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<font color="#ff0000">Ron, Thanks for the feedback. See my comments
embedded in red</font><br>
<br>
Ron Van Putte wrote:
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I'd like to comment on John's three proposals: I think they all have
merit. In a perfect world I'd support them all.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>As a CD, I always look to what a proposal is going to do to my
workload, so let me look at them as a CD.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>#1 The CD would have to recruit several experienced competitors
to conduct the advising of Sportsman/Intermediate pilots because he
would be too busy to do it.</div>
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<font color="#ff0000">I would actually expect an experienced competitor
assigned to each of the lower class entrants. Hopefully all NSRCA
members would volunteer for this duty. The only duty required of the CD
is to delegate.</font><br>
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<div><br>
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<div>#2 The CD would either have to enter all the scores on every
flight of every competitor into a national database, or recruit someone
to do it. Some editing of scores would be required. e.g: The flight
score of a competitor whose airplane flames out midway through a flight
does not accurately reflect the quality of his flying.</div>
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<font color="#ff0000">If we cannot automate the system somewhat through
the scoring programs, I agree there won't be enough participation to
make this work. Anyone still running manual scoring will be a problem.
perhaps we could require a scoring program to be used. I am also
hopeful of getting the scoring programs on board with this in order to
get a csv file of the raw scoring results exported.</font><br>
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<div><br>
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<div>#3 The CD would either have to check all competitors'
advancement scores to make sure they were in the correct class or
recruit someone to do it. After the contest, the CD would have to
enter all the earned advancement points for all competitors into the
national database or recruit someone to do it.</div>
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<font color="#ff0000">It was certainly not my intention to have the
CDs check advancement scores. I'm not sure where this is coming from
but I don't want it included as a negative to the proposal I put on the
table. I recommended some changes to the advancement criteria but said
nothing about enforcement. I believe the current honor system is good
enough.<br>
</font>
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<div>My experience with many CDs is that #1 would probably get done
by most of them. #2 might get done by about half the CDs, UNLESS it
was made an AMA requirement and there was a "hammer" attached to
"punish" CDs who didn't comply. Would such a requirement cause some to
decide that being a CD was too much trouble? Maybe. #3 would probably
have about the same success rate as #2.</div>
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<font color="#ff0000">For #1, perhaps NSRCA members attending could
take the lead to link up mentors and mentees. As you say, the CD has
enough to do.<br>
For #2, a semi-automated system of reporting needs to be in place or
the database system will fail. After flyers get used to having the
database available, I expect the policing will come from the membership.<br>
For #3, there is no requirement for the CD to provide enforcement.<br>
</font>
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<div>Even worthy proposals have downsides and these are what I see as
a CD and a realist regarding organizations whose members are volunteers.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
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<font color="#ff0000">Ron, your concerns are valid. We will need to
overcome the problems you forsee and ensure that we do not overload the
contest volunteers with extra reporting. Maybe we could combine the
required reporting for the database with the contest report to the AMA
and make it easier for the CD</font><br>
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<div>Ron Van Putte</div>
<div><br>
<div>
<div>On Aug 22, 2007, at 7:12 PM, John Gayer wrote:</div>
<br>
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I'd like to present three proposals that might appeal to a few if not
the many....<br>
Modified from the original proposal . Apparently not many saw it. The
first one has been added <br>
Comments?<br>
John<br>
NSRCA 632<br>
<br>
<b>Revive the practice of assigning mentors to Sportsman and
Intermediate flyers<br>
<br>
</b>At contests, assign an experienced competitor to mentor, call
and advise the Sportsman/ Intermediate flyers. This is nothing new, but
should be a part of every contest. We should try to provide a
connection that will last past the contest.<br>
As I see it, there are four issues that drasticaly affect the ability
of these flyers to compete effectively: aircraft trimming, execessive
throws, wings level and centering(also known as flying the airplane,
not letting the airplane fly you).<br>
These flyers have shown the initiative to come out and compete. We owe
them (and ourselves) all the help we can throw at them. <br>
<br>
<br>
<b>Create a National Database for Pattern<br>
</b><br>
The database must contain the raw scores of all flights for all
competitors by class. The only thing normalized scores are good for is
finding the right finish order for each class at a contest. Raw scores
are much better for comparing results even at a contest. For example I
finish round one with a 930 and round two with a 985, both to
competitor A. Now did I fly a lot better in round two(I thought I did)
or did competitor A flop a stall turn in the figure M in round 2.<br>
Anyway once you have the raw scores by competitor and class, you can do
the following:<br>
<ol>
<li>Create a National Ranking for each class based on average
points per maneuver. Once this is in place and on line, we will have a
reason for pattern competitors to join NSRCA. you can't tell me that
there wouldn't be a lot of interest in seeing who is hot around the
country and how you stack up against the competition. I know, the
judging isn't always equal but that's always been true and we have to
live with it. <br>
</li>
<li>The data available on each competitor would include contests
entered, placing, advance points earned. The districts could extract
whatever data is required to ascertain the district champions. We could
archive previous years as well.</li>
<li>Other ways to specify advancement in class become available,
percentage of average FAI score, even eventually moving the 10
top-rated pilots up a class. Possibilities are endless when you have
the data.<br>
</li>
</ol>
Since the database would only be open to NSRCA members, if you want to
track your National standing, joining NSRCA would be a must. If you
want to see what the guy nobody heard of that just rolled in from out
of district has accomplished, look him up. We've been looking for
reasons to join NSRCA, I feel this is one that could be big and would
be worth some investment in time and money. I would be willing to help
with such a project although I don't feel like I could take it on by
myself.<br>
<br>
<b>Redirect the focus to our international team competition through
modification of the advancement system<br>
<br>
</b>
<ol>
<li>Modify the advancement process to be consistent through all
classes from Sportsman through to F3A. See section two for possible
advancement criteria</li>
<li>Advancement can be forced by the advancement criteria(see
section 2) or voluntary.<br>
</li>
<li>The first year in a new and higher class is an option year.
At the end of the option year you can downselect one class for any
reason.</li>
</ol>
This has the advantage of being able to try out the higher class for a
year without committing your entire pattern career. If you discover
that the next class is beyond your means( time, money or talent) then
you option down the following year. If you absolutely refuse to fly
your new class, then perhaps you could use the time and money to
reintroduce your self to your wife, girlfriend, etc. If you need a goal
for the year, focus on making your rudder commands instinctive, learn
to fly a helicopter, learn to fly rolling circles. You would probably
come back a better pattern flyer than when you left.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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