[NSRCA-discussion] NSRCA D-3 Contest Planning for 2017

[Robert Campbell]

All,

Although it may be a bit early, I want everyone to know I'm leaning toward
not running the Eglin AFB contest this coming year.  The main reason is
chronic low attendance.  While there were 13 entries last year, which is up
from 8 in 2014, the numbers are a bit skewed because 5 of those entries
were from the Eglin club.

The fact is, with few exceptions, pattern contests in D-3 are not well
attended.  More than one flyer stated it isn't fun.  If you aren't flying,
you're calling or judging and there is no time left to visit with people
you don't get to see every weekend.

I hoped with the good turnout we had at Jacksonville Mill Creek last year
and Ocala this year, things were turning around.  However, Eglin and
Andersonville attendance was too small to justify more than a single flight
line.  Right now, not a lot of contestants are registered for Huntsville.
Maybe we need to put some contests in "hibernation" until we can get the
attendance issue turned around.  Maybe the 2017 D-3 schedule should look
like this:

April:  Ocala
June:  Andersonville (with the provision we need 15 registered pilots NLT 2
weeks out or we cancel)
July:  NATS
October:  Mill Creek
November:  Jacksonville

If we don't prune a few contests, we will wear people out and completely
kill AMA pattern here in the Southeast.

Just my $0.02


Rob
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.nsrca.org/pipermail/nsrca-discussion/attachments/20160829/c5ebdb86/attachment.html>