[NSRCA-dist7] FAI in D7

Mon Jan 2 19:09:29 AKST 2012

Hi Jon,

Happy New Year.
You know my opinion on this, but I'll share it here as I've had a long time
to think more on it.

FAI is FAI, why do we have to deviate from it? Because some of the Masters
pilots don't want to fly F, right? (Sure, we all want to balance the lines
more, but the nature of the beast in a destination class..) Well then, we
need to make Masters more difficult. That's the simple solution. We need to
push the sequence committee to make it more difficult. It should be anyway.
It's a destination class and it's lagging IMO. You would have more people
flying advanced because they wouldn't move up to soon, and you would
eventually have more flying FAI and less Masters because the Masters pilots
would be more ready to move up and fly F.

As I told you before, I "was" looking forward to flying FAI this year. Now,
I am barely looking forward to even flying contests. Because I will
continue to fly Masters with this setup. FAI gold will be 2-3 people up
north and 2 people down south give or take maybe 1 or 2 people depending on
who show's up at the contest. Sure, Masters will be smaller, but FAI "gold"
will also. FAI gold will not grow, only shrink in the long run as there
will be no need to challenge yourself to move up to gold.

How bout this, remember the days when it was chosen to get the 2 rounds of
0's if you wanted to fly F? I say if you don't want to fly it, fly P, get
scored on it, but take your 0's for those 2 rounds. After all, it's your
choice to not fly F.

Think about this, the rest of the country for the most part is flying F.
Why aren't we? Are they better pilot's than us or something? lol.. I think
not!

Masters will continue to grow and grow because for the most part, there are
very few people joining pattern, but there are many sportsman through
advanced that are progressing every year who will soon be in Masters and
there will be less sportsman though advanced.

Chris

On Mon, Jan 2, 2012 at 5:53 PM, Jon Carter <joncarter60 at comcast.net> wrote:

> **
>
> Happy New Year to all!!!****
>
> ** **
>
> Here is an e-mail I have been working on for the last month. I am finally
> sending it out to start the discussion process. If there are pilots who I
> have missed, please feel free to forward this e-mail to them.****
>
> ** **
>
> FAI and Masters in District 7: Issues and Opportunities****
>
> ** **
>
> I want to start some discussion among FAI pilots, Masters pilots and CDs
> about the FAI and Masters class in District 7. Please keep in mind that
> this discussion needs to focus on our experience here in District 7. This
> is a revision to a section of my K-Factor article that will appear in
> January. Given publication deadlines, I did not have the opportunity to get
> very much feedback before I had to submit the article! I have since
> received some feedback which I have added and this e-mail is my attempt to
> get more.****
>
> ** **
>
> In 2010 I heard from some of our local FAI pilots that they would like to
> fly the finals or “F” sequence at local meets. They felt that getting the
> opportunity to fly judged “F” sequences at our local contests would help
> them improve their flying and enable them to be more competitive at the
> Nats. I also heard that “FAI has two sequences so we really should fly them
> both in order to “really” fly FAI” I polled and spoke to most of the FAI
> pilots in our district and came up with a proposal. In 2010 we flew two
> rounds of judged “F” at local contests but if a pilot did not want to fly
> “F” he could fly “P” for those two rounds with no penalty. (We worked out a
> K-factor modification in an attempt to score “P” and “F” together)  In 2011
> we went one step further and had everyone fly two rounds of “F” at local
> contests. If a pilot did not want to fly “F” he took a zero for those two
> rounds. I definitely heard some feedback about that! I think the attendance
> numbers speak for themselves. In 2009 (“P” only) we had the highest number
> of pilots fly FAI since I have been the district scorekeeper. At some local
> contests we had more FAI pilots than Masters. This number dropped in 2010
> (“P” and “F” sort of “fudged” together) and it fell even further in 2011
> (“P” & “F”). Concurrently, we have a LOT of Masters pilots! This creates
> real problems for the CDs in balancing the lines, and for the judges,
> usually FAI and Advanced pilots, who spend way too much time in the chair.
> I have heard from many pilots this year that they do not have the time or
> the inclination to fly the “F” sequence but they really enjoy the extra
> challenge of the “P” sequence. This leads me to a discussion of some
> proposed solution for 2012. Please keep in mind that we are just discussing
> proposals at this point. ****
>
> ** **
>
> *Option 1*
>
> ** **
>
> Don’t do anything. We continue to fly FAI with 4 rounds of P and two
> rounds of F. At local contests last year we flew this way and simply
> counted the best 4 rounds. That way you do not have to “keep” an F score.
> At the district championships you must keep an F score. ****
>
> ** **
>
> *Advantages*
>
> Keeps things the same as last year, we continue to fly the “full” FAI
> pattern.****
>
> Gives our local pilots who want to fly at the Nats a chance to fly judged
> “F” patterns.****
>
> ** **
>
> *Disadvantages*
>
> Many pilots don’t seem to want to fly F and so they stay in Masters
> creating a “bulge” that makes the CDs and the contestant judges lives more
> difficult.****
>
> We seem to be having a declining # of pilots in FAI.****
>
> ** **
>
> *Option 2*
>
> ** **
>
> Go back to the way we did it in 2010 and let some people fly P and some
> fly F and do some sort of score “fudge”.****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> *Advantages*
>
> Kind of a middle ground solution. Might get some pilots to leave Masters
> and try FAI. **
>
> ** **
>
> *Disadvantages*
>
> I don’t really care for “fudge’ing” scoring. It just doesn’t seem right in
> a competitive sport.****
>
> ** **
>
> *Option 3*
>
> ** **
>
> Split FAI into two “divisions” let’s call them “Gold” and “Silver” these
> two divisions are competed for and scored separately. Here’s a simple
> description.****
>
> ** **
>
> *FAI “Gold”*
>
> ** **
>
> This class will fly 4 rounds of the “P” sequence and two rounds of the “F”
> sequence at each local contest. Their final contest score will consist of
> their best 3 out of 4 “P” rounds and their best 1 out of 2 “F” rounds. This
> will also be the format used for FAI “Gold” at the district championship
> contest. If there is enough interest we could even fly an unknown round at
> the season championships.****
>
> ** **
>
> *FAI “Silver”*
>
> ** **
>
> This class will fly 6 rounds of the “P” sequence at each local contest.
> Their final contest score will consist of their best 4 out of 6 “P” rounds.
> This will also be the format used for FAI “Silver” at the district
> championship contest.****
>
> ** **
>
> A pilot may enter either class at any contest. You cannot fly in both at
> one contest though! You can change back and forth as many as you want to
> during the pattern year.****
>
> ** **
>
> *Advantages:*
>
> Possibly increase the pilots flying FAI and reduce the pilots in Masters.
> This will greatly simplify line balancing and judging assignments. Gold
> pilots are perfect judges for Silver and vice a versa. Masters pilots can
> judge Gold, Silver or Advanced. ****
>
> Reduce the length of time spent in the judging chair. Judging 10 Masters
> pilots is not an easy task and requires you to be in the judging chair for
> almost an hour and a half. Not very fun at a local contest!****
>
> Make the CDs job of finding and assigning judges much easier.****
>
> Might improve competition within FAI (Gold and Silver) and Masters.****
>
> ** **
>
> *Disadvantages:*
>
> The CD needs to provide one more set of trophies. Extra cost is “bad”!****
>
> Depending on who shows up the CD might have extra trophies that he will
> have to “eat”****
>
> Further splits a small pool of competitors. How many pilots will fly
> “Gold”, maybe not enough to have a fun competition?****
>
> ** **
>
> I think the trophy problem can be worked around. By the time we get to be
> a Masters or an FAI pilot do we really need to get a trophy at a local
> contest? I know I don’t! A simple group photo or a medal or a simple metal
> plaque that lists the event and the class would be fine. At my contests
> this year I intend to simplify the Masters and FAI trophies regardless of
> what we do with FAI. In regards to the other issues I don’t know.****
>
> ** **
>
> Please bear in mind that I am looking for ideas and proposals. If you are
> a Masters or FAI pilot and you don’t think that anything is “broke” just
> let me know! If most Masters and FAI pilots think it ain’t broke then we
> won’t “fix it”!!! (Option 1) Or if you don’t like any of my proposals but
> have another thought in mind just let me know. So to you FAI and Masters
> pilots and Cds out there, think about it and please let me hear from you.*
> ***
>
> ** **
>
> **Jon Carter******
>
> NSRCA D7 VP****
>
> ** **
>
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>
>

-- 
Chris Fitzsimmons
Team F3A Unlimited
Team Airtronics
Team Thunder Power
08 D7 Masters Champion
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