K-Factor Pattern an invisible group

Thu Oct 31 10:02:30 AKST 2002

Howdy,

I don't agree with the "sky-high-cost" to be competitive equipment argument
- in regards to why people don't want to join or fly pattern.  There are an
assortment of radios under $400 that are entirely capable of pattern needs.
There are more engine and exhaust choices now than ever.  There are used
planes or new ARF/ARC planes available in the $600-$800 range (Piedmont
Models and Zimpro Marketing  - both American companies).  Sky-high-costs
compared to what?  What other venue of R/C flying can you get into and be
competitve for less money than a pattern plane?  Jets? Scale? Sailplanes?
Q-500? IMAC?  

I think there are plenty of people who are willing to practice, compete, and
spend hard-earned money to compete and/or be competitive.  The real question
is why doesn't pattern get a bigger piece of the new R/C enthusiast pie?
Precisely what Bob's survey's questions are asking.  Somewhere in this is
that, "pattern in hard."  Being a competitive flyer within each of our
ability groups has more to do with your ability and practicing, than
airplane selection.  

I don't know why, but there have been some very recent times when I practice
(actually flying) at the club field on the weekend, I can HEAR in the
background people talking about why they don't fly pattern.  My planes and
the fact that they see the dedication to practice, really bother some of the
local guys in that without asking, they will approach and talk about why
they don't have one, the time they don't have to PRACTICE, and the cost of
equipment.  A couple of them are lined up to tell me why they don't fly
pattern as soon as I land.  I'm a nice guy.  However, I didn't approach each
person and ask them to come over and complain to me.  They feel quite free
to express their ill-will or gudge.  I offer some of them to try the plane,
and they wouldn't touch it with a ten foot poll.  I don't wait for someone
to land the Hanger 9 Pizazz .40 that buzzed my head three times, and go over
and tell them all the reasons I don't fly like that.  You see, many people
will approach and openly discuss why they don't participate - more times
than I'd like.  With these guys, there is NOTHING I can say for which they
don't already have a prepared answer.  I just listen and hope the punishment
is quickly over.  If I offer them to fly the plane, and they don't want to,
I really can't do anything else to be congenial.  

The main "club" reasons are:
1.  I don't have the time to practice to fly like that
2.  I like to fly different kind of planes (and not be pinned down to one
plane)
3.  I don't have the money for that.  

Almost all the time, the list starts with, "I don't have the time to
practice."  Some of them have nice equipment and expensive engines in their
other planes, too.  A few times, someone says, "boy, if I had the money I'd
get one of those in a heart beat."  

I do believe that our club is starting to be more receptive to the idea of
more members flying areiobatics.  There are a couple long standing members
that fly either pattern, or wish to start an IMAC contest at the club (club
already supports a pattern contest).  Also, there are about 3 new club
members (like myself), who fly aerobatics.  Our club is predominately a R/C
flyer trainnig ground.  Club instruction has been the primary concern for a
long while.  Just recently, we passed a trial by-law in which "training"
could only occur from the beginning of each hour to the 1/2 of each hour.
This was a great event, and now, you can plan on 1/2 hour of each hour as
time for which "training" will not occur.  
Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: GeorgeF. [mailto:av8tor at flash.net]
Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 10:25 AM
To: discussion at nsrca.org
Subject: RE: K-Factor Pattern an invisible group

Got it and thanks.

Being that I was HEAVY into pattern many years ago and then quit the 
results of that survey is not surprising at all.   Local support and 
interest just wasn't there.

After moving to Florida I had thoughts of re-entering the sport and again 
find that there is just no local support or interest not to mention the sky 
high price of todays equipment to be competitive.  While for me money is 
not much of a concern however I feel it is the high cost of being 
competitive which actually leads to the issue of "no local support and 
interest".  As shown by the survey the #2 reason was equipment costs.

After seeing some of the rules that some members what changed in the name 
of "allowing more people to fly pattern" these are simply excuses to get a 
rule change passed.   In the past nearly every rule change (ie: engine size 
& aircraft size) which was meant to increase pattern involvement has 
not.  In fact the long-term effect of those rule changes did nothing but 
increase the cost of being competitive.

George
NSRCA member since 1990

At 12:07 PM 10/31/2002 -0600, you wrote:

>George
>
>rcuniverse.com     go to 3D aerobatics and Pattern then search for surveys
>
>or go to one of Bob's previous post's and click on the URL
>
> >From: "GeorgeF."
> >Reply-To: discussion at nsrca.org
> >To: discussion at nsrca.org
> >Subject: RE: K-Factor Pattern an invisible group
> >Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002 12:17:48 -0500
> >
> >Where is this survey found? URL?
> >George
> >
> >
> >At 08:41 AM 10/31/2002 -0800, you wrote:
> >> - yah, it tells me that the survey is not gear towards pattern
> >>flyers or those interested in pattern. The "jist" of it appears to
> >>be towards those who have not competed, or did and quit, and why.
> >>
> >>Jim
> >>-----Original Message-----
> >>From: Buddy Brammer [mailto:buddybrammer35 at hotmail.com]
> >>Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 8:41 AM
> >>To: discussion at nsrca.org
> >>Subject: Re: K-Factor Pattern an invisible group
> >>
> >>For those intrested Bob's survey at RCU has already had more
> >>responses than the rules change survey and it has only been running
> >>a few days! Does that tell you something?
> >>
> >>Buddy
> >>
> >> >From: "Buddy Brammer"
> >> >Reply-To: discussion at nsrca.org
> >> >To: discussion at nsrca.org
> >> >Subject: K-Factor Pattern an invisible group
> >> >Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002 10:27:23 -0600
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>----------
> >>Surf the Web without missing calls! Get MSN Broadband.
> >>Click Here

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