What constitutes an FAI flyer.

[Steven Maxwell]

 Thank you Mark, too many times some people forget that is should be fun, learning, and being with freinds a couple times a month, and freinds from all over the US at the Nat's.
 Steve Maxwell


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Mark Hunt 
To: patternrules at earthlink.net
Cc: discussion at nsrca.org
Sent: 11/11/2005 7:45:16 AM 
Subject: Re: What constitutes an FAI flyer.


Steve,

I for one, commend you for flying FAI.  You have thrown away the worries and are flying for fun, to test yourself, and to fly with a friend (who was all alone in his class).  I like winning, but losing won't keep me from a pattern contest...there are too many other good reasons to be there.....mainly good friends.  Luckily, I feel like I have the time to spend a year or two in each class before moving up.

-mark

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Steven Maxwell 
Cc: discussion at nsrca.org 
Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 12:22 AM
Subject: Re: What constitutes an FAI flyer.


 Mike and all, I like to play with the F pattern but only the really the tough stuff, rollers mainly but mine are so ugly it looks like a sport flyer that just all over the sky not really trying to do anything LOL.
 Maybe my motivation for flying FAI is different than many, in our district a friend was faced with maybe being the only FAI pilot at most contest and I told him I was going to fly it not to win a trophy but just so he wouldn't alone as it turns out at least one other has started to show up and some after Nat's that would be flying Masters.
 I could still fly advanced if I wanted never really done that well at Nat's of 2 years, maybe it sounds odd to many but I like flying the FAI to improve my skills more than anything. There are many reasons for this, FAI has 4 schedules at most times , P-05, F-05, P-07 F-07 and they change at 2 years where as in the past the AMA schedules changed 3 years, I'm way to old to have any real hopes of getting to finals (57), but I don't want to be one of those guys stuck in advanced for the rest of my life, and yes they are out there, not because they can't fly masters or FAI, more that they don't think they can.
 A little history, I started flying in 1980 ( I was 32) started pattern in 83 and dropped out in 87, came back in 2000 and went to my first contest after only flying 4 gallons of fuel.
 Most FAI pilots, 2/3rds will be going to the Nat's to only fly 4 rounds, with the new way of prelims. Think we will see a decline in FAI attendance, but we'll see.
 If it wasn't for pattern I wouldn't be in RC gets to boring burning holes in the sky.
 My first post was a gut reaction, like being being told I can't do something.
 Steve Maxwell 


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Mike Hester 
To: patternrules at earthlink.net 
Cc: discussion at nsrca.org
Sent: 11/11/2005 3:24:14 AM 
Subject: Re: What constitutes an FAI flyer.


Mmmm K messenger shot....check.

I take it you were offended by the suppositions. 

But you didn't actually touch on the mechanics, to fly F or not other than only at the Nats. Currently only 8 people in the US ever fly F in competition. There may be some stray contests that use the F pattern, but it's rare.

So what do you think about flying the F pattern?

-Mike
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Steven Maxwell 
To: discussion at nsrca.org 
Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 12:24 AM
Subject: RE: What constitutes an FAI flyer.


 Instead of trying to discourage people from flying FAI you should trying to encourage it , all local contest that I have seen have many more Masters flyers than FAI, very unbalanced.
 If your intent was to make some of us feel bad about flying FAI congratulations you have succeeded. 
 Hasn't it been voted on many times that the masters want there own schedule not the P pattern.
 You stated that most FAI pilots only fly P , then in your next sentence you say then we're not FAI if we don't fly both.
If you think this is how you GROW PATTERN  you are really missing the boat.
Your arrogance is appalling.
 Steve Maxwell

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Grow Pattern 
To: discussion at nsrca.org
Sent: 11/11/2005 2:24:58 AM 
Subject: What constitutes an FAI flyer.


This question has been going around in my mind since they came up with P-01 and F-01 and FAI wrote it up so that we, the USA, only fly the Finals at the Nat's or team trials.

In the (my) old days they had schedules A,B, C etc right up to E. The A-schedule  was flown for two years with the new B-schedule as the finals schedule. Then the B was flown for two years with the C as the finals schedule and so on.

Nowadays MOST FAI pilots really only fly the preliminary schedules. Next year it will by P-07. If most of the FAI pilots only compete with a P-schedule then I would submit that there is not much difference between an FAI pilot and a Masters pilot. Unless they make it into a Nat's or Team trials final (or semi final maybe).

So maybe we are only being typically liberal and just spinning our wheels with a 406 class or perhaps I have been ignoring the obvious for years and I should accept that the P-series should be our Masters series.

If not then maybe we should start running F-schedules on Sundays for FAI pilots flying AMA 406 at local contests.

Lets face it you either are an FAI pilot or you are not. Just flying P-07 next year is like being half an FAI pilot!!!!. 

Looking to create a debate and hear what you think. Don't really want to upset the middle order of FAI pilots or create a fight, but definitively wanting to be a shade contentious.

Regards.

Eric.
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