Excellence, Masters-F3A

[Troy Newman]

Oh no I got him fired up now...Remember when I said there will always be a
better pilot out there somewhere....Well now Jason is taking it serious!


Sorry Dave it was not my intent to get him anxious!

LOL

Actually Jas I'm glad to hear it! The better you fly the better I'm going to
fly to keep up and try to take ya!

Its that search for the PERFECT flight!

I may have mis-represented my thinking about Masters=FAI.....My thought is
that many Masters pilots have the talent to fly FAI and they should. The top
Dogs not showing up to a local contest is because as Jas says...they have
other commitments. I know Jason is always screwing around out doing demos of
the electric stuff not just the pattern plane...And Chip is doing the
Weekend demo circuit as well. This is promoting other forms of the hobby and
is great. Sean I think is just busy with work and his new family in the past
couple years....There is a time and place for everything and to expect a US
team member to attend and event is asking a bunch on their time. I wish they
would come out and wax my behind a little....Because then I got a shot at
them too! But I know that other things in life play a role. Its not a slam
when I say they don't come out its just a fact of the beast. A guy should
not use an excuse to not fly FAI because he can't compete with the
"boys".....I would have never felt I could compete with the people I have
until this year....I still have a long way to go for that last 4-5
guys...but its amazing what a little work and diligence can do.

Hey it takes a lot of time and energy to travel that 8hrs to a contest. I've
been doing it and understand.

I think more and more Masters guys should try it out and fly FAI....Its not
that bad believe me....I think that AMA masters has a place in the skill
levels and climbing the charts...But I think we have dedicated the Masters
class as the destination for so many...that this is where many current
Advanced and Intermediate guys aspire.....The local hero flies Masters and
this is the Pinnacle. As Jason mentioned when he was coming up FAI was flown
by the best even at the local level....Granted  this local pattern hero and
we all had them, would never had made a USA Team or even the finals at the
NATS.....But he was there showing his butt and flying extremely well. I
think there are so many contests that don't get this kind of showing or any
FAI at all that the less experienced pilots don't see the FAI as the
pinnacle they see Masters instead...and the Aspiration is to Masters and
masters alone. I don't think a forced move up is required I'm challenging
some of the Masters pilots that have been in the NATS finals for 2-3 or even
10yrs in row....come on guys...Give it a shot

I just think the top 20-30% of the Masters guys could and should be a threat
in FAI...They don't seem to take the leap. I wish they would!



TN
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jason" <jasonshulman at cox.net>
To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
Sent: Friday, November 21, 2003 9:48 PM
Subject: RE: Excellence, Masters-F3A


> Great, on the spot again...LOL.
>
> - As you remember, most of the contests we (yes my brother too) were there
> competing. Of course, we were kids and life hadn't caught up to us at that
> time. When we moved to FL, I continued to go to local (8 hour drives)
events
> (though my brother found a new hobby- check the December issue of Sport
> Trucks and you'll see) with a group of kids (ahh the days). Now that I'm
in
> AZ, the vast west, not much is with-in 7-8 hours of driving (or wasn't
when
> I was in Tucson) so the contests that I made were just local (Phx) or some
> NATS. Plus I was working in the industry and traveling around for work
which
> wasn't pattern related. But now that I'm in Phx, I've already been to the
> Fall Phx contest, made plans for the Feb contest and would like to go to
LV
> this weekend, but I'm down to 1 Worlds plane. Plus, I want to concentrate
on
> P/F-05 now. I do have a Revolution Pro coming that will be converted to
> electric and hopefully my own design in the works (maybe before the NATS).
I
> don't have anyone to travel with here, and have lost most of my desire to
> drive the long distances now (I must be getting old). But I've already
> requested time off for the NATS!!!!
>
> - I did start in Novice, then Sportsman, Advanced and skipped Masters (I
> believe that I'm still "legal" to fly Advanced...LOL) to fly F3A. It
> happened at a local event in SC when there was only 1 other F3A pilot and
> Kirk wasn't the King of SC yet, so my friends dared me to fly F3A. So I
did
> and found it to be much more challenging than Advanced. Since I had an
> interest in Pattern (81) I could remember reading all those great Worlds
> articles and dreaming of the day...little did I know. So after the year
was
> over, I "officially" made the jump to F3A. Was it a mistake, maybe. I got
> slaughtered my first year. I was 26th I think in my first NATS and only
> thing I could do was place in the top 3 at local events (excluding the
> Pensacola contest when all the Big Gums showed up). And if I remember
> correctly, Sean went through all the classes, winning Sportsman, Advanced
> and 2nd in Masters. And of course Chip, if I can remember back that far,
> might have also gone through all the classes, but don't hold me to that.
All
> in all, I'm glad I went through the classes. I learned a lot, and it gave
me
> a chance to watch the top dogs without worrying about how I could fly well
> enough to stay in the 900's.
>
> - I do believe that Masters should be a less difficult class than F3A.
There
> is even talk here of making the current F3A schedule an "Expert Class" as
an
> unofficial class to bridge the gap at local contests here. I'm not sure if
> that's the way to do it though. And being an F3A pilot and not a Masters
> pilot, I don't think it matters what I think on this topic.
>
> And if anyone is in it for the trophy's (I was when I was a kid), I have 5
> boxes of them for you.
>
> Troy, just read the comments again below. So much of what you said is
true.
> One thing for me at least is I've never claimed to have a learning
> disability, my parents always reminded me I was just being lazy.  As for
me,
> my goal each round of a contest is to make a "Perfect" flight. One without
> any errors (visible to the eye at least) and with the "Perfect"
> presentation. I've never achieved that goal, but I'm going to keep trying
> (and much harder this year). Of the past 3 Teams I've been on, I'm the
only
> one who has never won a NATS, and I DON'T LIKE IT ANYMORE. I'm kicking
> "Lazy" to the curb!
>
> Jason
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: discussion-request at nsrca.org
> [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]On Behalf Of davel322 at comcast.net
> Sent: Friday, November 21, 2003 6:32 PM
> To: discussion at nsrca.org
> Subject: Re: Excellence, Masters-F3A
>
>
> This email string has touched on a number of points/ideas - so forgive the
> somewhat random thoughts below -
>
> - In the US, a review of local/regional contest results for the past few
> years would show that the "top" US F3A pilots often do not attend very
many
> F3A contests.  BUT - they often do participate in demos, tradeshows, and
> other modeling functions.  I suspect they might fly in more F3A contests
IF
> they had the time and resources to do so (sorry to put you on the spot,
> but...Jason, since you are the only US F3A Team Member that I know
monitors
> the list, this would be an opportunity for you to comment).  Personally, I
> flew in 8 F3A contests in 2003 and numerous funflys and demos - which is a
> pretty typical year for me.  If I have more time/resources/funding - I
would
> fly in more events.
>
> - In the US, I think the AMA class structure does feed the F3A ranks and
> eventually the World Champs - but only for a limited number of pilots who
> have the talent, drive, and resources to compete at the World Champs
level.
> I know for a fact that 2 of the 3 US pilots on the 2003 Team progressed
> through the AMA pattern classes (maybe not all of them) before competing
in
> F3A in the US.  Whether the AMA class structure was designed to push
pilots
> to F3A or not, it does that in practice - but only for those with the
talent
> and drive to compete in F3A - which is the minority, not the majority.
>
> - I've known Troy for a number of years, and we've practiced and critiqued
> with each other at the NATs since at least 98 (? maybe sooner, a little
help
> Troy).  I agree absolutely with Troy regarding his philosophy about
> how/why/when to be a better pilot.  I don't agree that AMA Masters should
be
> equal to F3A.  The FAI recognized that a system of prelims, finals, and
> unknowns were needed to challenge the best pilots in the world, and make
it
> easier for the judges to select the best pilot in the world - and I
concur.
> However, it is a very small percentage of pattern pilots in the US (and
the
> world) that could even consider competing at the World Championship level.
> Ergo the need to make Masters = F3A would only the serve the interests of
a
> very few number of pilots who will ultimately be competing in F3A anyway.
>
> - If the US AMA Masters pilots have the drive to fly F3A, they can CHOOSE
to
> fly F3A.  If the same pilots do not have the drive to fly F3A, and are
happy
> flying Masters, what is wrong with that?  If those happy pilots are forced
> to fly F3A (even if by another name), are we going to lose some of them?
If
> the Masters pilots want to fly the F3A schedule without competing against
> the "true" F3A pilots, they can always choose to have the Masters schedule
> mirror the F3A schedule - there is no need to mandate this - doing so
would
> only limit the options available.
>
> As has recently become popular on this list - "I could be wrong".
>
> Regards,
>
> Dave Lockhart
> DaveL322 at comcast.net
> > No wonder I love ya Troy! You're hittin' me right where I live!!!!! I'm
> with you
> > on this one 500%!!!
> > Georgie
> >
> > Troy Newman wrote:
> >
> > > I think its a great idea the Masters pilots won't stand for it!
> > >
> > > But I think AMA pattern should feed the F3A ranks and Eventually feed
> the
> > > World Champs.
> > >
> > > There is always going to be a pilot better than you are!....I'm not in
> this
> > > for the trophy. I'm in it to be the best pilot I can be. I'm in it to
do
> > > something  and be a part of a very selective group in the world....I'm
> in to
> > > represent my country and myself at the Worlds. I'm in it to make my
mark
> on
> > > the pattern world. I love the planes, I love the competition, I love
the
> > > drive it takes to reach the goals. As I was told as a kid. Its not the
> > > results that matter its the journey to reach them. I can tell you
this,
> so
> > > far its been a journey beyond compare and the next few years will be
> another
> > > part of the life journey. The pursuit of Excellence. Whether I ever
> reach
>
> > > these goals or ambitions are up to my skills and my desire. Can I hone
> my
> > > skills to be at the level needed? Can I raise the bar yet again and
> reach
> > > the new heights ahead?
> > >
> > > I don't believe in setting my sights lower just to be able to achieve
> them.
> > > I think the way to aspire to Excellence is to raise the bar and set
you
> > > sights on the ultimate in achievement. Our country has fallen into a
> trap
> > > that its bad to achieve. A rich man is evil because he has more than
the
> > > poor man. The lazy kid in school has a learning disability. And the
> pattern
> > > flyer that is content with his position and the next win is never
going
> to
> > > achieve the things a Chip or Quique have done. One thing I have
learned
> from
> > > spending more time with Chip and others at that level...These guys are
> > > driven, they are driven by the next challenge, the next high, the next
> > > ultimate in achievement. An AMA pattern class that is designed as a
> > > destination class is just that....a destination...and once you reach
> your
>
> > > destination the Journey is no longer endured! Some will play for a
while
> but
> > > they reached their destination and fall off the map...We loose these
> pilots
> > > because we expect less from them!
> > >
> > > Others are happy as stationary pilots. The problem is now we have to
> change
> > > the rules every 2-3 years to keep your interest. I say move up and
play
> in
> > > the big sand box!
> > >
> > > Nascar didn't sit on its hands happy with its place in the Racing
world.
> > > Indy was king and NASCAR was a bunch of red necks crashing into each
> other.
> > > Well not anymore NASCAR is still the fastest growing spectator sport
in
> the
> > > world...And its been that way for years and years....In fact next year
> they
> > > are even going to a new sponsor that can take them even higher....
> > >
> > > Set your goals low and you output is just enough to get by....Set your
> goals
> > > high and you might surprise yourself!
> > >
> > > Don't look towards the destination look toward the journey....Can you
do
> a
>
> > > rolling loop? If not, why not go out and learn how! Its just a really
> bad
> > > slow roll and I have seen all of us including myself do some pretty
bad
> slow
> > > rolls.
> > >
> > > The Journey will reward you!
> > >
> > > Troy
>
>
>
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