[SPAM] Rules changes Advancement

Tue Mar 8 10:24:02 AKST 2005

I agree with you, Troy.

Dean Pappas 
Sr. Design Engineer 
Kodeos Communications 
111 Corporate Blvd. 
South Plainfield, N.J. 07080 
(908) 222-7817 phone 
(908) 222-2392 fax 
d.pappas at kodeos.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: discussion-request at nsrca.org [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]On Behalf Of Troy A. Newman
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 2:13 PM
To: discussion at nsrca.org
Subject: [SPAM] Rules changes Advancement

Buddy,
I have been really quiet lately. I don't think the changes you are looking at are going to increase pattern participation. The weight and box limits in my opinion are good and don't need jacking with......

I know you and Don are working hard at it. We on the sequence committee are as well. I don't think changing the box is going to help us. I really don't think changes to the weights or sizes is going to help us....

I want to weigh in here so to speak on something that I feel will help pattern grow in changes to the rule book. I feel most changes to the rule book are going to make us more elite or a more secret way you have to do things. Guys that are even in our ranks don't read the rules so why make them even more specialized..and so on.

BUT there is a single set of things in the book that I feel and others feel need to be addressed.

Advancement to the next class.

I think we should just NIX all advancement rules. Let the pilot fly whatever wants too and when ever he wants too. Let him jump around if needed. The reason its not used. I have been from sea to shinning sea ATL to CA and have never actually heard anybody keeping track of their points. The AMA says its up to the pilot and they provide a little card to fill out. I have been flying pattern since 86 and have never seen one of the cards! Its not enforceable. There is no database to keep the records. It takes too much time and energy. We spend our time and energy in other places more rightfully so....So lets eliminate the advancement system.

Reason #2 is we don't have the numbers we once had to push people up to another class when they may not be ready. SO would we rather push a pilot up to the next class and maybe out by peer pressure...... or have him staying in the same class.

My opinion is I don't care if Dave Brown himself came back and flew Advanced. I think we could all benefit from him being a the contest and participating in the events.

Prime example I witnessed two district Champions last season move up to the next class and neither one was ready to go. But they felt obligated to go since they won the D champs. The reality was that they went to enough contests to get the points. The reality also is they don't have the skills they needed to learn in the previous class.

Pattern is about perfection and precision. I see our pattern ranks getting smaller and smaller and the skill sets getting weaker and weaker. The pilot that survives the Intermediate sequence for a couple years maybe even wins some stuff around locally then moves up. But the reality is just because he won everything locally with maybe 2-3-4 pilot doesn't mean he is now ready for the next show. The quality of flying in the lower classes seems to be lower that it has been in the past. Our numbers seem to be much much lower too. Pattern flying is about perfection and flying that perfect sequence. I think if we eliminate the advancement stuff over time we will gain back some of the old dogs for another run. And new pilots that have not learned the required skills can get them before moving on. It has been brought up that back in the old days pre-turnaround...a local guy would dust off his model and support he clubs local event. Maybe if we let him fly whatever he wants then we might get him to come back after 5-10 years off. This could also could encourage new people. No pressure to move up. Enjoy the competition at  a level you are comfortable. Right now we reward any margin of success with more and more challenge. Maybe this pushes people away. Many people in their lives are content to be right where they are. They want to play and have fun with the group...but are not comfortable up with the next group. WE SHOULD NOT TURN THEM AWAY!

Some pilots will never be ready for a jump from Intermediate to advanced. regardless of the current large steps between a couple classes. I feel that there are some career Intermediate pilots like my father in-law Jerry. He is one of the best pilots at his local club. He is the man for test flights, and advice among the crowd. But He is happy and challenged with Intermediate. He will continue to be happy and challenged with it for a long time to come. 

The cheer from the crowd in the awards of the contest is always move up...move up. Especially in Sportsman.Is pushing people away...in my mind. We need to pat them on the back and say good job...not jump IN and get eaten by the sharks.

I think this defeats ourselves a little. 

If we let someone jump around classes and he got in too deep he could always come back without AMA, DVP, and so on approval. Just fly what ever class you want to fly!

The question is would we rather have a guy sand bag a little and still have him at an event or call him a trophy hog and push him out. This goes for older more seasoned pilots as well. The guy is getting up there a little in years like my buddy Pastorello <picking on you man I like to pick on Bob because he fights back!>  and  flew at a very high level of competition but now wants to not practice all the time...maybe doesn't have the best model for the job....Let him move back from a masters to an advanced and fly there. He has a bunch of knowledge and can help people at the events. Plus sometimes he is even fun to fly with!

Would we rather have him or Not?

This does a couple things. Keeps the pilots that can't make it at the higher level what ever the reason...and it also improves the skills of the lower classes.  A newer pilot will have to be more prepared to win an event and he will not readily jump to the next class as there is nobody to fly against in the current class. Competition is a motivation factor. If a guy is out there doing his two loops really well...then it will inspire the another pilot to "work on my two loops because old Bob is going to kick my butt when we get to the contest next week."

For most people the biggest factor for them being here in Pattern today is they wanted to learn to fly better. But that success and flying better today pushes them into another class that is more difficult yet. You know Mark Martin is still running the Busch Series and he has been a Cup champion and Busch Champion before too. Even though many look at the Busch and Truck series as a kind of minor leagues to the Cup cars.

Just some thoughts

TN

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