[NSRCA-discussion] 2007 Advanced Schedule

[DaveL322 at comcast.net]

To me -
- Sportsman is as much about the contest environment as the actual flying - how to prepare the plane, get mentally prepared, flying in a controlled environment with judges, etc.  The requirements for flying skills are pretty limited and mostly about positioning in the box.
- Intermediate requires more inverted elements, rolling, and loop/roll combos (and there are plenty of places to practice rudder, but good rudder technique isn't required to get through the schedule presentably).
- Advanced introduces more complex figures, and demands a great deal more of rudder use (to make the pattern look nice).
- Masters is the whole enchilada.
- F3A is another step generally accepted to be a grade above Masters.

There should always be new manuevers in each class (moving upwards).  Just because Advanced has a snap does not mean Intermediate should - the classes are about teaching different elements and skills (in a progressive manner).

So far as improving skills flying inverted, and getting more comfortable with a new class, etc......
- periodically fly the class above (or below)
- fly your class, or the one below entering the box inverted - keeps familiarity of a schedule, but introduces a lot of inverted stuff (unless you are flying F3A in which case you may spend less time inverted....<G>).

Regards,

Dave Lockhart
DaveL322 at comcast.net


-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: jonlowe at aol.com 

> I've been looking at the 2007 advanced schedule, since it looks as 
> though I will move up from Intermediate next year. One thing that 
> struck me is that the new Advanced schedule has NO inverted exits in 
> it, down from 4 or 5 in the existing schedule. As it stands, if the 
> new schedule passes the contest board vote in June, the new 
> Intermediate schedule will have one inverted exit, Advanced none, and 
> Masters eight, if I counted right. I'm not sure the degree of 
> difficulty change between the schedules is what was contemplated. 
> 
> It may be that with the different options presented for the NSRCA 
> survey, that we ended up with a harder intermediate pattern, an easier 
> advanced, and a harder Masters, I'm not sure. But now the change from 
> Advanced to Masters will be huge, while the difference between 
> Intermediate and Advanced is not so big anymore. 
> 
> It appears that the only thing that could be done now would be to 
> encourage the contest board to vote down the new Advanced schedule 
> since it is too late to update the proposal, if others feel the same 
> way I do. If it is voted down, then the old Advanced schedule would 
> remain in place, as I understand it. Each new schedule is a separate 
> proposal, so they are voted upon separately. The current Advanced 
> schedule would appear to be a good transition from the new intermediate 
> schedule, and would be hard enough that the new Masters schedule 
> wouldn't be so intimidating. 
> 
> Comments? 
> 
> Jon Lowe 
> _______________________________________________ 
> NSRCA-discussion mailing list 
> NSRCA-discussion at lists.nsrca.org 
> http://lists.nsrca.org/mailman/listinfo/nsrca-discussion 
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