[NSRCA-discussion] F3P Team Update

[davel322 at comcast.net]

Just a quick update. 
The practice days turned ended with 3 solid flights for each of the guys after some equipment adjustments.  7 flights was not much to adapt to the HUGE venue.  A number of pilots are not using the full space available, and still pushing the 5 minute time limit.  The conditions inside the venue have been somewhat variable due to changing lighting conditions from the skylights and the cycling on of lights during the day which have been causing some wind currents due to the heat from the lights.  An improved plan for cycling the lights should be in place for future days.....so hopefully conditions will be more consistent.  1.1 meter planes weighing less than 2 ounces that are not designed to handle turbulence simply don't fare well in breezy conditions. 
  
Today was the first day of competition for the 55 pilots.  There are 4 flight groups and 2 judging panels with the flight order rotation set to effectively give equal exposure to all pilots for early morning, mid-day, afternoon, and evening flight sessions.  So.....flight rounds will not be completed until 4 flights are completed by each pilot....at which point TBL can be applied and normalized scores per round can be generated. 
  
The top 14 will advance to the finals. 
  
Trying to evaluate raw scores thus far is quite difficult.  Defending Champion Gernot Bruckman (Austria) is flying very well, and thus far has the two highest raw scores (pretty close to a pair of 345s....out of a possible 420).  2013 2nd place Donatas Pauzuolis (Lithuania) has several high scores (325 and 338 I believe), as does Martin Brandmuller (Austria) at 321 and 336.  Austrian Team looks quite strong, as well as the German and French Teams.  US Pilots are spread across the top and bottom of the flight order, so the days have been long.....arriving at the venue at 730am, and leaving about 730pm. 
  
In the first round for the US Team, Joseph had a good flight, but some nerves showed through, and being up early in the round did not help, scoring 276.  Ryan Clark put up a very solid flight, but may not have gotten paid as he was up early in the round (296).  Devin also seemed to be a bit unsettled, and scored 286.  RJ put in a very solid flight at a very relaxed pace and pulled a 309.  Second round flights, Joseph was much more solid but scored similarly.  Ryan was again very solid and bumped up to 305.  Devin and RJ both put in good rounds earning 323 and 322. 
  
2nd and last day of Prelims will be on the 18th of March, 19 March is practice day, and 20 March will be the day of the finals.  The Team has been able to do some self guided sightseeing, visiting center city / old city Warsaw prior to the first day of practice, and Auschwitz the afternoon of the last day of practice.  Having a blast thus far catching up with pilots that had visited the US in the past for ETOC, and meeting the many European F3P pilots that never attended ETOC. 
  
Regards, 
  
Dave 
  
  
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