<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1458" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"
bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7>
<DIV><SPAN class=720352303-04012005><FONT color=#0000ff size=3>I did make the
jump...but I got my tail handed to me for a few years before settling down and
moving up....Maybe after this year I'll fly Advanced again after the Nats and
get my Nats trophy from Advanced I just missed; providing some of these Advanced
pilots don't beat me up first (flying).</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=720352303-04012005><FONT color=#0000ff
size=3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=720352303-04012005><FONT color=#0000ff
size=3>Jason</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> discussion-request@nsrca.org
[mailto:discussion-request@nsrca.org]<B>On Behalf Of
</B>Rcmaster199@aol.com<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, January 03, 2005 8:11
PM<BR><B>To:</B> discussion@nsrca.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Fwd: Sequence Poll
Results<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>
<DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 1/3/2005 10:10:12 PM Eastern Standard Time,
Rcmaster199 writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>It seems to me that Earl is right. It's a moot point</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In the US (and many other countries) we are lucky to have pattern
competition in ever increasing levels of difficulty. When a competitor has
reached some level of profficiency and feels compelled to compete for the
World stage, he or she only needs to do it. We have no other requiremnts
imposed. The question in my mind is, are prep levels really necessary? If
one is driven enough and focused enough, No!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There are countries out there that do not have such progression in
skill requirements. Often it's only a handful of pilots available
and it's either F3A or nothing. Well, just fun flying I suppose. Point
is they don't need anything special to compete in F3A--just desire.
They do it to the best of their ability. And they have a bunch of fun
doing it.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It occasionally is that way here also and I would bet that
those that want to compete at the F3A level will, regardless of earlier
prep. It helps, obviously. But what really helps is the exposure to
competition. And in that regard, AMA classes 401-404 serve the function of
prep for F3A just fine. But each class stands on its own. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Those that want to go to F3A after any of these classes, are free to do
so. If memory serves, Jason Shulman moved to F3A comp after kicking
everybody's butt in ADVANCED. No Expert, Expert TA or Masters.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Is F3A the TOP class, or "Destination" class or whatever you want to
call it? Does it really matter?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>MattK</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<P>Earl Haury wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE="CITE">
<STYLE></STYLE>
<FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>I think this "top class" issue is
of little value and, at best, semantics. One could argue that, as AMA
pattern class 404 is Masters and AMA pattern 406 is F3A, F3A is at the
top of AMA progression.</FONT></FONT> <FONT face=Arial><FONT
size=-1>Mark's point that we have as much influence in F3A as any other
country is not only valid - many of the F3A "innovations" have come from
USA reps to the FAI CIAM F3A Subcommittee. I also assure you that a
sequence provided by "us" will not only receive as much consideration as
any other, but be quite welcome.</FONT></FONT> <FONT
face=Arial><FONT size=-1>Our pattern community worldwide is small, why
on earth would we want to be only a subset? BTW - does anyone have a
feel for the total number of pattern competitors worldwide, I suspect
that the US may be in the minority. Sure, we should and do have
preparatory classes. These may become resident classes for folks
prevented from moving forward by any number of limiting factors,
but that's a fact of life - not reason to tailor these classes to that
end.</FONT></FONT> <FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>One of the
strongest attractions for model aviation is diversity. Likewise, excess
diversity is a weakness of model aviation. We too quickly "invent" new
disciplines to accommodate each and every interest with the effect of
diluting our core groups. If one considers most sports, many folks
participate at playground, high school, college, and pro levels with
fewer at each level as the requirements take a toll. But the "top" level
is clearly recognized and emulated, there may be concessions to detail,
difficulty, equipment at the early levels - but the top level clearly is
the goal.</FONT></FONT> <FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>I find it
sad that some consider that the NSRCA</FONT></FONT> <FONT
face=Arial><FONT size=-1>should ignore F3A, rather the NSRCA should
drive the US interests in F3A. The NSRCA was founded by the top F3A
competitors of the time and there was no expectation that it was
exclusive of F3A, unfortunately they didn't recognize the need to spell
that out in the charter. Pattern is our game, anything that interests
folks in pattern competition is very good, discussion of pattern
details is good, F3A is the epitome of our game, but I find it hard to
criticize anything related to the enjoyment of
pattern.</FONT></FONT> <FONT face=Arial><FONT
size=-1>Earl</FONT></FONT> ----- Original Message -----
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
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=mailto:rcaerobob@cox.net href="mailto:rcaerobob@cox.net">Bob
Pastorello</A></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=mailto:discussion@nsrca.org
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, January 02, 2005
11:00 AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Sequence Poll
Results</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>