Landing Direction

[Ed Alt]

Jerry:
I guess what it comes down to for me is to see if there is compelling answer 
to one question, which is, what problem needs to be solved?  Maybe it's been 
stated already and I missed it in all the email on the topic, but it strikes 
me that no one has really laid out a compelling case for the actual problem 
they think is being solved with this proposal.  Then it needs to be clearly 
stated how the proposal actually solves the problem in some convincing and 
measurable way.  Maybe it's just me missing the point, but I haven't gotten 
any of this out of any of the email on this topic yet.  I see that several 
guys don't like takeoffs & landings scored, but that's about all I can take 
away from the argument so far.   If the problem to solve is that takeoffs 
need to happen more quickly, then the CD has to get a flight line boss to 
motivate the crowd and enforce the rules.

It's not the end of the world for me if this changes, but I just don't see 
any clear benefit and I can definitely see that it will remove an incentive 
to strive to control the model safely and precisely when it is most needed - 
when it's nearest to everyone else.  Since we have to do the maneuvers 
anyway, why not make it a part of a display of precision flying and lets not 
get hung up on whether it fits the definition of aerobatics flight. I don't 
recall seeing a definition of aerobatic flight in the AMA rules, but from 
the full scale world, it's 60 degrees bank and 45 degrees pitch.  Right now, 
the straight flight out & back in Sportsman certainly don't qualify as 
aerobatics flight, but it is supposed to be precise.  What is actually wrong 
with requiring pilots to display precision during landing and takeoff?  I 
honestly haven't heard the real reason yet, other than it isn't aerobatic 
flight.  If that's the basis of the argument, then you must extend it to 
straight flight out & back in Sportsman and to what we always judge in 
between all figures in all classes.  To be consistent and for the argument 
to hold any water, you must eliminate that judged element as well.  Simply 
require that the figures are in the right place in the box, within 150 to 
175m, done in the correct order and don't worry about what ever you have to 
do to position for that figure.  Now I know that no one is advocating that, 
but that's where the logical argument for not scoring takeoffs and landings 
actually leads you, based on the non-aerobatic flight complaint.

Ed




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jerry Budd" <jerry at buddengineering.com>
To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 1:48 AM
Subject: Re: Landing Direction


> To be honest Ed, there's a lot of pilots flying FAI that shouldn't be, if 
> demonstrated skill level is any indication.  But that's a topic for 
> another time...
>
> As far as attributing the skill development of FAI pilots as being 
> developed as they advanced through the classes, probably so.  But what is 
> it due to?  To quote a recent Dilbert byline, "there's really no way to 
> tell".
>
> Jerry
>
>><snip>
>>"Well, FAI hasn't  scored TO&L's for a number of years now, ..."
>>
>>Perhaps this is because the skill to do a good takeoff and landing was 
>>well developed by FAI pilots as they advanced through the AMA classes on 
>>their way to FAI?
>>
>>Ed
>
> -- 
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> Budd Engineering
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