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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Eric</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Very well said. I am dealing with # 5. After four
operations on my eye's I am finnaly back to 20 20 eye sight. I flew for the
first time in three years last week and it was great. I plan to get back and
compete starting in Feb. 04. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bill Thompson</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>AMA 7703</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A href="mailto:Eric.Henderson@gartner.com"
title=Eric.Henderson@gartner.com>Henderson,Eric</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org"
title=discussion@nsrca.org>discussion@nsrca.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, December 10, 2003 2:36
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Why quit pattern.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=428594118-10122003>In a
previous note I said that I would post the results of my informal survey
of pilots who quit the sport in the last six years.The good news is that many
people continue to contact all of us and get into pattern. Personal contact
helps enormously and it soon shows up as a regularly competing pilot. We
attend contests for many reasons. It is a birds-of-a-feather gathering. We can
talk pattern-speak up-the-gazoo and see what is the latest gizmo or plane or
engine. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=428594118-10122003>So
why do people stop competing?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003>There are many reasons, some are unique and some are
unavoidable. I listed the reasons in uncommon to most common. (The last reason
on my list is the most common.) [All identities are absolutely protected,
so don't ask who please]</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=428594118-10122003>1.
Once in a while a person competes who is just not cut out for competition. It
affects them badly, degrades their skills temporarily and just plain gets to
them if they are not successful. Even when successful the stress of
Competitions just makes them behave badly. Sooner, rather than later, they
quit, usually for some other sport.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=428594118-10122003>2. A
big change in their lives. A new partner, new job, losing one or both.
Children getting older - T-ball, b-ball soccer etc.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial
size=2><SPAN class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=428594118-10122003>3.
Cost. Not that it was too much, but they began spending too much for very
little in return. They felt that unless they had the latest
equipment they would not get the scores.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=428594118-10122003>4.
Time. Interestingly enough it was not building time but flying time. They
could not dedicate the practice time to handle new routines or do well with
existing ones. Not happy with their performance because of lack of
practice.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=428594118-10122003>5.
Age and eyesight</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=428594118-10122003>6.
Judging. The common thread was that none of the pilots felt that they
could get a fair shake There two main reasons for their conclusion. The
first was that they found the standard of judging did not meet their flying
skills. They knew from contest after contest and personal contact that the
people behind them did not know the rules. They felt that no matter how
well they executed the geometry it would not be scored correctly against
pilots who did not execute as well.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003> The second reason was that they
had built up enough prejudices in the folks that coul could be judging them.
Old feuds from previous classes. Guys who they used to hammer were now
getting even on those who had now moved up. Personal grudges and personality
conflicts regards less of competition history. How many times have
you heard this "I know that if so-and-so is in the chair might
as well not fly?. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=428594118-10122003>(The
last one is the down side of pilot judging. I also heard it about non-flying
judges of the past and present). </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003>I spent a lot of my time looking a how to fix
these issues. I had to conclude that I could not do much with 1, 2, 3 and
5.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=428594118-10122003>With
#4, we should think very carefully about changing schedules too often.
Changing masters every three years is enough for the core who pay to
compete.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=428594118-10122003>With
#6, I don't have a lot of ideas that would work. All I can say is that if we
drive people away and we have very little influx of youth, then we will have
less folks to judge!</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=428594118-10122003>Regards,<BR><BR>Eric </SPAN></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>