1st Contest Experience (D4-Dayton, OH)

[Del Rykert]

Hi Larry:
 
    Question. Did I read ur post to say the judges changed their scores after a maneuver was scored?
 
    Glad you had a great time with some great people to help guide you into a positive experience. To bad many others deprive themselves of this fun.
 
     Del K. Rykert
     AMA - 8928 
     NSRCA - 473
     Kb2joi - General 


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: jed241 at msn.com 
  To: NSRCA 
  Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2003 4:29 PM
  Subject: 1st Contest Experience (D4-Dayton, OH)


  This can be put in a future K-Factor if desired.

  I want to first offer a special thanks to Mark Atwood and Harry Slone for their great support in making this contest a contest I will remember. There are many others to mention, Bob Kane, Andy and Tim Jesky, an many more.

  Since I have procrastinated this day long enough I started out by fighting the steering wheel in my truck which was trying to take me home to my comfort zone. But I pushed on..Glad I did.

  Harry had made sure I had a place to stay. It was everything I've read about on this discussion group. I was a bit disappointed however, as the room was not furnished with the roaches I've heard so much about, but the price was right at $34 a night. I was greeted with a police officer waiting at my door. Wow, I asked if he was my private body gard and he said, "Nope, I just patrol this are real close". I felt much better knowing that the police was right there. I knew I must be at the right place. This hotel was "Highly" recommended by the seasoned pattern flyer Mark Atwood and Harry Slone who made sure the experience was nothing less than the best for a rookie!!!

  As many of you read, I was very concerned about my trim on my Aresti and Mark was very helpful in sorting it out.Upon take off Mark flew through some very nice maneuvers I have never seen before. The four point roll was very crisp and loops were perfect. Upon landing he said, "I need to borrow Chip's line.it took a click of right aileron, should be fine now". He smiled and nicely said, "Get fueled up cause we have allot of work to do"..<VBG> He had no idea how much work was ahead of us. Harry also showed his concern with much grace and sincerity as he asked me, "If Mark was that smooth with your plane, are you shaking so bad that the sticks are bouncing". I replied, "I didn't know cause my knees were shaking so bad I couldn't hold the radio still."

  During practice with Mark coaching, I started learning the coaching language. While flying the schedule his comment, "That's alright, keep going" really means, "You blew that one". His feed back was always said with a smile from this top notch coach!!!!

  I have always heard that you don't comment about errors while flying the sequence. I believe I understand why now. Some of my best maneuvers was followed by a not so quite Oooops, or oh sh@#.". Mark was coaching me through the last round with such great confidence and zeal, I can recall clearly."OK good straight flight back, now 1/2 reverse Cuban 8", I completed this maneuver and he said" Great job!!! now do the 1/2 Cuban 8 again at the other end", I replied, "oh sh@#". Mark quietly said, "Don't let the judges know when you made a mistake. The judges then replied, "Too late, but that was a nice 1/2 Cuban 8" and the score sheet reflected a nice score of 8 which was scribbled out and a good looking goose egg accompanied the chicken scratch. After reviewing my score sheet I noticed the fine consistency of the various judges. Every maneuver I did (and I said Ooops or Oh Sh@#), had a nice score scribbled out and a very nice looking goose egg beside it. I believe this level of consistency is a result of the very well structured judging seminars through out the NSRCA.

  My last "Double I" could get a new name. I'm just trying to get a politically correct way of stating it. It started out with a straight flight and then pulled through a 1/2 half loop. At the top of the loop I found myself wandering into an inverted Cobra with out rolls. I pushed at the apex of the Cobra back up to the top of the next pull for the 1/2 loop and exited upright. This drew a very puzzling look from Mark Atwood as he has never seen the Double I performed quit like that and asked why I pulled power at the top. "I don't remember doing it", I said. I was very focused on the maneuver, but can't say what I was thinking about as it's not appropriate on this forum. However.If you draw the maneuver as I flew it "and" you realize I am recently divorced and haven't dated in a while this maneuver then starts to take shape on exactly what I was thinking.Hello Dolly!!!!! 

  I hope I haven't offended anyone with this thread. I do want to say thanks to all that attended the Dayton, OH contest for making this a great memory. I'm officially hooked and can't do any worse at a future contest. Everyone from the top guns to the other Sportsman were top notch and very supportive. I can't wait for Muncie.

  My advise for anyone that is putting off entering your first contest, is to just jump in. I have been practicing regularly (two or three time a year) <vbg> with out any help because nobody in my area was into pattern. I have put off going to a contest because I didn't feel ready. I wasn't ready, but I went anyway. The experience I received was far more valuable than anything I could have learned on my own. It was also very rewarding experience!!!!

  Thanks D4, see ya in Muncie!!!! 

  Larry
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