A possible answer to lousy judging "Flash cards"

[Tony Stillman]

Mike:

The major problem with any visual/audible scoring is that you don't have a record.   If the scribe gets screwed up and misses a score somewhere, you can't fix it.

My preferred method is to use a legal pad and write the score down in a vertical column.  THIS CAN BE DONE WITHOUT TAKING YOUR EYES OFF THE AIRPLANE THE ENTIRE FLIGHT!!!!!  Sure, the column won't be perfectly straight, but you will be able to read it.  The scribe can worry about calling maneuvers for you (if you need that) during the flight, and they can quickly transpose scores from the pad to the scoresheet either during the 30 seconds between the final airborne maneuver score and the landing, or they can do it right after landing.  It only takes about 30 seconds to transpose the scores.  The great thing is that there is now a RECORD of the scores, so if a question comes up later, it can be solved.  

This is a BIG problem at events like the NATS when a record is not kept, and a scribe gets messed up....  

Try it the next time you judge.  It is not hard.  JUST REMEMBER, you CAN write a one or two-digit number WITHOUT LOOKING!!!  

Tony Stillman
Radio South
3702 N. Pace Blvd.
Pensacola, FL 32505
1-800-962-7802
www.radiosouthrc.com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: mike mueller 
  To: discussion at nsrca.org 
  Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2004 6:03 AM
  Subject: Re: A possible answer to lousy judging "Flash cards"


   If you think it's too hard then simplify it to make this possible then we simplify. Here's a system that would work under any circumstances. Have the judges flash fingers. The right hand is used to signify over 5 scores 1 finger is a 6, 2 fingers a 7 and so on. Numbers below 5 are on the left hand 3 land hand fingers are a 3. Half numbers are done by moving the fingers up and down rapidly. This works well with a scribe and requires no additional help. Spectators can see it also. Use of the middle fingers to signify a 6 would be a discouraged. Also this would give the judge excersize and stimulate blood flow. Who doesn't need that. Win win all the way here. 
         Any comments on this? Mike

  Ed Deaver <divesplat at yahoo.com> wrote:
    I wasn't flying pattern in the 80's but there is one considerable difference.  Turnaround.

    When judging Sportsman you barely have enough time to tell your scribe a score as the next manuever is already in progress a lot of the time.

    To use flash cards it would take another individual to hold these up.  We already are pressed just to have scribes at some contests.

    The fun would be there though, as well as the after ribbing I'm sure.

    ed

    mike mueller <mups1953 at yahoo.com> wrote:
      I propose that flash cards be brought back to judging. It would allow judges to be critiqued by their peers. The way it works is the judge has numbered flash cards on his lap. The scribe sits behind the judge and records the data. Nothing new here but if a guy is scoring vanilla it will be detected. If a guy is giving good scores to bad snaps it would give others the ability to straighten him out. Flash cards worked in the old days and they are sorely needed now. If you like the idea and your a CD it's as easy to try as doing it. To the best of my knowledge there aren't any rules to stop you. Flash cards made speculating more fun and was educational. 
       Has anyone done this in recent times? 
            I'm searching for an answer here. Do you have a better solution because if your leaving it up to the good faith of others then you have what we have now? Human nature always reverts back to the same bad habits no matter how much you beat things into others. In the end it's a system that fails not humans.Edward Deming stated that 85% of all failures are due to systems problems and the remaining 15% are human. I believe he was correct. Our system is flawed and it's keeping the sport back. 
       I stated before that I don't like contestant judging. On average the decline of pattern that started in the mid 80's parallels the advent of this procedure. I realize that it's too hard to fix it now but something has to change.It's pretty easy to experiment with flash cards. I know from personal experience that it works and I can't see why we got away from it.
       It's good to debate, Thanks, Mike Mueller















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