[NSRCA-discussion] Equipment cost andpartiicpation --

[David Flynt]

I agree that there are many good points and other perspectives.  My essay
(Matt -- I want an A+, not just an A BTW), pointed out what I think is not
causing low participation.  I did not really touch on what I think is
causing low participation, or what can be done to grow pattern.
Fractionization seems like a big factor.  At a certain point, for me anyway,
cost and time is somewhat a factor.  In fact, somebody else could put
together a pursuasive counter argument to mine.  It is just an annecdotal
perspective, not fact.  The cost of pattern is within my means.  But the
cost of full scale Reno air racing is not.  I'll never do it, but if it were
as cheap as pattern, I would definately do that for a while.  I have not
pursued IMAC or R/C helicopters because of cost and time, but I do have a
modest interest in them.  So there is a simple counter argument.  I still
think my original perspective is correct however.  Not everybody will agree,
which is natural.  As long as we are not at odds with eachother, this is a
healthy discussion and enjoyable.

So what can be done to grow pattern?  I think each of us in the pattern
community has the answer.  Think back long ago, the moment you became
interested in pattern.  What caused your interest?.  There lies the answer
to growth.  It may be modest growth because of the low probability of
finding new blood, but since you were/are interested in pattern, the chances
are good that there are others who will find pattern interesting also.  But
these individuals, if never exposed to pattern, will never know about it.

For me, I started off sport flying, like most of us I imagine.  Not long
after I started the hobby, a guy at my field showed up with a beautiful LA-2
that he build and painted himself.  I waited in great anticipation to watch
him fly.  He was good.  He flew precise geometry.  The plane flew as good as
it looked.  I was hooked in an instant.  It was not trivial to get started
in pattern, but I spent all my spare time planning and budgeting for my
first pattern plane.  Nothing, not cost or time invested, would keep me away
from pattern.

Anybody else have a similar story?   People are interested in the way we
fly.  When somebody sees great geometry and precision flying, they are
impressed.  Even if it looks boring to some, they are impressed with a nice
eight point roll, or even a cuban eight.  Anybody can do a sloppy cuban
eight.  But very few can do it with near perfect geometry.  It's like the
difference between hearing bad music versus good.  Hearing good music may
not make you want to become a musician, but it probably helps, and if you do
become a musician, you strive to do it well.  Here is to all of us that
strive to do it well.  I think that is why we are pattern pilots.

I will offer one more tip on which can increase the growth of pattern.  It
is the easiest thing you can do, and the most enjoyable.  Simply, go to
contests.  Nobody wants to fly alone in their class.  The more people that
show up, the more fun the contest is.  Scores alone are not a good
measurement on your performance and improvement.  You need to compete
against others.  It's not pattern if you don't compete.  The CDs and local
clubs work hard to put on an event, and they want you to come.  By
definition, each time you show up to a contest, you have increased the
growth of pattern.  I don't think anybody can argue with that.

Now, if I could just practice what I preach.  I almost have a plane (and
engine) ready for this season.  See you at the next contest.

David
  -----Original Message-----
  From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org]On Behalf Of Dean Pappas
  Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 11:12 AM
  To: NSRCA Mailing List
  Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Equipment cost andpartiicpation --


  Let me try to offer another perspective on the situation. Everyone is
making good points, even where they don't necessarily agree.

  Back when ... In R/C you either flew Sport, or Pattern, or Pylon, or
Scale. That was it!
  Oh, the discussions in print when Stand-Off Scale was proposed. It was the
end of the culture of building excellence! NOT!
  It was also heralded as the greatest thing to happen to Scale modelling.
  Back then, a lot of guys flew more than one event: the early years of
"Goodyear" racing read like the Pattern NATs results.
  Heck, Larry Leonard won both the same year in '69! After all, the RC World
was a smaller universe ...
  Of course, back in DaVinci's day, it was possible for one man to know
almost everything known to man!

  As Bob describes, there is a huge fractionalization in just the
competition-friendly segment of the RC community.
  Look at how many competitive, or special-appeal, events there are just in
Scale!
  The R/C Aerobatics world is split almost neatly in two, complete ( at
times) with ersatz holy war between the factions.

  We are a smaller chunk of a hopefully larger pie, and as a result, we are
less like the "demographic center" of Aeromodelling.
  Complaining about it is at least cathartic, if not fun.
  Our mission is to find the corruptible ones: the guy who enjoys both the
cameraderie and competition. Then we show them the joy of Pattern.
  No, we may never have the WOW factor of other segments of the hobby, and
if we changed to make it so, we would lose our way.

  The Control-Line Stunt guys have seen this cycle come to maturity: there
is a small, but stable, community there.
  Do some of them long for the days when Stunt had hundreds of NATs
entrants? Yes, but they also know that the art is in no danger of
extinction.

  let me shift gears:

  Imagine if just one major direction change, in the event, had gone
differently ...
  Back in the early '80s, there was actually some serious discussion in the
FAI Technical Subcommittee to limit the functionality of radios to 5 or 6
channels, dual rates, and no couplings.
  It was supposed to be a cost-limiting rule, and it would have rewarded
those who designed better airplanes.
  Needless to say, the idea went down in spectacular flames, but there
actually was a discussion!
  If it had gone through, the Pattern people would now be like Amish among
the modern world. Boy, would we look silly!

  feels good to get that out ...
      Dean
  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: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org]On Behalf Of Bob Richards
    Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 12:03 PM
    To: NSRCA Mailing List
    Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Equipment cost andpartiicpation --


    I really don't think that turnaround caused the drop in numbers that a
lot of people seem to attribute. Sure, some of the long-time pattern
veterans did not like it, and dropped out, but the biggest contests that I
can remember in this area were a couple of years after turnaround started.
(All classes).

    Like others have mentioned, the expense of competition has gone up. Not
only from the required equipment, but also from the travel expense (gas
prices, hotels, etc). And, there are many other things competing for our
time, both in and out of the hobby. I believe that is why there are so many
ARFs on the market, that is the only way a lot of us can have the time to
put into this hobby.

    My son just got interested in flying RC last year. He soloed in quick
order, and he wants EVERYTHING. He wants to fly helipcopters. He wants to
try IMAC. He wants to try pattern, and he wants to go to giant-scale meets.
Patt! ern seems to be on the low end of his scale, however, possibly due to
the "wow factor" of the other events.  Guess what, daddy can't afford
everything!!!

    Bob R.
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