<div dir="ltr">Dan, Dale, Don,<div><br></div><div>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 <i>my </i>reasons. </div><div><br></div><div>In general though, I believe 2 major trends are:</div><div><br></div><div>- 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.</div><div>- The growth of income inequality in this country means that guys like me have less $ (and time!) to spend on recreation</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>Bill Polits</div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Sep 14, 2017 at 12:51 PM, <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:nsrca-dist7-request@lists.nsrca.org" target="_blank">nsrca-dist7-request@lists.nsrca.org</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Send NSRCA-dist7 mailing list submissions to<br>
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Today's Topics:<br>
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1. Contest attendance.. (Daniel Lipton)<br>
2. Re: Contest attendance.. (Olstinske Dale)<br>
3. Re: Contest attendance.. (<a href="mailto:atwooddon@aol.com">atwooddon@aol.com</a>)<br>
4. Re: Contest attendance.. (Olstinske Dale)<br>
<br>
<br>
------------------------------<wbr>------------------------------<wbr>----------<br>
<br>
Message: 1<br>
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 11:01:36 -0700<br>
From: Daniel Lipton <<a href="mailto:nsrcad7dvp@gmail.com">nsrcad7dvp@gmail.com</a>><br>
To: "CA, AZ, HI, NV, UT" <<a href="mailto:nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org">nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org</a>><br>
Subject: [NSRCA-dist7] Contest attendance..<br>
Message-ID:<br>
<CAJEMxjhh7iq7K2MLFSJUrTe-<wbr>EwnveWK0bKOYPSWeW6i=<a href="mailto:DPSHag@mail.gmail.com">DPSHag@<wbr>mail.gmail.com</a>><br>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"<br>
<br>
Hello d7ers..<br>
<br>
Recently a fellow member raised to me the issue of diminishing contest<br>
attendance. I decided to take a look at the data (based on<br>
<a href="http://www.patternscoring.com" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">www.patternscoring.com</a>),<br>
<br>
choosing the April contest at Bear Mountain fliers, as that is a popular<br>
destination for the district.<br>
<br>
2017: 30<br>
2016: 37<br>
2015: 39<br>
<br>
And Another popular D7 contest is the Orange country event.<br>
2017: 21<br>
2016: 27<br>
<br>
Desert pattern challenge: (Arizona)<br>
2017: 21<br>
2016: 29<br>
<br>
If anybody has any thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them.<br>
Thanks<br>
Dan.<br>
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Message: 2<br>
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 11:23:04 -0700<br>
From: Olstinske Dale <<a href="mailto:sanjosedale@gmail.com">sanjosedale@gmail.com</a>><br>
To: Daniel Lipton <<a href="mailto:nsrcad7dvp@gmail.com">nsrcad7dvp@gmail.com</a>>, "CA, AZ, HI, NV, UT"<br>
<<a href="mailto:nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org">nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org</a>><br>
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-dist7] Contest attendance..<br>
Message-ID: <<a href="mailto:480B15E1-4EFF-40D7-AF95-80E0FD649F1B@gmail.com">480B15E1-4EFF-40D7-AF95-<wbr>80E0FD649F1B@gmail.com</a>><br>
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<br>
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.<br>
<br>
Dale<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
> On Sep 14, 2017, at 11:01 AM, Daniel Lipton via NSRCA-dist7 <<a href="mailto:nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org">nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org</a>> wrote:<br>
><br>
> Hello d7ers..<br>
><br>
> Recently a fellow member raised to me the issue of diminishing contest attendance. I decided to take a look at the data (based on <a href="http://www.patternscoring.com" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">www.patternscoring.com</a> <<a href="http://www.patternscoring.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.patternscoring.<wbr>com/</a>>),<br>
><br>
> choosing the April contest at Bear Mountain fliers, as that is a popular destination for the district.<br>
><br>
> 2017: 30<br>
> 2016: 37<br>
> 2015: 39<br>
><br>
> And Another popular D7 contest is the Orange country event.<br>
> 2017: 21<br>
> 2016: 27<br>
><br>
> Desert pattern challenge: (Arizona)<br>
> 2017: 21<br>
> 2016: 29<br>
><br>
> If anybody has any thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them.<br>
> Thanks<br>
> Dan.<br>
><br>
> ______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
> NSRCA-dist7 mailing list<br>
> <a href="mailto:NSRCA-dist7@lists.nsrca.org">NSRCA-dist7@lists.nsrca.org</a><br>
> <a href="http://lists.nsrca.org/mailman/listinfo/nsrca-dist7" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://lists.nsrca.org/<wbr>mailman/listinfo/nsrca-dist7</a><br>
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Message: 3<br>
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 14:26:45 -0400<br>
From: <a href="mailto:atwooddon@aol.com">atwooddon@aol.com</a><br>
To: <a href="mailto:nsrcad7dvp@gmail.com">nsrcad7dvp@gmail.com</a>, <a href="mailto:nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org">nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org</a><br>
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-dist7] Contest attendance..<br>
Message-ID: <<a href="mailto:15e81a4a7f1-c06-70669@webjas-vad173.srv.aolmail.net">15e81a4a7f1-c06-70669@webjas-<wbr>vad173.srv.aolmail.net</a>><br>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"<br>
<br>
Dan<br>
<br>
As a D7 pattern flyer who has not been flying this year, a couple thoughts.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
Just my 2 cents worth....<br>
<br>
Don Atwood<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Daniel Lipton via NSRCA-dist7 <<a href="mailto:nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org">nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org</a>><br>
To: CA, AZ, HI, NV, UT, HI, NV, UT <<a href="mailto:nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org">nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org</a>><br>
Sent: Thu, Sep 14, 2017 11:01 am<br>
Subject: [NSRCA-dist7] Contest attendance..<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Hello d7ers..<br>
<br>
<br>
Recently a fellow member raised to me the issue of diminishing contest attendance. I decided to take a look at the data (based on <a href="http://www.patternscoring.com" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">www.patternscoring.com</a>),<br>
<br>
<br>
choosing the April contest at Bear Mountain fliers, as that is a popular destination for the district.<br>
<br>
<br>
2017: 30<br>
2016: 37<br>
2015: 39<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
And Another popular D7 contest is the Orange country event.<br>
2017: 21<br>
2016: 27<br>
<br>
<br>
Desert pattern challenge: (Arizona)<br>
2017: 21<br>
2016: 29<br>
<br>
<br>
If anybody has any thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them.<br>
Thanks<br>
Dan.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
NSRCA-dist7 mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:NSRCA-dist7@lists.nsrca.org">NSRCA-dist7@lists.nsrca.org</a><br>
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Message: 4<br>
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 12:51:32 -0700<br>
From: Olstinske Dale <<a href="mailto:sanjosedale@gmail.com">sanjosedale@gmail.com</a>><br>
To: <a href="mailto:atwooddon@aol.com">atwooddon@aol.com</a>, "CA, AZ, HI, NV, UT"<br>
<<a href="mailto:nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org">nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org</a>><br>
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-dist7] Contest attendance..<br>
Message-ID: <<a href="mailto:B2FCEE81-D8AA-41C5-AAC1-07B2106614CE@gmail.com">B2FCEE81-D8AA-41C5-AAC1-<wbr>07B2106614CE@gmail.com</a>><br>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
Dale<br>
<br>
> On Sep 14, 2017, at 11:26 AM, atwooddon--- via NSRCA-dist7 <<a href="mailto:nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org">nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org</a>> wrote:<br>
><br>
> Dan<br>
><br>
> As a D7 pattern flyer who has not been flying this year, a couple thoughts.<br>
><br>
> 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.<br>
><br>
> 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.<br>
><br>
> 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.<br>
><br>
> 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.<br>
><br>
> 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.<br>
><br>
> Just my 2 cents worth....<br>
><br>
> Don Atwood<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> -----Original Message-----<br>
> From: Daniel Lipton via NSRCA-dist7 <<a href="mailto:nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org">nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org</a>><br>
> To: CA, AZ, HI, NV, UT, HI, NV, UT <<a href="mailto:nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org">nsrca-dist7@lists.nsrca.org</a>><br>
> Sent: Thu, Sep 14, 2017 11:01 am<br>
> Subject: [NSRCA-dist7] Contest attendance..<br>
><br>
> Hello d7ers..<br>
><br>
> Recently a fellow member raised to me the issue of diminishing contest attendance. I decided to take a look at the data (based on <a href="http://www.patternscoring.com" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">www.patternscoring.com</a>),<br>
><br>
> choosing the April contest at Bear Mountain fliers, as that is a popular destination for the district.<br>
><br>
> 2017: 30<br>
> 2016: 37<br>
> 2015: 39<br>
><br>
> And Another popular D7 contest is the Orange country event.<br>
> 2017: 21<br>
> 2016: 27<br>
><br>
> Desert pattern challenge: (Arizona)<br>
> 2017: 21<br>
> 2016: 29<br>
><br>
> If anybody has any thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them.<br>
> Thanks<br>
> Dan.<br>
><br>
> ______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
> NSRCA-dist7 mailing list<br>
> <a href="mailto:NSRCA-dist7@lists.nsrca.org">NSRCA-dist7@lists.nsrca.org</a><br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">Bill Polits<br><a href="mailto:bpolits@gmail.com" target="_blank">bpolits@gmail.com</a><br>510-528-2341<br>510-390-1419 cell</div>
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