<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV>That may be so, but I don't see how this particular proposal would have that effect. Is anyone serious about leaving the hobby because of the weight rule proposal? Is anyone who was contemplating pattern competition going to be turned off by it?</DIV>
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<DIV>Keep in mind there will always be chronic complainers. How many times did I hear that "four-strokes are going to ruin the sport" or "turnaround ..." or "noise rules ...", etc etc. Some did leave the hobby, but there will always be turnover. Some of them will feel the need to give an excuse whether it really is the reason. I will say that some of the largest local contests I ever attended were AFTER all of those game-ruining rules that I mentioned. </DIV>
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<DIV>The whole hobby of model airplanes has changed significantly in the last 10-15 years, with many more venues to divide one's time in the hobby - pattern is an overall smaller piece of the pie as a result. I personally don't think that anything about the rules can be blamed for any downturn in pattern contest attendance. Nor do I think that tweaking the rules we have will magically breath new life into it. </DIV>
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<DIV>Bob R.</DIV>
<DIV> <BR><BR>--- On <B>Sun, 3/11/12, Del <I><drykert2@rochester.rr.com></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"><BR>From: Del <drykert2@rochester.rr.com><BR>Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Rules Proposals<BR>To: "General pattern discussion" <nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org><BR>Date: Sunday, March 11, 2012, 2:56 PM<BR><BR>
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<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial>Bob.. </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
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<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial>Poorly disguised rule changes have driven more from the sport than any words or hashing about the sport. </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
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<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial> Del </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4"><B>From:</B> <A title=bob@toprudder.com href="http://us.mc1616.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=bob@toprudder.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:bob@toprudder.com">Bob Richards</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org href="http://us.mc1616.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org">General pattern discussion</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, March 11, 2012 1:22 PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Rules Proposals</DIV>
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<DIV>Guys,</DIV>
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<DIV>For the life of me, I can't see why everyone is getting bent out of shape over the proposed weight limt rule for the lower classes. It opens up the possibilities for someone wanting to get started in pattern and competing in the lower classes, IMHO. If someone in the upper classes has a plane that is at the weight limit, but is unable to repair the plane without it going over the limit, then it becomes a perfect hand-me-down for someone getting started. </DIV>
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<DIV>The fact is that the proposed rule does not exclude any planes that are already legal. The guys that build light know they should have a better flying plane than one that is heavier. The only reason I can think of that people with light planes can get upset with this rule is that someone with a heavier plane might beat them. </DIV>
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<DIV>OTOH, how often are models weighed at local contests? I never saw it done in the years I flew, but that was before the electrics came on the scene. Tell me, does any CD weigh planes at a local event now? If not, then I am really confused about weight limit discussions where someone says it is ruining things to raise the weight limit, when no one is checking it at local contests anyway. Why all the fuss (one way or the other) about a rule that no one enforces except at the Nats?</DIV>
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<DIV>I really don't have a dog in this hunt. I'm just confused about all the strongly worded comments going back and forth. This, IMHO, does more to turn people off from pattern than any rule change proposal.</DIV>
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<DIV>Bob R.</DIV>
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