[SPAM] Re: 2007 Advanced Patterns

[AtwoodDon at aol.com]

Well, I have avoided jumping in here for as long as I can but here  goes.
 
First, the proposals as presented are not cast in stone, nor mandatory  
changes to the current schedules, they are sets of proposed changes of which we  
are asking the pattern community (not just NSRCA members) to express their  
opinion by selecting one of the alternatives in each class (as a recommendation  
to AMA).  As previously stated in this discussion group, anyone (and  everyone) 
is free to submit their own proposed sequences to the AMA for  consideration. 
 However, we had hoped this approach would generate a  preferred solution 
representative of most of our pattern community and help pave  the way to 
improving the logical progression thru sequences.
 
Second, these proposed sequences are not one person's idea, they were  
generated by a committee with many hours of thought and discussion and actual  
flying of the sequences to come up with not one, but two alternatives in each  
class.  This was done by volunteers for the committee that spent many, many  hours 
working on this.  I doubt any single individual out there would have  come up 
with a similar approach and results.
 
Third, I was involved in early discussions about the approach to this  
exercise and spent quite a bit of time discussing the intent of this exercise  with 
Troy. He and the entire Sequences Committee were very focused on  generating 
new sequences as balanced as possible, but (get this, it is a very  important 
part) also generating sequences focused on building progressive  
basic-intermediate-advanced flying skills that actually require the pilot to  'fly' the 
plane rather than relying on being able to bang the stick over and  come out the 
other side of the maneuver.  In my opinion, about 10-12  years ago, we got so 
focused on making it easy to get into pattern with simple  sequences we lost 
the part about learning some of the flying requirements.   What happened to 
having to do MULTIPLE loops or rolls.  Anyone can close  their eyes and do one 
loop or roll then recover with recovery being the most  active part of the 
maneuver.  The proposed sequences (either in each class)  provide a logical and 
balanced (as much as practical) progression from sets of  skill sets to the next 
level.  I would even guess existing pattern flyers  in the entry classes may 
find the new sequences to actually be more difficult to  fly (notice the word 
fly) well than the current sequences, however, in doing so  they will have 
learned more about actual flying than they do now.  
 
Sorry for the long winded message here, but I would ask everyone to  consider 
the intentions of the proposed sequences as well as the sequences  
themselves.  I believe our current sequence schedules actually create more  of a gap 
between the entry level classes and the higher classes because the  lower class 
sequences actually lack some of the building blocks of developing  flying 
skills which forces the competitors to take larger 'skill' steps as they  approach 
the higher classes.  The proposed sequences smooth those gaps more  evenly and 
introduce maneuvers designed to enhance those building blocks rather  than 
just making it easy to get thru the entry sequences.  
 
Personally, I think the Sequences Committee led by Troy Newman are to be  
commended for the thought they put into these proposals as well as their  
personal time discussing, flying, reworking and finalizing these  proposals.  
Obviously thankless work as witnessed by some of the comments  and sniping that has 
gone on recently on this group.  Anyway, I have made  my selections on the 
sequences, hope you all have to.  Thanks Troy and  group, most of us appreciate 
your efforts and intentions.
 
Don Atwood

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