Weight limit discussion

[Archie Stafford]

I would say at most local contest if not all that no one is going to say
"you can't fly."  I do see the idea at the NATS though that everyone must be
100% legal.  Chris White proved last year in Intermediate that you don't
have to fly the latest and greatest plane to win.  This is what needs to
happen more.  Even in Advanced several "older" designs were at or near the
top.  The problem is convincing new guys that it is the skill not the plane.
I think the lower classes, especially at the NATS with the crosswinds we
always get the older designs have an advantage.  They fly a little faster, a
little less side area and this gives them an advantage.  
 
As Mark I think said though if you raise the weight limit its not going to
fix the problem.  We will be chasing our tails.  It doesn't matter what SIG
it is they do cost money.  Look at the top Pylon racer kits, composite
aircraft, 400 dollar motors to what is almost a "disposable" type of flying.
Even the best can lose multiple airplanes in a year just because of how
close they fly.  Gliders are the same way, there are now tons of composite
gliders out there and the costs are going up.  I wont even go into IMAC.
Then there are other "hobbies."  I knew a guy who bass fished a lot.  He was
talking about what my planes cost, so I ask him, what about your 15,000
dollar boat and 30,000 dollar truck to pull it and that's not even including
all of his tackle. And as I'm sure a bunch of people on this list will
agree, golf is another one that can be very expensive when done on a regular
basis.
 
I think the drive for perfection that drives most pattern people or at least
got them into it is also what drives the costs up.  Pattern people tend to
buy the best, and in most applications, you do get what you pay for.
Pattern is never going to be "cheap."  I don't think the key is making it
cheaper, I think the key is to make it more fun and attractive.  I don't
think we will ever be a discipline that is going to double or triple in size
in short amounts of time because it takes a certain type of individual to
even be interested in pattern. I believe one of the greatest problems with
pattern is convincing the average sport pilot that he can do this.  A lot of
your average flyers tend to see it and think that is really neat, but I
could never do that.  We got to start attracting the people that want to do
it to make themselves better.  Its like any other sport, such as basketball,
a lot of people watch it on TV and know they will never make the NBA, but
that doesn't stop them from going out to the local gym and playing with
their friends, but we also have to understand we are not going to attract
everyone at the field, just like not everyone who watches basketball on TV
has any desire to go play at the local gym twice a week.  
 
I think we would be better served by concentrating on the sportsman
membership instead of worrying so much about the guys that are already
hooked.  Have more pattern primers and even if you have to do it with a
buddy box, let these guys fly the pattern planes, even older ones that are
already set up.  Make it a fun relaxed environment to help them get the bug.
It can be very frustrating for a guy to go to his first sportsman contest
with is .40 sized plane and see all the nice pattern ships sitting around
and with everyone else running around trying to get their stuff setup they
might even get a feel that no one wants to talk to them or worse yet, they
come to their first contest, don't get a lot of help, finish last and now
think they can't do it, but if you put them in a sportsman only contest and
give these guys some help for one or two days to help them learn the basics
then they will want to stick around.  They will see a great deal of
improvement just in that one weekend that will give them the desire to go
back home and practice.  If every district made it a point to have one or
two pattern primers a year and then made a big deal out of it; I think this
would help a great deal.  Let these guys get some exposure, take lots of
pictures, and put them in the K-factor.  When someone is starting out they
love seeing their pictures in the magazines.  
 
We need to start catering to the lower classes more and helping grow the
sport that way, not making large rules changes that in the end are just
going to drive up the cost even more.
 
Arch
 
 
 
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