[NSRCA-discussion] Participation

[Grow Pattern]

I'm sure that it boils down to the NSRCA spending some money on marketing. Most of the club pilots that I know are confused about pattern and scale aerobatics. They think that IMAC = 3D.

In reality IMAC and Pattern competitions are mainly composed precision aerobatics but the IMAC marketing focuses on the 3-D. Just read the IMAC column in MA. Very little focus on the precision hard stuff and tons of words on fun stuff like harriers, walls etc.

They do a good job while we sleep.

Regards,

Eric.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: White, Chris 
  To: NSRCA Mailing List 
  Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 9:58 AM
  Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Participation


  Good question Eric.. Come to think of it the only promotion I've seen of pattern is the NSRCA add in Model Aviation mag.  (The one with the Eclipse in flight)

  How best to promote pattern..can't wait to read the responses.  I've considered ideas about a lower cost event, but SPA exists and that participation is limited.  It seems that IMAC attracts a lot of people, but in reality we have more pattern contests within 6 hours of Tulsa than we do IMAC.  I counted it up in 2004 and there were about 8 contests available at that range.   Cost to fly pattern is probably a restriction to some, but I would guess that it just looks boring and expensive to a lot of people. Pattern to me is the purest form of RC next to RC Soaring, you would think it would attract all on its own.  I think that maybe part of the bad rap among club members is that some of us are pretty wrapped up in getting practice time in on a time limited schedule.  (A big factor for me that probably leads people to believe that I'm snobbish or something.actually I'm just focused and not very adept at multi-taskingJ )

   

  I guess if half the RC public was interested in aerobatics, and got a chance to fly a good 2m airplane we could probably recruit the half of them.

   

  Chris

   

   


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  From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org [mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On Behalf Of Grow Pattern
  Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 7:58 AM
  To: NSRCA Mailing List
  Subject: [NSRCA-discussion] Participation

   

  I wanted to open up the subject of participation. There has been a lot written about NSRCA membership numbers but I wonder if that has anything to do with the participation at contest numbers?

   

  My rough estimates are that we have around 30 active contestants per districts. (The District VP's would probably know best how many different individuals actually compete in their Districts). If you multiply that by 8 NSRCA districts you get 240 pattern pilots who compete nationwide.

   

  When we have an NSRCA national election we get about 250 voters and when we do a rules/schedule-survey we get between 100 and 200 replies. This would suggest that we have about 200 people who are "active" in our sport and its administration.

   

  While I sincerely applaud any activity, such as the Grand event in SC, to keep our participants interested and help them improve their skills and enjoy their competitive flying even more, I am still looking for that certain something that would help the participation grow.

   

  I have seen some sterling efforts to run primers year after year by heroes in our organization, but beyond that I don't have much of a database of ideas or plans to grow what we do. I see nothing in or local hobby shops that encourage pattern. I know that pattern competition and even the pattern pilots themselves are not that welcome at the local club fields.

   

  We have a major image problem. No get-well strategy that I can see. A shortage of tactics and tools that any of us can use.

   

  Of course you may think that there is no problem and that if it isn't broken don't fix it. I could be all wrong. In fact the general reaction of the NSRCA board the last time I addressed this issue with them, was that we didn't need a promotions and marketing person to focus on and coordinate this activity

   

  We often fall into the trap of trying to act like a ruling body. We have the AMA for that and the AMA contest board for that, so I still ask the question, if our mission is to promote and grow our sport, what is the plan?.

   

  Regards,

   

  Eric.



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