Rules Changes----Advancement

[Grow Pattern]

Mark,
          I always favor education over legislation but we always seem to need rules. 

Although I try to see these issues from other peoples viewpoint I do tend to fall back on my own standards. I never entered pattern with a view to be a district champion or stay in any particular class. With that in mind I never saw a problem with a guy staying in a class, at least until I flew in Masters.[no shots intended at anyone in masters here - it's just that pilots stay there a long time and they are much harder to beat due to their experience]

If there was a guy who was killing us in 402 I just thought, "good luck to him". As soon as I was ready I moved up to Advanced and then Masters. I never had a desire to stay in a "building-block" class and soon got the message if I was in there too long from my friends teasing me.

Now I hop back and forth between FAI and Masters depending upon what I am flying and what I want to do in the year. I like the freedom of being able to choose which class I fly and how much practice I can devote to it.

You can't do that with 401-403 and 404, and yet I wonder if it would make a difference? I think that you could let people elect to go back and fly a class for a year, but if they win, say three contests with 5 contestants in it, then they have to move back up. 

Just thinking out loud,

Regards,

Eric.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Atwood, Mark 
  To: discussion at nsrca.org 
  Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 10:22 AM
  Subject: RE: Rules Changes----Advancement


  Another difficulty to this mess is regionalism and national "competitiveness". 

   

  Two examples.

   

  Back in '91.flying Sportsman (Now intermediate) we had a crop of VERY competitive flyers.  There were 10-12 traveling pilots going to every contest, duking it out.  The top spots were consitantly held by 2-3 guys that dominated, but there were 3 or 4 others that were tight and not far behind.  Any of 8 could win a particular round.   Those 2 or 3 ALL pointed out.lots of people at each contest provided lots of points and back then we had 8 or 9 local contests plus a few "must travel too's (the mint coming to mind).

   

  Then came the nats.and our star pilots got their collective BUTTS kicked.  I think the top guy finished 12th.  Bottom line.we all sucked. No one should have moved up.   The "points" were being awarded relative to the gang.not relative to actual skill.

   

  Then there's 1997.  Flying advanced.we had another big group, with 3 of us always battling for each round.  Finishing often within just a few points of each other, but in this case, one guy always on top.  Winning every contest that season, so HE pointed out, but no one else.  Again, the nats came.we were expecting to do ok, but were fearful of another "education" on how this is done, only this time the opposite.  We all did well.finishing 1st, 3rd, and 7th.  

   

  In this case.everyone should have been forced to move up (we all did), but only one had too.

   

  So how can we force a "move" just because someone is doing well locally??  National standing.the only real measure we have, doesn't count.

   
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