[NSRCA-dist7] NSRCA-dist7 Digest, Vol 100, Issue 2

Thu Sep 14 12:37:48 AKDT 2017

Dan, Dale, Don,

As a former 2-season pattern pilot - who, shortly after I began competing,
became engulfed in a) family and work matters that require a sustained
full-court press for the past 3 years (& foreseeable future) and b) lost my
convenient field(s) to closures and an office location change. These are *my
*reasons.

In general though, I believe 2 major trends are:

- The younger set is (in my experience) absorbed in digital, screen-based
reality to the exclusion of things that are physical - and In an era of
routine air travel and companies like "Airbus", aviation in general has
become mundane.
- The growth of income inequality in this country means that guys like me
have less $ (and time!) to spend on recreation

I don't know of any way for pattern competitors to push back against forces
like this except to remain passionate about the amazing, inspiring pursuit
of pattern aerobatics.

Bill Polits

On Thu, Sep 14, 2017 at 12:51 PM, <nsrca-dist7-request at lists.nsrca.org>
wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
>
>    1. Contest attendance.. (Daniel Lipton)
>    2. Re: Contest attendance.. (Olstinske Dale)
>    3. Re: Contest attendance.. (atwooddon at aol.com)
>    4. Re: Contest attendance.. (Olstinske Dale)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 11:01:36 -0700
> From: Daniel Lipton <nsrcad7dvp at gmail.com>
> To: "CA, AZ, HI, NV, UT" <nsrca-dist7 at lists.nsrca.org>
> Subject: [NSRCA-dist7] Contest attendance..
> Message-ID:
>         <CAJEMxjhh7iq7K2MLFSJUrTe-EwnveWK0bKOYPSWeW6i=DPSHag@
> mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> Hello d7ers..
>
> Recently a fellow member raised to me the issue of diminishing contest
> attendance.  I decided to take a look at the data (based on
> www.patternscoring.com),
>
> choosing the April contest at Bear Mountain fliers, as that is a popular
> destination for the district.
>
> 2017:  30
> 2016: 37
> 2015: 39
>
> And Another popular D7 contest is the Orange country event.
> 2017: 21
> 2016: 27
>
> Desert pattern challenge: (Arizona)
> 2017: 21
> 2016: 29
>
> If anybody has any thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them.
> Thanks
>  Dan.
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 11:23:04 -0700
> From: Olstinske Dale <sanjosedale at gmail.com>
> To: Daniel Lipton <nsrcad7dvp at gmail.com>, "CA, AZ, HI, NV, UT"
>         <nsrca-dist7 at lists.nsrca.org>
> Subject: Re: [NSRCA-dist7] Contest attendance..
> Message-ID: <480B15E1-4EFF-40D7-AF95-80E0FD649F1B at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Dan, seems to me the attendance problem is worse than these number
> indicate, when you consider the cancellations we had this year. Look at
> Oakdale this year Vs a few years ago for example. A good litmus test will
> be Sacramento in a few weeks, traditionally very well attended.
>
> Dale
>
>
>
> > On Sep 14, 2017, at 11:01 AM, Daniel Lipton via NSRCA-dist7 <
> nsrca-dist7 at lists.nsrca.org> wrote:
> >
> > Hello d7ers..
> >
> > Recently a fellow member raised to me the issue of diminishing contest
> attendance.  I decided to take a look at the data (based on
> www.patternscoring.com <http://www.patternscoring.com/>),
> >
> > choosing the April contest at Bear Mountain fliers, as that is a popular
> destination for the district.
> >
> > 2017:  30
> > 2016: 37
> > 2015: 39
> >
> > And Another popular D7 contest is the Orange country event.
> > 2017: 21
> > 2016: 27
> >
> > Desert pattern challenge: (Arizona)
> > 2017: 21
> > 2016: 29
> >
> > If anybody has any thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them.
> > Thanks
> >  Dan.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > NSRCA-dist7 mailing list
> > NSRCA-dist7 at lists.nsrca.org
> > http://lists.nsrca.org/mailman/listinfo/nsrca-dist7
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 14:26:45 -0400
> From: atwooddon at aol.com
> To: nsrcad7dvp at gmail.com, nsrca-dist7 at lists.nsrca.org
> Subject: Re: [NSRCA-dist7] Contest attendance..
> Message-ID: <15e81a4a7f1-c06-70669 at webjas-vad173.srv.aolmail.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> Dan
>
> As a D7 pattern flyer who has not been flying this year, a couple thoughts.
>
> My reasons are simple.  I usually take a break from pattern flying every
> 7-8 years.  Just get kinda burned out and a year off rekindles the 'bug'.
> So, in my case it's purely coincidental.
>
> Comments I have heard from others have to do with time restraints
> particularly with travel, expense of travel, family commitments, etc.
> These have been heard for several years now.
>
> I believe there is a kind of 'cycle' pattern goes through.  An ebb and
> flow of interest for existing pattern pilots.  I have no data to support
> this, just observation thru the years.
>
> Other causes of declining participation, a couple simple reasons.  Number
> 1 Older flyers are not getting replaced by new pattern pilots. Not a new
> situation but it has become more pronounced as other forms of competition
> or even sport flying become popular.  Helicopters, quads (racing), etc.
>
> These forms of flying are easier to find a place to fly (legal or not),
> They are more exciting to do, easier to get into (and out of) with less
> expense, don't require significant transportation commitments from parents
> for the younger pilots. And neither 'appear' to require up front commitment
> to significant amounts of time practicing.  Yes, both those examples
> require time to be competitive but initially they don't appear to require
> as much time commitment to a new participant.  None of this new information
> but cumulatively it has an impact on participation in pattern.
>
> Just my 2 cents worth....
>
> Don Atwood
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Daniel Lipton via NSRCA-dist7 <nsrca-dist7 at lists.nsrca.org>
> To: CA, AZ, HI, NV, UT, HI, NV, UT <nsrca-dist7 at lists.nsrca.org>
> Sent: Thu, Sep 14, 2017 11:01 am
> Subject: [NSRCA-dist7] Contest attendance..
>
>
>
> Hello d7ers..
>
>
> Recently a fellow member raised to me the issue of diminishing contest
> attendance.  I decided to take a look at the data (based on
> www.patternscoring.com),
>
>
> choosing the April contest at Bear Mountain fliers, as that is a popular
> destination for the district.
>
>
> 2017:  30
> 2016: 37
> 2015: 39
>
>
>
> And Another popular D7 contest is the Orange country event.
> 2017: 21
> 2016: 27
>
>
> Desert pattern challenge: (Arizona)
> 2017: 21
> 2016: 29
>
>
> If anybody has any thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them.
> Thanks
>  Dan.
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> NSRCA-dist7 mailing list
> NSRCA-dist7 at lists.nsrca.org
> http://lists.nsrca.org/mailman/listinfo/nsrca-dist7
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 12:51:32 -0700
> From: Olstinske Dale <sanjosedale at gmail.com>
> To: atwooddon at aol.com, "CA, AZ, HI, NV, UT"
>         <nsrca-dist7 at lists.nsrca.org>
> Subject: Re: [NSRCA-dist7] Contest attendance..
> Message-ID: <B2FCEE81-D8AA-41C5-AAC1-07B2106614CE at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> I was talking with Larry Tougas about this. He said AMA membership is NOT
> down. That is surprising to me. Over the past few years, I have belonged to
> 5 different clubs. None of them has any younger people joining the hobby.
> So simply by attrition, I assume that RC as a hobby is declining, which
> says the same for pattern. Interesting though, I don't think IMAC isn't
> seeing the drop in attendance that pattern is. Not sure why.
>
> Dale
>
> > On Sep 14, 2017, at 11:26 AM, atwooddon--- via NSRCA-dist7 <
> nsrca-dist7 at lists.nsrca.org> wrote:
> >
> > Dan
> >
> > As a D7 pattern flyer who has not been flying this year, a couple
> thoughts.
> >
> > My reasons are simple.  I usually take a break from pattern flying every
> 7-8 years.  Just get kinda burned out and a year off rekindles the 'bug'.
> So, in my case it's purely coincidental.
> >
> > Comments I have heard from others have to do with time restraints
> particularly with travel, expense of travel, family commitments, etc.
> These have been heard for several years now.
> >
> > I believe there is a kind of 'cycle' pattern goes through.  An ebb and
> flow of interest for existing pattern pilots.  I have no data to support
> this, just observation thru the years.
> >
> > Other causes of declining participation, a couple simple reasons.
> Number 1 Older flyers are not getting replaced by new pattern pilots. Not a
> new situation but it has become more pronounced as other forms of
> competition or even sport flying become popular.  Helicopters, quads
> (racing), etc.
> >
> > These forms of flying are easier to find a place to fly (legal or not),
> They are more exciting to do, easier to get into (and out of) with less
> expense, don't require significant transportation commitments from parents
> for the younger pilots. And neither 'appear' to require up front commitment
> to significant amounts of time practicing.  Yes, both those examples
> require time to be competitive but initially they don't appear to require
> as much time commitment to a new participant.  None of this new information
> but cumulatively it has an impact on participation in pattern.
> >
> > Just my 2 cents worth....
> >
> > Don Atwood
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Daniel Lipton via NSRCA-dist7 <nsrca-dist7 at lists.nsrca.org>
> > To: CA, AZ, HI, NV, UT, HI, NV, UT <nsrca-dist7 at lists.nsrca.org>
> > Sent: Thu, Sep 14, 2017 11:01 am
> > Subject: [NSRCA-dist7] Contest attendance..
> >
> > Hello d7ers..
> >
> > Recently a fellow member raised to me the issue of diminishing contest
> attendance.  I decided to take a look at the data (based on
> www.patternscoring.com),
> >
> > choosing the April contest at Bear Mountain fliers, as that is a popular
> destination for the district.
> >
> > 2017:  30
> > 2016: 37
> > 2015: 39
> >
> > And Another popular D7 contest is the Orange country event.
> > 2017: 21
> > 2016: 27
> >
> > Desert pattern challenge: (Arizona)
> > 2017: 21
> > 2016: 29
> >
> > If anybody has any thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them.
> > Thanks
> >  Dan.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > NSRCA-dist7 mailing list
> > NSRCA-dist7 at lists.nsrca.org
> > http://lists.nsrca.org/mailman/listinfo/nsrca-dist7
> > _______________________________________________
> > NSRCA-dist7 mailing list
> > NSRCA-dist7 at lists.nsrca.org
> > http://lists.nsrca.org/mailman/listinfo/nsrca-dist7
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>
> End of NSRCA-dist7 Digest, Vol 100, Issue 2
> *******************************************
>

-- 
Bill Polits
bpolits at gmail.com
510-528-2341
510-390-1419 cell
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