[NSRCA-discussion] Small Models ... good for thefutureofthePattern Event?

[Fred Huber]

Again... If the old Sportsman sequence was too short, the competitor was 
probably ready for the next class.

By the end of the old sequence I NEEDED TO LAND.  Flying for score puts an 
added stress level on the pilot that you just don't get when "boring holes 
in the sky."

First competition round for most people I have seen (when I have seen people 
fly their first competition) by the end of the round they were so nervous 
they were having problems doing the double-immelman.

Making the "Novice" class sequence longer I don't think was doing Pattern a 
favor. (Remember... I'm one of the guys flying Sportsman...)

(and I oppose the flying of 2 passes though the sequence with just one 
takeoff and landing.)

If the Sportsman sequence had been left alone, and Intermediate hadn't been 
changed... I'd have done one contest at Sportsman this year (2007), and then 
gone Intermediate.  As is... I have no incentive to move up and the new 
Intermediate demands more of the plane than the old sequence... my plane 
won't do the new sequence.  It will do the old one.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <jonlowe at aol.com>
To: <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Small Models ... good for 
thefutureofthePattern Event?


>I tend to agree with you in principle.  The new sequence does require a
> good power to weight for the vertical upline to make it look good.
> However, the old sequence was too short.  If you only did one sequence
> per round, they got very little time in the air.  Don't want to
> overload them, but give them enough air time to make them think it was
> worth the effort.  I think the new sequence is about the right length,
> but after judging the new sequence at Ocala, I wished they'd come up
> with another manuever besides doing the reverse cuban 8 twice in the
> sequence.
>
> One of the purposes of the sportsman sequence is to let the novice
> learn how to maintain a straight line.  A lot of that is learning how
> to use the rudder, which most sport flyers think is only for takeoff
> and landing rolls.  Unfortunately, many sport airplanes have a large
> amount of roll coupling with rudder, to include the Ugly stick.  This
> can make it frustrating for the novice competitor, and even a more
> experienced coach if he doesn't realize what is going on, and may
> actually discourage a new sportsman pilot.  Given a proper amount of
> time before a contest, and experienced flyer can help the novice
> compensate for the coupling with mixing.  However, if the novice
> appears to be at all serious about trying pattern, letting him fly your
> backup airplane on a buddy box will show him how easy a pattern plane
> is to fly.  I've done that with a Venus II I've got, and the
> pattern-flyers-to-be are astounded at how well it flies.  It has led to
> them getting a plane more appropriate for pattern, and they don't spend
> an arm and a leg.
>
> I somewhat disagree on letting the sportsmen design the pattern.
> Graduated intermediate pilots need to be involved, to be sure.  But the
> whole point of sportsman is to teach basic patten flying skills that
> can be built on in the following classes.  A sportsman pilot won't
> fully comprehend that at his first few contests.
>
> Just my $.02.
>
> Jon Lowe
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fhhuber at clearwire.net
> To: nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org
> Sent: Thu, 4 Jan 2007 3:25 PM
> Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Small Models ... good for
> thefutureofthePattern Event?
>
> <snip>
> **************
>
> I still think the Sportsman sequence needs to be CAREFULLY kept such
> that a
> .60 size "Ugly stick" or equivilent with a .60 2-stroke in the nose can
> do
> all maneuvers easilly.  That vertical up-line in the new sequence
> pushes the
> edge of what should be in Sportsman...  (the .60 size Ugly Stick needs
> a .91
> 4-stroke in the nose with that maneuver in the sequence...  The .61
> 2-stroke
> runs out of steam on the way up.)
>
> You want a good Sportsman sequence... have a Sportsman draw it up...
> not a
> Masters or FAI competitor.
>
> <snip>
>
>
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