[SPAM] Re: Does Pattern competition cost too much?

[Troy A. Newman]

Jim,

The answer is Poor contest management! not cost.
We have about 10-15 guys at my local club that fly IMAC and about 5-6 that fly pattern with a couple cross overs. The answer the IMAC guys give for not flying pattern is its not fun to attend the events. Yet they practice and work every bit as hard as the pattern guys do. The models guys are spending big $$$ for their stuff as most are flying 35-40% stuff as you point out. I have even surprised a couple when they flew my Pinnacle and then found out how good a model they can get for the price $3k. And this is a top of the line model most of them are not flying top of the line stuff in IMAC and spending 50-80% more for it. So why is that?  The people and clubs that put on the contests make the event fun for the pilots!

Look at how well organized the IMAC-SCAT group is in Southern Cal area. Anna Wood and the rest of the group not to leave anyone out have really put in some outstanding work....Attendance in So Cal dropped when Greg  and  Suzie stopped running the entire southern district. The CD's were reliant on the outstanding work that Suzie put in.
I'm not saying this as a slam on anything or anyone...but the reality is a contest entry fee out here is $35 and some of the clubs don't even offer any kind of concessions. Go to any other part of the country and the clubs are not in the business of trying to make money on the event. As many know I have traveled from sea to shinning sea in the past couple years. There are parts of the country that really treat you as a guest and want you to have a good time. Other areas the contest is taking club time away. So the attitude is well if you make some money you can have the field for the weekend. I even know of clubs in So Cal that charge pilots to fly on Friday for practice? Its a nominal fee and really is small in comparison to the cost of the trip....but the reality is the pilots are not really welcome...or lets say not made to feel welcome. You pay your $35 and might get 4-5 rounds not because of too many people but because the event is not organized well. 20 pilots and somebody wants to fly a single flight line. Then the Masters and FAi guys sit in the chair all day long. Bottom line is its no fun!

I will point out one really good event I attended back in North Carolina (Burlington)...not to take away from any of the other hospitality I received in the area....Pensacola-Huntsville-Apopka and many others.....

The Burlington group....home of Piedmont models essentially put on a their host hats for the event. I think the cost was like $25 for the contest and they fed the whole crowd all weekend with hot dogs and burgers at N/C and then they had a steak BBQ on Saturday night...if I remember with all the trimmings and a keg of beer (this was after hours of course)....Basically the club was happy to have the event and wanted everyone to have a good time. John Ferrell and Dave Guerin with help from Steve Wall and Lee Davis were the hosts of the event...and made you feel welcome! It was a y'all come type of attitude.

I don't see this kind of attitude out here in the south of D7. 

To compare the IMAC-Scat group out here is all about having fun. They have incentives in terms of district champs and bragging rights that go along with the events. As the JR SCAT series of the past couple years they got some help from many manufacturers and suppliers to support door prizes and district champs awards. I know that they were giving away 10X's and such for championship points...I think that much of the money ($40-50) entry fees went back into the event to help purchase these prizes....They have Foamy events at night to have fun...and sometimes they even have some competitions on the foamy stuff. Above all its a fun thing.....not a dragging contest. 

The bottom line is you need somebody in the area willing to put in the time to manage the organizational work. I see this work occurring in Northern California as Don Atwood (DVP) is up there.....but the Southern part of the district just doesn't have the catalyst to get it going. 


Again this is only an observation of what I have seen in the contests from the east coast to the west coast. In the last 3-4 years I have attended on average about 12 events a year.

Solution I see is to have a really well run event where the pilots can come fly and have fun. This may involve a club judged event...If a club would come up with a group willing to judge and we spend some time with them to help educate rather than complain about the credentials of the judge then I suspect there may be some more guys playing in the game. Our rules have gotten cryptic and specialized to where a lay person can't understand them at a glance and the result is he is not going to spend a ton of time going to school and paying to go to school at that. Then for his fee of learning to judge it qualifies him to sit for a entire weekend and judge a bunch of ungrateful pilots that complain he is not qualified. The results are not too surprising....We need to change the attitude associated with the event out here in D7

Again this is not a hit on anyone its an observation from a person inside the fence. There are good events all over...and my friends run the events...so I understand....but the reality is we are not making it fun!

I have spent tons of time here in PHX talking to people that used to play with us and why they have stopped. Changing this attitude is the key to the growth. A well managed group of workers would go a long way to helping the attitude issues. MAKE THE PILOTS WANT TO COME PLAY. The reality is right now having been to the events I don't really look forward to attending most of the pattern contests out here. I attend because I love to fly and compete with my models. I would travel and have traveled 1000miles for a good contest. 

Just my few cents worth.

Troy
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