Use of Floor Jack or Lift During Flight Judging

[Michael S.]

What is the policy on the judges or car owner using a floor jack or lift to raise the cars for flight judging at chapter, regional, and national meets? I had been told that the car being flight judged is kept on the ground but I do not think this is correct. I would assume if the judging location has an available lift it would be used to facilitate better and easier judging.

[Jack C.]

Re: Use of Floor Jack or Lift During Flight Judging

Did a Regional TF in 2001 on my 71 LT-1. It never left the ground.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Use of Floor Jack or Lift During Flight Judging

The only time a lift is used is for a) Bowtie Judging at a National, or b) Advanced Judging School at a Regional or National.

I can't recall using jacks since Bowtie Judging at Hershey in 2003. No jacks or stands are used in Flight judging.

Patrick

[Tom H.]

Re: Use of Floor Jack or Lift During Flight Judging

I recently judged a chapter meet and no cars were raised from the ground.

[Jeffrey G.]

Re: Use of Floor Jack or Lift During Flight Judging

My 67' was awarded Chapter Top Flight without lifting the wheels off the ground. However, I can appreciate the improved access a lift might allow, but it doesn't seem necessary.
Perhaps as the hobby progresses and the judges age, a rule will be considered where it's the owners responsibility to hoist their cars, but I doubt it. Hee, Hee!

[Roy B.]

Re: Use of Floor Jack or Lift During Flight Judging

If the judges lift my 55 for judging they better wear over hauls and rubber cloves , I drive my Corvette.

[Keith B.]

Re: Use of Floor Jack or Lift During Flight Judging

I been to 5 local chapter meets and never had to lift a car up. when it came to judge the underside of the car they found the youngest, and skiniest person there to do it. and it just happend to be me

[Michael W.]

Re: Use of Floor Jack or Lift During Flight Judging

I had been told that the car being flight judged is kept on the ground but I do not think this is correct.

Now you understand why many under car details are not mentioned on the judging sheets.

[Alan S.]

Re: Use of Floor Jack or Lift During Flight Judging

Having the car on jack stands at a Chapter Meet would be a great help to the Chassis judges. The thought of what might happen to someone under the car at the wrong moment is frightening. I think this is what makes having the Bow-Tie cars and the Advanced Judging Seminar cars on lifts such a great opportunity for seeing things we don't normally get to see.
Regards,
Alan

[Robert C.]

Re: Use of Floor Jack or Lift During Flight Judging

No cars are ever lifted for flight judging... The only lifting done is once a year by the national lift team for Bowtie judging.

[John D.]

Re: Use of Floor Jack or Lift During Flight Judging

Michael, I would think it would be dangerous to allow all the flight cars to be jacked up just to see the chassis. It might also present a liability to our organization if there was an accident. When our Pittsburgh chapter has an outside show we always use chocks to prevent an accident.
Meanwhile we have enough trouble getting thru the chassis thing without giving our good judges more access to them. Only break we get is when good judges like DW can't fit under our little toys.

[Joel A.]

Re: Use of Floor Jack or Lift During Flight Judging

On top of the liability concerns, you would need quite a few jacks AND stands to do a normal Chapter/Regional meet, as several classes are being judged at the same time. Not to mention the amount of time it would take to raise each car safely, and put the stand under it safely...
Then you'd have the Geico Gecko that'll want to walk under there while you're trying to judge, and ask ya if that's a T-12 yer working on, and tell ya all about your local insurance agent...

[Michael S.]

Re: Use of Floor Jack or Lift During Flight Judging

Thanks to all that have responded. I now understand why the cars are not lifted in the flight judging.

I really appreciate the NCRS technical discussion board, it has helped me out numerous times.

Mike Sparr

[Tom R.]

Re: Use of Floor Jack or Lift During Flight Judging

Michael:

Bob Cooks among others are right on. The national "Lift Team" are actually assigned this duty, take it seriously and share the comraderie of a team. They are trained and dedicated to this one mission during the national. To match this at a chapter/regional would seem to impart a degree of over assessment unless its in the spirit of a judging school