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<DIV><SPAN class=802252819-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I
agree that there are many good points and other perspectives. My essay
(Matt -- I want an A+, not just an A BTW), pointed out what I think is not
causing low participation. I did not really touch on what I think is
causing low participation, or what can be done to grow pattern.
Fractionization seems like a big factor. At a certain point, for me
anyway, cost and time is somewhat a factor. In fact, somebody else could
put together a pursuasive counter argument to mine. It is just an
annecdotal perspective, not fact. The cost of pattern is within my
means. But the cost of full scale Reno air racing is not. I'll never
do it, but if it were as cheap as pattern, I would definately do that for a
while. I have not pursued IMAC or R/C helicopters
because of cost and time, but I do have a modest interest in
them. So there is a simple counter argument. I still think my
original perspective is correct however. Not everybody will agree, which
is natural. As long as we are not at odds with eachother, this is a
healthy discussion and enjoyable. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=802252819-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=802252819-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>So
what can be done to grow pattern? I think each of us in the
pattern community has the answer. Think back long ago, the moment you
became interested in pattern. What caused your interest?. There lies
the answer to growth. It may be modest growth because of the low
probability of finding new blood, but since you were/are interested in pattern,
the chances are good that there are others who will find pattern interesting
also. But these individuals, if never exposed to pattern, will never know
about it. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=802252819-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=802252819-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>For
me, I started off sport flying, like most of us I imagine. Not long after
I started the hobby, a guy at my field showed up with a beautiful LA-2 that he
build and painted himself. I waited in great anticipation to watch him
fly. He was good. He flew precise geometry. The plane flew as
good as it looked. I was hooked in an instant. It was
not trivial to get started in pattern, but I spent all my spare time
planning and budgeting for my first pattern plane. Nothing, not cost or
time invested, would keep me away from
pattern. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=802252819-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=802252819-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Anybody else have a similar story? </FONT> <FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>People are interested in the way we fly.
When somebody sees great geometry and precision flying, they are
impressed. Even if it looks boring to some, they are impressed with a nice
eight point roll, or even a cuban eight. Anybody can do a sloppy cuban
eight. But very few can do it with near perfect geometry. It's
like the difference between hearing bad music versus good. Hearing
good music may not make you want to become a musician, but it probably helps,
and if you do become a musician, you strive to do it well. Here is to all
of us that strive to do it well. I think that is why we are pattern
pilots. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=802252819-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=802252819-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I will
offer one more tip on which can increase the growth of pattern. It is the
easiest thing you can do, and the most enjoyable. Simply, go to
contests. Nobody wants to fly alone in their class. The more people
that show up, the more fun the contest is. Scores alone are not a good
measurement on your performance and improvement. You need to compete
against others. It's not pattern if you don't compete. The CDs and
local clubs work hard to put on an event, and they want you to come. By
definition, each time you show up to a contest, you have increased the growth of
pattern. I don't think anybody can argue with that.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=802252819-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=802252819-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Now,
if I could just practice what I preach. I almost have a plane (and
engine) ready for this season. See you at the next
contest.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=802252819-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=802252819-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>David </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
nsrca-discussion-bounces@lists.nsrca.org
[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces@lists.nsrca.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Dean
Pappas<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, February 28, 2006 11:12 AM<BR><B>To:</B> NSRCA
Mailing List<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Equipment cost
andpartiicpation --<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Let
me try to offer another perspective on the situation. Everyone is making good
points, even where they don't necessarily agree.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Back
when ... In R/C y</FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>ou either flew Sport, or Pattern, or Pylon, or Scale.
<SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>That was
it!</FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2><SPAN class=808491317-28022006>Oh, the discussions in print when
Stand-Off Scale was proposed. It was the end of the culture of building
excellence! NOT!</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2><SPAN class=808491317-28022006>It was also heralded as the greatest
thing to happen to Scale modelling.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Back
then, a lot of guys flew more than one event: the early years of "Goodyear"
racing read like the Pattern NATs results.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Heck, Larry Leonard won both the same year in '69! After all, the RC
World was a smaller universe ...</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Of
course, back in DaVinci's day, it was possible for one man to know almost
everything known to man!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>As
Bob describes, there is a huge fractionalization in just the
competition-friendly segment of the RC community.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Look
at how many competitive, or special-appeal, events there are just in
Scale!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>The
R/C Aerobatics world is split almost neatly in two, complete ( at times)
with ersatz holy war between the factions. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>We
are a smaller chunk of a hopefully larger pie, and as a result, we are less
like the "demographic center" of Aeromodelling.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Complaining about it is at least cathartic, if not
fun.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Our
mission is to find the corruptible ones: the guy who enjoys both the
cameraderie and competition. Then we show them the joy of
Pattern.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>No,
we may never have the WOW factor of other segments of the hobby, and if we
changed to make it so, we would lose our way.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>The
Control-Line Stunt guys have seen this cycle come to maturity: there is a
small, but stable, community there.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Do
some of them long for the days when Stunt had hundreds of NATs entrants? Yes,
but they also know that the art is in no danger of
extinction.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006></SPAN><SPAN
class=808491317-28022006></SPAN><SPAN class=808491317-28022006></SPAN><SPAN
class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>let me shift
gears:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Imagine if just one major direction change, in the event, had gone
differently ...</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Back
in the early '80s, there was actually some serious discussion in the FAI
Technical Subcommittee to limit the functionality of radios to 5 or 6
channels, dual rates, and no couplings.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>It
was supposed to be a cost-limiting rule, and it would have rewarded those who
designed better airplanes.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Needless to say, the idea went down in spectacular flames, but there
actually was a discussion!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>If
it had gone through, the Pattern people would now be like Amish among the
modern world. Boy, would we look silly!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=808491317-28022006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=808491317-28022006>feels good to get that out ...</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=808491317-28022006> Dean</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">Dean Pappas</FONT> <BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Sr. Design Engineer</FONT> <BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Kodeos Communications</FONT> <BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman">111 Corporate Blvd.</FONT> <BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman">South Plainfield, N.J. 07080</FONT> <BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman">(908) 222-7817 phone</FONT> <BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman">(908) 222-2392 fax</FONT> <BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman">d.pappas@kodeos.com</FONT> </P>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
nsrca-discussion-bounces@lists.nsrca.org
[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces@lists.nsrca.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Bob
Richards<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, February 28, 2006 12:03 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
NSRCA Mailing List<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Equipment cost
andpartiicpation --<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>I really don't think that turnaround caused the drop in numbers that a
lot of people seem to attribute. Sure, some of the long-time pattern
veterans did not like it, and dropped out, but the biggest contests that I
can remember in this area were a couple of years after turnaround started.
(All classes).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Like others have mentioned, the expense of competition has gone up. Not
only from the required equipment, but also from the travel expense (gas
prices, hotels, etc). And, there are many other things competing for our
time, both in and out of the hobby. I believe that is why there are so many
ARFs on the market, that is the only way a lot of us can have the time to
put into this hobby.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>My son just got interested in flying RC last year. He soloed in quick
order, and he wants EVERYTHING. He wants to fly helipcopters. He wants to
try IMAC. He wants to try pattern, and he wants to go to giant-scale meets.
Patt! ern seems to be on the low end of his scale, however, possibly due to
the "wow factor" of the other events. Guess what, daddy can't afford
everything!!!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Bob R.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>