Artistic Aerobatics

[Peter Pennisi]

Look at the following Golf has. I enjoy my game of golf occasionally but I
can't think of anything more boring to watch unless I am playing. Pattern is
the same, unless you're involved in some capacity it is boring to watch. Why
is golf so popular? – not sure, maybe because it is easy to understand and
the top players in the world have become household names, draws a lot of
corporate interest etc.
 
Pattern will never reach those heights. As long as you enjoy the hobby for
yourself that is the main thing. If only we could draw an international
celebrity into flying pattern the public may start to take a little
interest. 
 
Pattern to the uninitiated is far too complex to understand. It is too
precise and specialised to become a public domain interest. How will a
spectator ever understand why Joe Bloggs only received a 4 instead of a 6
for a 4 point roll? 
 
AAA at a pattern comp would be fun. The only reason why I would do it is for
me. If the general public find it interesting to watch – that would be an
added bonus.
 
  PP
 
-----Original Message-----
From: discussion-request at nsrca.org [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org] On
Behalf Of Rcmaster199 at aol.com
Sent: Saturday, 24 January 2004 9:07 AM
To: discussion at nsrca.org
Subject: Re: Artistic Aerobatics
 
Eric,
Unless we are judging and have to watch the flights (or at least should
watch the flights), we often don't look at the other pattern flying much. At
least that's been my experience in nearly twenty five years of competitive
pattern flying. 

It seems about the only time we carefully observe or even scrutinize a
flight when we are NOT sitting in the JC, is when the fellow just above us
in the standings is flying or when a name flier is flying. But even then, we
seldom actually observe a complete flight

Is Pattern boring to watch ? Yeah, probably, to the uninitiated observer it
probably is. If anyone of the Pattern people performed a perfect Cuban say,
the observer could just as soon yawn. I doubt the observer would fall asleep
if a plane was coming down to touch the rudder under full control, making
all that racket, at the far edge of the runway. Lets be brutally blunt about
danger appealing to many.

Are "they" having more fun? Sometimes I think they do, especially when we
are having a problem with that alky burning, glow plug blowing, bearing
chewing cantakerous bunch of metal parts. We get upset when our trim doesn't
hold. They just fly or hover or whatever. We get right down anal about noise
reduction and distance out and weight and 2x2 meters and "they" don't!!!

I did the IMAC thing for a short while but came back. The plane flew well
enough even though it was a 10 lb overweight ARF(kinda reminded me of me
actually). It was just too damned big and heavy and a real pain to haul
around. Not my idea of "FUN"

BUT, I still love Pattern and all its self induced variables. That's my
bottom line. It's irrational to feel this way but I just do. I guess it
appeals to my desire for geometric precision and to the discipline it takes
to strive for perfection.

IMHO

regards

Matt K


Subj:Artistic Aerobatics 
Date:1/23/2004 10:07:44 AM Eastern Standard Time
From:Eric.Henderson at gartner.com
Reply-to:discussion at nsrca.org
To:discussion at nsrca.org
Sent from the Internet 



As some of you may know I ran an FAI-FG1 event a couple of years ago at the
Nat's after the finals. Quique, Troy and Chad Northeast put on a really
great show for us while we waited for the Masters and FAI results.

I have not heard much about this event type since then. I was wondering if
the FAI adopted it or not.

Flying a pattern type plane to music is very attractive. It is one of the
few times where the plane does not drown-out the music! More correctly said,
the planes have to comply with size weight and sound FAI regulations. They
do not actually have to be what we fly in a pattern contest. Some guys use
the same planes and swap-in 3-D wings and stabs. They often change their
props.

It is, of course, the rest-of-the-world's version of IMAC freestyle.

I have written, not without a shot or two across my bows, that the
delineator between precision aerobatics and scale aerobatics is that pattern
is based on practicing the routine, a lot! 
I see IMAC pilots practicing tailslides and Harriers and torque rolls, but
rarely the routines they fly. In particular, wannabe IMAC pilots fly the
hover stuff for most of their flights. Once in a while I "push my luck" and
I ask them why they practice most, the thing that they will do least, in a
contest. (Maybe once in a freestyle routine at the end of an event). 

The answer always is, "Because I want to get better at it and it is fun". 
Are they having more fun than us? I know that watching a loud plane hover
over the runway is fun for a while but it gets old pretty quick and even
becomes annoying. A bit like when we played our 45's on repeat. We coul
listen to the same song, that we had just purchased, but our allegedly
tone-deaf fathers were soon motivated to become "discus" throwers!!!!

The question is still out there however, "Are we boring?" and "Do we,
(pattern pilots), need be more watchable"???

Regards, it is still winter - Eric.


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