Why quit pattern.

[Bill Thompson]

Eric
Very well said. I am dealing with # 5. After four operations on my eye's I am finnaly back to 20 20 eye sight. I flew for the first time in three years last week and it was great. I plan to get back and compete starting in Feb. 04. 

Bill Thompson
AMA 7703
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Henderson,Eric 
  To: discussion at nsrca.org 
  Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2003 2:36 PM
  Subject: Why quit pattern.


  In a previous note I said that I would post the results of my informal survey of pilots who quit the sport in the last six years.The good news is that many people continue to contact all of us and get into pattern. Personal contact helps enormously and it soon shows up as a regularly competing pilot. We attend contests for many reasons. It is a birds-of-a-feather gathering. We can talk pattern-speak up-the-gazoo and see what is the latest gizmo or plane or engine. 
   
  So why do people stop competing?
   
  There are many reasons, some are unique and some are unavoidable. I listed the reasons in uncommon to most common. (The last reason on my list is the most common.) [All identities are absolutely protected, so don't ask who please]
   
   
  1. Once in a while a person competes who is just not cut out for competition. It affects them badly, degrades their skills temporarily and just plain gets to them if they are not successful. Even when successful the stress of Competitions just makes them behave badly. Sooner, rather than later, they quit, usually for some other sport.
   
  2. A big change in their lives. A new partner, new job, losing one or both. Children getting older - T-ball, b-ball soccer etc.
   
  3. Cost. Not that it was too much, but they began spending too much for very little in return. They felt that unless they had the latest equipment they would not get the scores.
   
  4. Time. Interestingly enough it was not building time but flying time. They could not dedicate the practice time to handle new routines or do well with existing ones. Not happy with their performance because of lack of practice.
   
  5. Age and eyesight
   
  6. Judging. The common thread was that none of the pilots felt that they could get a fair shake  There two main reasons for their conclusion. The first was that they found the standard of judging did not meet their flying skills. They knew from contest after contest and personal contact that the people behind them did not know the rules. They felt that no matter how well they executed the geometry it would not be scored correctly against pilots who did not execute as well.
      The second reason was that they had built up enough prejudices in the folks that coul could be judging them. Old feuds from previous classes. Guys who they used to hammer were now getting even on those who had now moved up. Personal grudges and personality conflicts regards less of competition history. How many times have you heard this "I know that if so-and-so is in the chair might as well not fly?. 
   
  (The last one is the down side of pilot judging. I also heard it about non-flying judges of the past and present). 
   
  I spent a lot of my time looking a how to fix these issues. I had to conclude that I could not do much with 1, 2, 3 and 5.
   
  With #4, we should think very carefully about changing schedules too often. Changing masters every three years is enough for the core who pay to compete.
   
  With #6, I don't have a lot of ideas that would work. All I can say is that if we drive people away and we have very little influx of youth, then we will have less folks to judge!
   
  Regards,

  Eric 
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