Wind correction / wings level * klipped *

[Del Rykert]

I have never seen it written or stated at any judging classes I've attended that a defect had to be a full 15º before a downgrade is deserved. As judges we are supposed to detect and penalize for the defects we see. I have always maintained the view that if I can see the defect than a downgrade is in order. That's why not many 10's are awarded. 
    I do know that it says we aren't supposed to be downgrade for weather effects so when do bobbles become grounds for downgrading. If the plane is getting bounced by wind gusts we aren't supposed to penalize. I realize it happens as I received many penalties flying a smaller plane at the nats in the wind and when it wasn't getting bounced around I scored much higher.  I was the only 60 size on that line. Yes I do enjoy and know how to fly competively in the wind.
     del  


----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Rcmaster199 at aol.com 
  To: discussion at nsrca.org 
  Sent: Monday, August 09, 2004 8:29 PM
  Subject: Re: Wind correction / wings level


  Absolutely Jimbo. Your assessment is on the mark. In a fair amount of cross wind, any departure in pitch from wind-corrected straight and level flight will require some small roll command. The masters do that seamlessly.

  If roll correction is done throughout the pitching element to achieve wings level, less rolling would be required overall and would be less obvious. We called that a "Maneuver Smoother"  back in the heyday of Pattern. Still applies today and will always apply.

  In regard to wing bobbles and such caused by the maneuver corrections, in the FAI regs it is stated that (I am paraphrasing) extremely small deviations are not to be counted. The problem is a real definition for what "extremely small" means. To me, it means a couple degress (less than five). Definitely not enough for a whole point deduction. 

  I don't recall reading such verbiage in the AMA regs. In the AMA schedules, I judge a couple such bobbles as a half point off IF I see them. That's what it's supposed to be anyway. In reality, it's much harder to judge that correctly, having to keep a count for each and every maneuver, etc, etc.

  Remember having a conversation on same subject with Earl Haury at the 2003 TEAM Selection Tournament. I believe we were discussing when to penalize the whole point downgrade (1pt/15 degrees), and we pretty much concluded that at least two small 5-10 degree bobbles had to be seen in the same F3A maneuver to penalize the whole point. That these are additive as they should be. If only one is observed, then no downgrade is to be assessed.

  That's my take. As always, open to differing or opposing points of view

  Matt
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