Was- FAI flyer - Now: Unknowns/Growing Pattern

[Dave Michael]

Since it was brought up:  I have very little pattern experience so I may be off base here, however, I have a lot of IMAC experience that may relate.  I believe that unknowns are a great way to increase excitement and, I believe, would help to drive participation in pattern.  

There is always great anticipation, fun and comradarie surrounding the passing out of and flying of the unknowns, let alone the challenge and fun of flying them.  Contests can be decided by unkowns.  You could even make the argument that unknowns help determine who is the most skilled flyer- you can spend a lot of time practicing just your known, however, flying an unknown can help show who is the most rounded and capable flyer overall when given alternative manuevers to fly that you can't specifically prepare for in advance.  

As a CD of multiple contests where we used unknowns, I can tell you that it is not a great deal of additoinal work.  The biggest issue is coming up with the unknowns but that has been solved with the introduction of "national unknowns"- a different set of unknowns developed and shared nationally each week.  The other thing is scoring.  I am not familiar with the pattern scoring system but in IMAC it is just a matter of entering K factors for the unknowns for each class- not a big deal.

I say, yes, let's introduce unknowns!

Dave Michael


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Grow Pattern 
  To: discussion at nsrca.org 
  Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 8:23 AM
  Subject: Re: What constitutes an FAI flyer.


  I had no intention of suggesting that we fly unknowns. This is too much to 
  expect a CD to deal with. The F-schedule is pre-known and can be pre-stored 
  in the PASS system.

  It just struck me that we have effectively reduced FAI from flying two 
  schedules down to one. (Unless you make a finals in the USA Nat's etc.)

  I don't see why we can't just decide to run a two-day contest with P-07 on 
  Saturday and F-07 on Sunday?  Maybe it is time to take some control of our 
  destiny.

  It is my considered opinion that flying Masters is as good as flying P-07 
  and there is not much differentiation between the two classes, especially if 
  you only fly one schedule each.

  Some have said that they found next year's Masters actually harder than the 
  FAI schedule. I can go out and try the F-schedule but will neither myself 
  nor most of us will ever get a chance to fly it in a contest.

  Regards,

  Eric.


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: <adriancwong at earthlink.net>
  To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
  Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 12:23 AM
  Subject: RE: What constitutes an FAI flyer.


  > Then, what about the Unknowns?
  >

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