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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Tim,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I think you’ve made a lot of good
points. I think some of the answers to your questions regarding the
current/future status of Masters can be taken from the last NSRCA survey –
the direction of Masters has pretty closely followed the survey results - in
that it is distinct from F3A and the difficulty level is slightly less than F3A
(which fluctuates, granted) in that some maneuvers are found in Masters (ie,
integrated loop/roll figures).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>The gap between classes will always remain
a constant debate – and I think a point that has been posted on this list
many times (and seemingly gets forgotten) is that pilots can practice for a new
class by flying the new class prior to entering a contest in that new class.
If we had 10 classes between Sportsman and Intermediate, the gaps between the
classes would be very small. I think the driving factor for the number of
classes currently is the current participant level will not consistently
sustain more classes. Yes, reintroduction of Expert might allow Masters
to be a more difficult class, but if pilots really wanted a more difficult
class (or higher level of competition), they have the option now of flying
F3A. I think Masters is the largest class across the country because a
lot of guys are happy with it exactly as it is.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Dave Lockhart<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><a href="mailto:DaveL322@comcast.net">DaveL322@comcast.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <font color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
nsrca-discussion-bounces@lists.nsrca.org
[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces@lists.nsrca.org] <b><span style='font-weight:
bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>twtaylor<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, August 14, 2007
8:15 AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b>
nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [NSRCA-discussion]
Natural Progression</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>In an effort to break apart the two subjects we’ve
been talking about the last few days I offer the following.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Since the dawn of man we’ve had a competitive side (At
least that’s what RVP told me he was there after all). Some are more competitive
than others and that’s fine. Since our sport has developed over the years
we’ve made major changes along with many minor ones. Given man’s
thirst for ever increasing challenge we’ve come from old school pattern
through what seemed like a decade fight over going to turn around. We lost a
fair amount of pilots during that time yet the sport survived. We picked up
some new pilots and that’s a good thing. Then the TOC came along to
decide the best of the best. It started with Pattern planes, and then someone
decided to add a 10% bonus for using a scale airplane. From that day forward
Pattern was divided and IMAC was born. Many of our former pattern fliers joined
the IMAC ranks. I don’t pretend to know why, they just did. That diluted
Pattern and no longer did we see contests with 50+ contestants. I for one am
glad we don’t get 50 plus pilots anymore as that creates a nightmare
contest. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> I returned to Pattern after a decade lay off and can
honestly say the level of competition, airframes, engines, and radios has
increased at an exponential rate. I think the current fliers are more dedicated
to the sport than ever. The flying skills across the board have come up in
every class by an order of magnitude larger than I ever thought possible. I
asked myself why this was.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> After thinking for a year or more and talking with
those that have been in the trenches since going to turn around I’ve
formed an opinion about why. Right or wrong here it is.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> FAI drives everything we do. Don’t think
so? Let me explain.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> The guys at the top of the game have nowhere to go,
FAI is it. To keep those guys interested and to separate the players from the
wannabe’s they had to make the sequence progressively harder. Those that
won all the time can easily become bored and move on to something else. For a
case in point, one only needs to look at the amount of top pattern fliers that
jumped ship to IMAC.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> Let’s look at our sport from top to bottom.
We’ve made FAI so difficult to keep the top guys happy we’ve out
stripped the ability, or perceived ability, of masses to fly that class. Some
might say this is a good thing. Harder keeps the numbers low and from top to
bottom a better overall flier.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> Masters became the top class for guys that
didn’t think they could, or just didn’t want to fly FAI, yet
masters flew the old FAI schedule for a time. So now we had to make
Masters hard enough to keep those pilots happy and interested. Seems we did the
exact same thing for Masters that we did for FAI.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> Now were on the classes that we hope will lead fliers
into the upper classes through a natural progression. Let’s look back a
few years and see what we really did. We’ve made every class with the
exception of the lowest class harder. I don’t see any real problem with
that. If we look back at what FAI flew the first year, that schedule
isn’t any harder than the current Advance schedule.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> So what does that tell us? It tells me the level of
flying has moved up by leaps and bounds. I think it’s a good thing.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> The question I have is this. Are we to continue
to develop two distinct top classes when they should or could be channeled into
one? Are we so afraid of what FAI flies that many master pilots are just happy
to remain in Masters and never try FAI? If so then this discussion is a moot
one. Is the jump from Advance to Masters not as hard? Does it not require the
same level of dedication to join the ranks of the cream of the crop? If
you’re not willing to put forth the effort to try to crawl your way to
the top, then like me, you’ll end up being just a guy out having fun.
Nothing wrong with that either. A zero in FAI is the same as a Zero in
Masters.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Tim<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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