Worlds e-mail answers....LONG

[Derek Koopowitz]

Jason,

Great answers to some tough questions and comments... Good for you!  I, for
one, am very pleased you stuck your neck out and allowed a lot of people to
take whacks at it.

Just goes to show that you're a mensch.

Derek

-----Original Message-----
From: discussion-request at nsrca.org [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org] On
Behalf Of Jason
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2003 5:04 PM
To: NSRCA
Subject: Worlds e-mail answers....LONG


Hi all,

After the Worlds I came home to over 150 e-mails with something in regards
to me flying an electric at the Worlds. I saved all the ones that had some
sort of question, or something I felt I needed to comment on, that was
directed towards me.

Here are my answers/thoughts..

08-04-03

Dave Smith- 22x12
Eric H.- The pilot is allowed to fly anything they want as long as it is
legal according to the rule book. Gary Fowler- Both are yes, win or lose.
Don Atwood- Thank you Bill Glaze- Piloting ability. Yes. Ron Van Putte-
According to the rule book, YES. I did not do it for business reasons. At
the time the only airplane I had for JMC was the Exhila (35"ws, 18oz., 3D
plane). I do now work at Hacker Brushless, but only because living off of my
good looks wasn't paying off. And I'm sure I'll always be second-guessed
forever. It's my nature to want to be different, you should know. You
remember me growing up and what I looked like. I know that played a part of
my results, most of the pilots told me that, but I was having fun. When I
decided to get serious, I got a haircut and some normal clothes and Walla,
my FAI career headed for the sky. And when I went to Ireland with a Goatee.I
was TERRIFIED, and it all stemmed back to the early years of "playing and
looking the part". Dave Smith- As you probably know, Chip and I took our
planes with us. Sean shipped his. Since I didn't need fuel, I went and
practiced a day before Chip and Sean. Some of the Europeans were flying 250
and HUGE, but not the norm for the contest. Matt K.- I hope that we (judges)
are choosing the quality of flying, not pilots and planes (ends up being
that ultimately, but based on flight performance). And Team Gold is the
first thing I shoot for, not individual achievements. I could have flown my
AS from the TT, but I sold the back up. I had 2 new ones on order, but they
didn't arrive until the week we left, not enough time to debug them.IF they
were finished. The Rhapsody's were finished weeks before we left, and the
systems were all the same ones being flown by the likes of the Hacker crew
and Gary Wright for over a year before. Actually the Team didn't have to
agree on it, but I did seek their opinion. Chip loved it (watching and
flying it) and Sean and Tony weren't around to comment. Mark Atwood- Chip
only switched between bipes at the Nats. And the comments were only one
way.LOL. Bob P.- Thank you.

08-05-03

Lance- No necessary to discuss with other team members, but I did try as I
personally wanted them to be comfortable with my choice. Harry S.- So true.
Thank you for your support, and it's true that we get snips in Poland. I had
a Team Manager come up to me and tell me that I was the talk of the list and
I may not want to go back home unless I finish well..Imagine my expression,
even though he was joking to a point. Careful of sticking your neck out too
far and thanks for your support.
Deanno- Thank you
Marty P.- Thank you. And the Team is made up of 3 individuals, no matter how
you look at it. I strive to do my very best, as do Chip and Sean. The Team
part comes into play when one of us does something that may affect the
others. That's why I made an effort to let everyone (Team wise, sorry
pattern world) what I was doing and if they thought it was as good as I was
perceiving it to be.
Wayne- Thank you and so true.
Jon Uhler- We are selected based on performance, not equipment used. If not,
is that why Don didn't make the Team, cause he was flying JR (only
difference from the top 3)? George F.- ROFLMAO..fun thing this internet is..
Martin M.- Don't hold me to this, but if AMA made the rule, it only applies
to AMA events, Yes? It was competitively motivated, not business related.
Gerald Williams- Even though humorous, I thank you for the support, and it's
true about the new designs. Wolfgang/Roland already have a Lazuitte done in
electric and flying it. Right Lance.LOL Bill Glaze- Charge it of course..LOL
Dave Smith- Thank you Jon Uhler- I never use something just cause a sponsor
wants me too. It took me 6 months to switch from the 9V to the 9Z (flew a
Team Trials and Nats with the V over the Z). And if the Rhapsody's were
available to me for the TT, they would have been there, but they were a
couple weeks late.
Lance- I'd be curious if Tony had something like this before when he was
team manager (pilots asking approval before hand). Tony? Ron Van Putte- Was
Tony unhappy or just concerned, there is a big difference. I respect Tony,
Chip and Sean enough that again, I chose to get their opinion. Earl Vincent-
LOL.Great. Bill Harden- Risk..Without Risk There is NO Reward.or something
like that..The only risk I feel I took was flying the Rhapsody's, not the
electric power. Jim Ivey- As much as I would like to believe that my
reputation could with stand a blow like causing the US Team not to win the
Gold, I don't feel it could. But I thank you for the support. Buddy Brammer-
Thank you for the support. There is an F5A class, or at least there was.
While at the Worlds, Sandy Pimenoff and the FAI crew were all discussing
canceling F5A because of what I did in F3A with electric. So goes my chance
at an F5A World title.LOL Mike Mueller- I believe that the only ones who
care about the US Pattern Team winning the Team Gold are US Pattern Fliers
(and maybe a few future pattern pilots). But for me its about doing my part
in winning a gold medal for the Team. I personally feel that making any
rules because of my actions here will hurt pattern progress in the future.
Just because the "US Pattern World" didn't see what I was doing to approve
it for me, doesn't mean that I was jeopardizing the US Team in any way. Gary
Wright- Close enough.LOL Bill Harden- Up until the week before we left for
Poland, the Rhapsody's were my only choice in equipment. And if I had to get
the 2 new AS's ready, there was a fear of making weight (in such short
period of time). One thing that I was planning on was the Judges reaction to
the electric. Working with Sean Plummer (Hacker Brushless USA) on this
project, he was 99% sure that it was going to be nothing but favorable. The
most stunning thing to me was to have some of the judges come up to me after
they saw me fly it was " I'm glad to see that it is possible to fly F3A with
electric", and "Thank you for showing us that it can be done". Imagine my
thoughts after hearing this..to say the least, I was floored. I knew
(unfortunately) that the World was watching. That put me in a very
uncomfortable position. I try not to be the "star", I prefer to be the
lurker that just "happens" to be there in the end. And I'm glad that I can
perform under stress..or at least for 9 out of 10 rounds. Gary Wright- I
believe it is the fear of the unknown (which I love.oh, that' s Unknown
patterns). Terry T.- I'm glad that Joe Gross had been flying electric at the
Nats for the past 2 years, it shows he's having fun.. And I do believe that
he has something in the works.. Peter Pennisi- I don't believe it should be
discussed, but I personally wanted to. And what if I lived in Montana, away
from the others, then it's only phone/e-mail conversations about my choice.
I'm just glad that we could all communicate with one another. It was a first
for me. Bill Cripe- Thank you

08-06-03

Marty P.- If only the first and last parts were true. But Chips comeback
sure is. George F.- Thank you Martin M.- Thank you oh so much. James
Woodward- I am actually a bit shocked at the comments about Joe's plane.
Whose business is it to determine what one can and cannot fly (outside of
the rules)? I'm glad he is HAVING FUN flying pattern. Sure his plane isn't
the state-of-the-art 2M plane, but so what. The man is having fun and I hope
I can continue to do the same, regardless of the plane I fly. Besides,
remember all the complaining about flying P-05 around here next year..I'm
pretty sure Joe would join us. Eric H.- I am going to insert my comments
following your statements:
	My own opinion is as follows (And mine will follow like this):- I
would have liked to have seen Jason's plane at the Nationals so that I could
make an informed opinion. (Nothing personal, but your opinion is yours, glad
you have one, but the only opinions I would/did seek were that of the
directly
involved, actual team members)   Chip took his chances and flew his
Bi-planes at the team trials and the Nat's. ( He has drive and determination
like no other, and also had planes and help before each contest)   We got to
see the capabilities of the plane, (Not just the pilot). ( Have you flown
the DV to see it's capabilities, or Chips piloting abilities?)   He also
debugged a loose stab and some YS crankshaft prototype counter-weights. (And
a few others in prototype products)   Jason's electric is a huge unknown in
a competitive situation. (Sure, but nothing I used was a prototype anything,
it was all available parts that have been around for some time. And what's
the difference in a competition situation verses a practice situation? Was
the fact that Chips YS flooded during the contest and not at practice one of
those situations?)   As a person who has contributed energy, written effort
and personal finance to the support of our team, I am much more comfortable
with Chips approach. How I see this has nothing to do with rules and rights
but much more the issue of obligations to those who ran team trials, raised
funds, and sat in the judges chairs.  (And how do you think I felt being the
ONLY electric at the Worlds and having a crowd, sometimes larger than CPLR's
crowd watching.WITHOUT words cause they would stand out like a sore thumb!
Check out Quiet Flyer (Nov-2003 issue) and I describe my first flight.) Jon
Uhler- Like above, I too have an opinion. My opinion is that my use of
electrics WAS in question, not how I flew the planes. Electrics are no more
up and coming, they have been here..just in quiet (not intending the pun). I
was even flying planes that could hover and rocket out 2 years ago, and with
Li-Poly's, it just got that much better. My poor showing came in Round 1 in
the finals. And because of that one round, I ended up 7th. It would have
been the same with the AS or any other "normal IC pattern plane". And as far
as addressing anything in the future TT..there's no need to. Martin M.- How
many more times can I thank you..thank you, thank you..etc..... Buddy
Brammer- Thank you again, and yes, if the Kerosene YS existed (or better
yet, OS) then because it didn't run on Nitro and such it would be here for
debate. Bill Glaze- LOL.. Jerry Stebbins- THANK YOU!!! John Ferrell- True,
and on this one I'll keep my opinions to myself. Buddy Brammer- I'll answer
them: Nothing. For me, 3 times, but who remembers.right. I only had 1 that
was actually at the following Worlds. Only 1st Worlds did I use the same.
Only Futaba!!! Ron Van Putte- The plan was to try the electric (and for me
hoped it worked, I really wanted it to) and see. I bought 2 new AS's which
didn't arrive in time. All this WAS BEFORE the Team Trials. But late
deliveries caused it to run afterwards, oh well. All the equipment used had
plenty of time on it, except for the mini-Futaba digitals, they were only
out for about 4 months. And 12 Volts is still 12 Volts over there. As you
said, the "infamous BIB" saga.that's part of my reputation now. But I'm not
sure how. George F.- Thank you and I hope that it does spark an interest for
some to come back or just start flying pattern.
	Part 2 George F.- LOL.and Thank you
Mike McC- Thank you
Tony "The Man" Stillman- Thank you for all of you support and concern..makes
me feel wanted.LOL!!! I'm just glad I flew my 1/3 of a part for OUR Gold.
Earl Vincent- Stop telling them you remember me as a kid..I'm almost 30
now.LOL. Thank you for the support. Everyone was surprised, and even a
couple of other Top 15 pilots had/were trying electrics for the Worlds. I
was just lucky enough to have the support behind me. Marty P.- See Jim..
William Harden- I understand everyone's concern of the unknown, but it was
only going to go if it was capable of the best. It was close enough and with
some hard work, I made it though it all. Bob P.- Pretty neat huh?

08-08-03

Brian Young/Mike McC- I set it up like a glow motor. Had a idle cut and set
the idle at about 500rpm (ok so it's slower than glow, but I didn't stop
it). Stall turns and spin entries would have been nearly impossible with a
stopped prop, plus downlines are too fast stopped. Anthony Abdullah- Thank
you.LOL Keith Black- 2. Correct. 3. It doesn't. 5. Used one. 8. 2
connections, but could have been one, and other things get hotter than the
connections. 11. Separate, dead stick. 12. Right on. 14. with-in 30 minutes,
it's cool enough to charge. 16. This is a REAL concern. It'll eat you alive
worse than any IC motor can. 17. Failsafe to throttle cut. 18. Well,
sometimes it takes the hard way to learn about new things. Bjorn Lehnardt-
It will take sometime, but they will come down.

And all of the Congrats that followed, thank you. Without you supporters, we
couldn't afford to represent you at the Worlds (or at least I couldn't).

Jason
www.jasonshulman.com


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