Pattern Box Rules (discussion)

[David Lockhart]

Arch,

I think you are right on target.

Competition is supposed to be tough and challenging, and unlike too much of
the PC rhetoric in schools today, there is only ONE winner, and everyone
else is a loser (even if they played the game "nice").

Sometimes I wonder if pattern would attract more people if -
- downgrades were 1 point per 30 degrees,
- no downgrades for wind drift,
- no box specified,
- final score includes only your single best flight,
- 3 "mulligans" allowed per flight,

And, the awards at every contest included awards for best Peewee, Junior,
Senior, Open, Sr. Open, and Super Senior.

Then 90% of the scores would be 9 or better, and 90% of the entrants would
go home with 1st place trophies.

My apologies to anyone put off by this slightly off topic post.

Dave


----- Original Message -----
From: "Archie Stafford" <rcpattern at comcast.net>
To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 10:08 PM
Subject: RE: Pattern Box Rules (discussion)


> What is the desire to make pattern easier.  Seems like every proposal is
to
> make the planes easier to build to meet the rules, or changing the
patterns
> because they are hard.  I got into pattern because of the challenge.  I
> would much rather fly a very difficult schedule and have to go practice
> often than to fly an easy schedule that everyone can do well.  The
challenge
> should never be who you are flying against, but to be able to go practice
on
> your own and see the results.  Contests are great, but I love pattern
> because I know that everytime I go fly that I am NOT going to fly the
> perfect flight.  The challenge is to go out and put in that much better
> flight than I did before.
>
> We as a SIG are never going to attract everyone at the field.  It takes a
> certain personality type to be interested in pattern.  I don't think the
> solution is to water down pattern to where everyone wants to try it, but
at
> the cost of eliminating a lot of the challenges.  Once again I think we
need
> to put the emphasis on getting people to try it. Yes, we will lose a great
> number of those people to lack of time, interest, money or whatever, but
if
> each district just picks up 5 or 6 people a year, it will keep pattern
> healthy.  I have no problem being lenient with rules in Sportsman, but as
I
> think Chris Moon said, we don't need to sacrifice the other classes.
There
> are good cheaper alternatives with airframes (Aresti, Focus, or even older
> designs that others are selling), motors, and radios.
>
> I think we need to concentrate on getting more people to try it, all the
> while knowing that we are not going to keep everyone.
>
> Just my two cents...
>
> Arch
>
>
>
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