          available at the beginning of each soaring season.

Henry Combs Perpetual Trophy