Good points Del. You also have to remember that there was a time when pattern,pylon and scale were about the only 3 events available in RC. Today there are so many more choices to divide the ranks. Mike<BR><BR><B><I>"Del K. Rykert" <drykert2@rochester.rr.com></I></B> wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">I agree with many of the post I have been reading and very much so with <BR>George's and Terry's post. When I look back at the earlier days of pattern <BR>(70's) when all maneuvers were done center stage a person with fair flying <BR>talent could compete and have fun and good time. Some even came out and <BR>compete for the local pattern event only practicing a little during the week <BR>prior to the pattern contest. The competition bar has been raised way beyond <BR>that stage now and why we had a few leave when we went to turnaround. We <BR>have been in steady decline for the most part since the
beginning of <BR>turnaround. Not looking only at NSRCA numbers but attendance of local meets <BR>from those days. Due to the cost and poor attendance at some contests clubs <BR>have to do a serious look at justification of holding events if low turnout <BR>is result. Cost to compete have risen and some have to pick and choose which <BR>event we will attend. Not always monetary choice but time choice. I know <BR>there was a time when I would travel 4 hours to a local contest to have fun <BR>and be somewhat competitive but now with the value of the airplane and cost <BR>of getting to the events rising for me I have to look at justification if I <BR>haven't practiced and don't know how the equipment is performing I now <BR>choose to stay home work on equipment issues. The sport has become more <BR>complex. One now needs a professional caller at their beck and call.. Not <BR>just some warm body from the flight line. This is for local events folks.. <BR>Not the Worlds or Nat's. All of
these changes do have a price that goes with <BR>them. It has improved the caliber and quality of flying and only those very <BR>strongly interested now participate. Many have used great and unique ideas <BR>to help recruit new blood. Each idea will not work for all people or areas. <BR>Unfortunately the old days of just letting new blood approach us are mostly <BR>gone. These issues sure have not helped encourage attendance and pattern <BR>participation IMHO.<BR><BR>Del<BR>nsrca - 473<BR><BR>----- Original Message ----- <BR>From: "George Kennie" <GEOBET@GIS.NET><BR>To: "NSRCA Mailing List" <NSRCA-DISCUSSION@LISTS.NSRCA.ORG><BR>Sent: Monday, February 27, 2006 2:05 PM<BR>Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Equipment cost and partiicpation -- a <BR>different viewpoint (LONG)<BR><BR><BR>Wow David!!!!!,<BR>In addition to Dave L's observations I would have to add that you're way too<BR>intelligent for my level of participation on this forum.<BR>I had to look up "orthogonal", but in general,
I really related to the <BR>logical<BR>approach to your analytical assessment.<BR>I would also submit that "saving pattern" may not be exactly the problem <BR>confronting<BR>the sport as a whole.<BR>My feeling is that the individual who becomes engrossed in this endeavor <BR>must first<BR>become overcome with a specific "VISION"! Without "vision", an individual is<BR>unempowered to embark upon any enterprise, whether it be the Steinway, the<BR>Calloway's, or the Pinnacle. I have felt, for some time, that the reason the <BR>sport<BR>flyer exhibits such disdain for the practice of pattern is the lack of <BR>"vision"<BR>conceptually.The "vision " to embrace the concept sometimes goes further <BR>than just<BR>head knowledge and appears to involve, at least to some degree, specific <BR>personality<BR>traits or characteristics which may prevent the gestation of the "vision" in <BR>the<BR>first place.<BR>I have also observed that the average sport flyer misses the idea of
<BR>sequential<BR>maneuvering, only thinking in terms of singular maneuvers at a time. To <BR>illustrate<BR>this, I have a friend whose favorite phrase is "I can do that!", in <BR>responce to a<BR>suggested maneuver and insists that all he needs is a caller ( he won't <BR>memorize the<BR>sequence), and yet when I stand behind him and call out the sequence he <BR>constantly<BR>gets behind in his preparation for the upcoming maneuver because he is <BR>thinking<BR>uni-manueverably instead of sequentially. The "vision" isn't there yet. Is <BR>he the<BR>next generation? Possibly, but not until he receives the vision IMHO. To <BR>this<BR>particular individual, cost is not an obstacle and I know tons of guys who <BR>have the<BR>means, but the "vision" is missing.<BR>Now, if you try to explain the "vision" to one of these individuals you may <BR>end up<BR>with a few missing teeth or worse as it insults their intellect. So, for me, <BR>there<BR>seems to be an intangible hurdle to overcome
that creates great frustration <BR>within my<BR>psyche.<BR>The interesting thing about the "vision" is that it can be quite different <BR>in it's<BR>intensity for different individuals. Additionally, the "vision" can wax and <BR>wane. I'm<BR>sure you know guys that are currently flying pattern that are just happy to <BR>be<BR>participating and are doing so at a lower intensity level of "vision" while <BR>others<BR>are on fire and are constantly thinking of ways to improve their execution<BR>techniques.In some cases the "vision" may be driven by selfish motives while <BR>in<BR>others the impulse may be driven by pure servitude.<BR>In any case, the "VISION" needs to be there and having it will always <BR>overpower<BR>monetary issues.<BR>Nothing else matters except the "VISION"<BR><BR>Just conversation, guys.<BR>G.<BR><BR>David Flynt wrote:<BR><BR>> There has been a lot of discussion about the cost of pattern equipment and<BR>> how it might be the cause of low participation and
low rate of recruiting<BR>> new pilots. There are several flavors of the claim that I have heard:<BR>><BR>> 1. If pattern were not expensive, more rc pilots would participate.<BR>> 2. Pattern is not necessarily expensive, but there is an impression <BR>> that you<BR>> must have an expensive plane to win. If we could just get the message<BR>> across that you do not need an expensive airplane, then more rc pilots <BR>> would<BR>> participate.<BR>> 3. It is bad to spend a lot of money on pattern equipment, because <BR>> that will<BR>> cause others to purchase more expensive equipment.<BR>> 4. You cannot win with a low cost airplane (aka roach - nothing <BR>> personal).<BR>> You need a fancy, expensive airplane to win.<BR>> 5. You should build your own airplane, preferably using wood, because <BR>> that<BR>> will lower your cost.<BR>> 6. Lowering cost is the key to saving pattern.<BR>><BR>> I disagree with all of these
viewpoints, and I will argue why I feel this<BR>> way. But first, let me say a couple of things. 1) I like a bargain and<BR>> value as much as anybody. Nobody throws money away. Have you ever<BR>> purchased something and paid more than the retail price because you felt<BR>> that you were cheating the business? Nobody does that. We all hunt for<BR>> bargains. So low cost is a great thing. 2) Please don't take anything I<BR>> say personal or as criticism, even if I use inflammatory terms such as<BR>> roach. I don't mean to upset anybody. It is just a discussion.<BR>><BR>> Let's start with number 1: If pattern were not expensive, more rc pilots<BR>> would participate.<BR>><BR>> This one is easy. Golf is arguably at least as expensive as pattern. It<BR>> can be done on the cheap, but for the most part there are people in every<BR>> corner of the United States that play golf and spend many thousands on it<BR>> each year. They buy expensive
equipment, pay for lessons, join country<BR>> clubs, and spend lots of money - much more than pattern pilots on average.<BR>> There are many more golfers than even RC pilots. There is wealth in this<BR>> country, but even the not so wealthy play golf and spend big bucks. If <BR>> cost<BR>> were a barrier, then there would be fewer golfers than pattern pilots. <BR>> But<BR>> there are more golfers than pattern pilots; therefore cost is not a <BR>> barrier.<BR>><BR>> Number 2: Pattern is not necessarily expensive, but there is an impression<BR>> that you must have an expensive plane to win. If we could just get the<BR>> message across that you do not need an expensive airplane, then more rc<BR>> pilots would participate.<BR>><BR>> It is true that pattern equipment is not necessarily expensive. Probably<BR>> $1000, depending on the servos is the minimum competitive setup in upper<BR>> classes, and this could be very
competitive.<BR>><BR>> Let me try this argument. Consider the piano. How many people play?<BR>> Probably not very many. A piano can be expensive or inexpensive. You can<BR>> buy a used piano or an electric keyboard for a few hundred dollars. Now <BR>> if<BR>> I offer to give you a Steinway Model D piano, would you give up pattern <BR>> and<BR>> start playing piano? You're probably not going to give up pattern just<BR>> because I subsidize a piano for you. If you were truly interested in <BR>> piano,<BR>> you would figure out a way to start playing. Subsidizing is completely<BR>> unnecessary. The same is true for pattern.<BR>><BR>> Now, do you need a Steinway to play well? I can tell you it is a better<BR>> instrument than most. So what. You don't need a Steinway to play the <BR>> piano<BR>> well. You need to practice to play well. But let's say you like the way <BR>> a<BR>> Steinway feels and sounds, and it makes you happy to
have one, and you <BR>> don't<BR>> mind spending the extra money on one. Is there something wrong with that?<BR>> In other words, if you buy a Steinway, do you really think somebody else <BR>> who<BR>> is sincerely interested in piano would somehow become frustrated and never<BR>> play because you can afford a Steinway but they cannot? That's <BR>> ridiculous.<BR>> Anybody who is sincerely interested will play the piano whether or not <BR>> they<BR>> can afford a Steinway. The same is true with pattern.<BR>><BR>> Number 3: It is bad to spend a lot of money on pattern equipment, because<BR>> that will cause others to purchase more expensive equipment.<BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>NSRCA-discussion mailing list<BR>NSRCA-discussion@lists.nsrca.org<BR>http://lists.nsrca.org/mailman/listinfo/nsrca-discussion<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><p>
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