<B><I>"Woodward, Jim" <jim.woodward@baesystems.com></I></B> wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"> <META content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)" name=Generator> <STYLE> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} </STYLE> <?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:SmartTagType name="PersonName" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType> <STYLE> st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } </STYLE> <STYLE> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Tahoma; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;} @font-face {font-family:Verdana; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;} @font-face {font-family:"AvantGarde Bk BT"; panose-1:2 11 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 4;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal,
li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} span.EmailStyle17 {mso-style-type:personal; font-family:Arial; color:navy;} span.EmailStyle18 {mso-style-type:personal-reply; font-family:Arial; color:navy;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </STYLE> <DIV><FONT size=2> <DIV class=Section1> <DIV> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face="AvantGarde Bk BT" color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'AvantGarde Bk BT'">Just to pop in a point of difference between IMAC and Pattern – Pattern is obviously top heavy with Masters being the largest class typically. IMAC has the opposite problem, with guys chcosing to stay in
Sportsman or Intermediate. Many reasons are given for this, but over two seasons it is pretty obvious to me that there are some folks abusing that system a bit as they demonstrate the talent to fly a higher class (to my opinion). In pattern, folks generally choose to move up long before they would have poitned out. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV></DIV></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <div>There is some truth to that. The last IMAC contest I attended had 18 contestants in Basic, and somewhere around 10 in Sportsman. FWIW, the guy that won Basic, it was his first contest ever.</div> <div> </div> <div>Is the problem with being top heavy because of the advancement system, or because we are not attracting enough new blood to the sport? Naturally, if not enough new blood is entering the sport, the effect will be top-heavy classes. Obviously, changing the advancement system will not solve this problem. This situation may be different depending on which
district you look at. One answer may not suit all. </div> <div> </div> <div>Bob R.</div> <div> </div>