<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">
<html>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" link="#0000FF" vlink="#0000FF" lang="EN-US">
Jim & All:
<br>I've been considering what the gentleman said about pattern living
forever.
<br>I can assure you that, if a competitor from 1955, (my first contest
year) could see pattern today, he'd make the statement that R/C Aerobatics
(As He Knew It) was truly dead. Of course it isn't; it's just
evolved. And, from one who's been there, it's evolved for the better
in directions that those of my contemporaries and me couldn't have
dreamed of. But, (and as they say in dieting salons, there's always
a big butt) just because it's survived in it's present form doesn't mean
it must not continue to evolve.
<br>My experience says just the opposite. It must and will change.
Slowly, possibly, and incrementally, but change it will.
<p>Bill Glaze
<p>Woodward James R Civ 412 TW/DRP wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
panose-1:3 15 7 2 3 3 2 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoAutoSig, li.MsoAutoSig, div.MsoAutoSig
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p
{margin-right:0in;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle19
{font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
color:blue;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none;}
span.EmailStyle20
{font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
color:blue;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none;}
span.EmailStyle21
{font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle22
{font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle23
{font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<div class=Section1>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><font face="Arial"><font color="#000080"><font size=-1>Good
points Glen and Bill. I think one of the best descriptors of our
overall state-of-pattern, is that we are still talking about it.
Bill's vivid memory of 1959/1960, and obviously through today, spans 44
years. Throughout the 44 years, pattern has survived or led every
equipment improvement, the economy, & "turnaround." We have also
survived as Glen pointed out, the emergence or all other form of RC hobby.
Pattern must offer something the others don't. Anyone remember how
fast the "New Coke" turned into (or back) to "Coke Classic." I would
not like to change too far from where we are now. At risk of starting
a different fire, I don't want the weight limit raised either.</font></font></font></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><font face="Arial"><font color="#000080"><font size=-1>Jim
W.</font></font></font></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'></span>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'><font face="Tahoma"><font size=-1>-----Original
Message-----</font></font></div>
<br><span style='font-weight:bold'><font face="Tahoma"><font size=-1><b>From:</span></b>
Glen.Watson@aspentech.com [<A HREF="mailto:Glen.Watson@aspentech.com">mailto:Glen.Watson@aspentech.com</A>]</font></font>
<br><span style='font-weight:bold'><font face="Tahoma"><font size=-1><b>Sent:</span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'></b>Tuesday,
October 14, 2003</span><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'></span><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>7:23
AM</font></font></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
<br><span style='font-weight:bold'><font face="Tahoma"><font size=-1><b>To:</span></b>
discussion@nsrca.org</font></font>
<br><span style='font-weight:bold'><font face="Tahoma"><font size=-1><b>Subject:</span></b>
RE: moderator....</font></font></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span class=EmailStyle22><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><font face="Arial"><font color="#000080"><font size=-1>I
feel a major contributor to the perceived declined in pattern is due to
the wide variety of available technologies in the RC community today when
compared to 1959. Pattern now competes with Jets, Helicopters, Scales
Aerobatics, Big Birds, 3D flying, electrics the list goes on most of which
were non existent or viewed as fledgling technologies 30+ years ago.
There is a finite pool of money spent within the RC industry and variety
has divided this pool into smaller sections. Viewing the thread activity
on RCUniverse.com provides a good sampling of the varied interest within
the RC community.</font></font></font></span></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span class=EmailStyle22><span style='font-size:10.0pt'></span></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span class=EmailStyle22><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><font face="Arial"><font color="#000080"><font size=-1>Regards,</font></font></font></span></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span class=EmailStyle22><span style='font-size:10.0pt'></span></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span class=EmailStyle22><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><font face="Arial"><font color="#000080"><font size=-1>Glen
Watson</font></font></font></span></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span class=EmailStyle21><span style='font-size:10.0pt'></span></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black'><font face="Tahoma"><font color="#000000"><font size=-1>-----Original
Message-----</font></font></font>
<br><span style='font-weight:bold'><font face="Tahoma"><font color="#000000"><font size=-1><b>From:</span></b>
Bill Glaze [<A HREF="mailto:billglaze@triad.rr.com">mailto:billglaze@triad.rr.com</A>]</font></font></font>
<br><span style='font-weight:bold'><font face="Tahoma"><font color="#000000"><font size=-1><b>Sent:</span></b>
Tuesday, October 14, 2003 9:19 AM</font></font></font>
<br><span style='font-weight:bold'><font face="Tahoma"><font color="#000000"><font size=-1><b>To:</span></b>
discussion@nsrca.org</font></font></font>
<br><span style='font-weight:bold'><font face="Tahoma"><font color="#000000"><font size=-1><b>Subject:</span></b>
Re: Fw: moderator....</font></font></font></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"><font size=+0>It's
possible that the decline has been so steady, and relatively small, that
it hasn't been until recently that long-time competitors have looked around
and asked "where has everybody gone?"</font></font></font>
<br><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"><font size=+0>When
I got back into pattern ~1991, I was surprised at the small size of contests,
relative to what I had been used to around 1960. I recall being the
contest director in a contest held Summer of 1959. It was about average
for that time and place, (LARKS Club, Los Angeles Radio Kontrol Society)
and had 144 contestants. And, it was held at a place called Turlock,
in central California. Look it up on a map; it's pretty obscure.</font></font></font>
<br><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"><font size=+0>We
used to have more folks show up for club contests than now show up for
open contests. And, at that time, the closest thing to an ARF was
a kit that had die-cut parts that you didn't have to cut out with a razor
blade or X-Acto knife. You actually had to.......gasp........build
it. And, still they came.</font></font></font>
<br><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"><font size=+0>As
far as pattern not dying out, well, maybe. But, I can remember when
U-Control Speed was very big in my (then) area. Now..........U-Control
What?</font></font></font>
<br><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"><font size=+0>Folks
on this list will come up with a lot of reasons for the above. They
each will, in all probability, be correct to some degree.</font></font></font>
<br><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"><font size=+0>The
fact that the trend has yet to be reversed is not an excuse for accepting
the status quo.</font></font></font>
<br><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"><font size=+0>The
opinions above are mine alone. The numbers and incidents quoted are
facts, not imagination. </font></font></font></span>
<p style="margin-left:1.0in"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"><font size=+0>Bill
Glaze </font></font></font></span>
<p style="margin-left:1.0in"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><u1:p></u1:p></blockquote>
</body>
</html>