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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Your right Jim, "Time" & Practice is
something a lot of us cant buy. I can only burn so much fuel on Sunday and if
that day is rained out its 2 weeks between flying sessions for me.
I love flying in contests. I get as much stick time at a contest (practice
the day before and scored flights) then I do in a 3x Sunday
flying. Now that I have some equipment I hope to stay in it for
some time. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Wayne G.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=James.Woodward2@edwards.af.mil
href="mailto:James.Woodward2@edwards.af.mil">Woodward James R Civ 412
TW/DRP/ACQ</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=discussion@nsrca.org
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, July 29, 2003 3:23
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: new concepts</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>Hi George,<BR><BR>Good comments,
however, I can't resist. FAI class was won by a Focus,<BR>compliments of
Don Szczur. A Futaba 9cap or JR 8 channel is all you need in<BR>a
radio. There have never been more engine choices. Digital servos
are<BR>generally accepted and not "exotic" any more. It has never been
cheaper to<BR>get a world class equipped pattern plane. <BR><BR>That
said, the problem is not equipment. The problem is that (drum
roll<BR>please) PATTERN IS HARD. There is no way to side-step that
flying straight<BR>and level is a tough thing for the average club
pilot. Pattern emphasizes<BR>the fundamental stuff that looks easy, but
is very hard. Winners in each<BR>class are generally separated by how
well each has mastered the<BR>fundamentals: straight and level flight,
entering maneuvers with wings<BR>level, maintaining heading, matching radii,
exiting maneuvers wings level on<BR>heading. <BR><BR>Just a for
instance: A friend from the club came by my house a couple of<BR>nights
ago. We where talking about the nats, and then about simulators.
I<BR>got him to try to fly "pattern" on the Great Planes generation 1
sim. Here,<BR>in the most non-threatening environment, he had difficulty
trying to perform<BR>a 1/2 reverse Cuban eight. Difficulty with entering
wings level, pulling to<BR>a 45 degree line, "waiting.........", 1/2
roll, "waiting......." , then a<BR>gentle radius. As soon as someone
trys (if others are watching) their<BR>skills are immediately exposed and will
either like it or not. We take a<BR>lot for granted in the jump it takes
from being a "good lander" or "safe<BR>flyer" to being an entry level pattern
flyer. <BR><BR>Equipment becomes a great excuse, then time, and these
may be true. But I<BR>believe the real reason is that pattern is
HARD! Only certain personality<BR>types are going to be driven to
"practice". <BR>Jim W.<BR><BR><BR><BR>The majority of your hobbyist
aren't going to be "indentured servants", <BR>they'll simply fly 40 or 60
sized sport planes or call it quits.<BR><BR>In the early 1990's the hot
pattern plane setup (including full radio <BR>setup) would cost about $2500.00
and the average family income of the <BR>typical high end hobbyist was about
$40,000/year. The top fliers only had <BR>to invest an average of
6.25% of their annual income in order to have the <BR>top plane.<BR><BR>Today
the hot pattern plane setup (including full radio setup) will cost <BR>about
$4000.00 and the average family income for the typical high-end <BR>hobbyist
is about $55,000/year. Today in order to have the top setup it <BR>will
mean that you would have to invest 8.00% of your annual income.
With <BR>other hobbies and expenses we have today that didn't exist in the
1990's <BR>(i.e.: cellphone bills, Internet bills, computers) the average
hobbyist <BR>doesn't have 8.00% of his income to invest in the model aircraft
hobby.<BR><BR>Now you're going to see some responses to the above statements
say "You <BR>don't need the best airplane in order to compete, you can compete
with a <BR>lessor airplane". This statement might be true however
that is NOT how <BR>our hobby is perceived to be. In general
people don't compete strictly <BR>for fun, people compete in order to have
pride in themselves and to win, <BR>its human nature and in order to do that
its perceived that you need to <BR>have equipment which is as good as the top
fliers.<BR><BR>Lets face it, the people within the demographics who can afford
and/or <BR>interested in pattern are shrinking. Here's my suggest.
However before <BR>giving my suggest I already know that 90% of you will think
I'm full of <BR>crap but so be it. Set a cap on the price of a
plane which you can use in <BR>competition. Lets say a top value
of $3500.00, or pick a number. That <BR>would allow nearly every
sport fliers plane to qualify even larger planes <BR>with larger engines, that
takes care of the new guy not having a <BR>plane. It would also
put the top guys on a more even footing with the <BR>newer guy.<BR><BR>After
all most of you people on here say it doesn't take a high dollar <BR>plane and
top equipment in order to win. Let put your money where you <BR>mouth is
and prove it......<BR><BR>George<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>