Avoidance Rule

[Tomanek, Wojtek]

"This is my personal experience. I have seen 3 mid airs at a contest in 4
years. On the AVERAGE we have 25 flyers at 6 rounds per contest, 6 contests
per year. That is 3600 flights/3 mid airs or 0.08%."  
 
-          These statistics may not be comforting to "Mid-Air" Matt who lost
two or three planes several years ago at the beginning of the season <G>
 
 
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Gray E Fowler [mailto:gfowler at raytheon.com]
Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 9:25 AM
To: discussion at nsrca.org
Subject: RE: Avoidance Rule
 

I understand this discussion if it made mid-airs less frequent, but look at
the numbers first prior to really putting something in that slows down a
contest or adds other inconvenience. 
This is my personal experience. I have seen 3 mid airs at a contest in 4
years. On the AVERAGE we have 25 flyers at 6 rounds per contest, 6 contests
per year. That is 3600 flights/3 mid airs or 0.08%. 

No one likes to lose a plane ( happened to me during practice-it was Lance's
fault and that makes me feel better) but no one likes to drive to a contest
and not get a maximum of flights in either. Calling out avoidance and
bailing just does not seem to work with me, as Lance mentioned if you are
gonna hit it will be a big surprize-no one can call you off in time. The
reality probably is that at an I MAC event if someone bailed they were close
but not really going to hit. The argument about lots more money does not
work either because of the time required to build a plane outweighs the
cost(for most). Also if money was a legitimate argument then since pattern
planes only cost $2-3K instead of $5-6K IMAC then we could accept the risk.
Pattern contests in D6 always try to run rapid and smooth where as the IMAC
guys are allowed to land and re-fuel after round 1-still on the clock, then
go up for round 2. They just do not seem to be as concerned! about packing
in the flights. The "weather" reason is strange too as if lightning or
something appear the CD would shut down (except Gene-he most likely would
yell "stay out there you weenie.....you need to learn to fly in all
conditions")-not the call of the flyer. If it got "dangerously windy" or
something else-geeez its a hobby....dump the round and save your stinkin'
plane-once again if the flyer could make this call it could wreak havoc and
even spur on momentum to increase the weight limit or some other sensitive
rule-issue(thats a dry joke!). 

Consider yourself a soldier-Take the Patton attitude, some of you are gonna
die, ( or the Full Metal Jacket attitude "better you than me") the rest of
us live patternly happily after ever. 

And NO I do not think I am Karma destined for a mid-air. Statistically
speaking I a clear because I already had my mid-air (except for the reality
that the statistical facts say my chances for a midair are the same every
time I go up at a contest). So I hope-better you than me. 

Have a nice weekend 




Gray Fowler
Principal Chemical Engineer
Composites Engineering
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