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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mark,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2> I always
favor education over legislation but we always seem to need rules. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Although I try to see these issues from other
peoples viewpoint I do tend to fall back on my own standards. I never
entered pattern with a view to be a district champion or stay in any
particular class. With that in mind I never saw a problem with a guy staying in
a class, at least until I flew in Masters.[no shots intended at anyone in
masters here - it's just that pilots stay there a long time and they are much
harder to beat due to their experience]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If there was a guy who was killing us in 402 I just
thought, "good luck to him". As soon as I was ready I moved up to Advanced and
then Masters. I never had a desire to stay in a "building-block" class and soon
got the message if I was in there too long from my friends teasing
me.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Now I hop back and forth between FAI and
Masters depending upon what I am flying and what I want to do in the year. I
like the freedom of being able to choose which class I fly and how much practice
I can devote to it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You can't do that with 401-403 and 404, and yet I
wonder if it would make a difference? I think that you could let people elect to
go back and fly a class for a year, but if they win, say three contests with 5
contestants in it, then they have to move back up. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Just thinking out loud,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Eric.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=atwoodm@paragon-inc.com href="mailto:atwoodm@paragon-inc.com">Atwood,
Mark</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> Wednesday, March 09, 2005 10:22
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: Rules
Changes----Advancement</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Another difficulty to
this mess is regionalism and national “competitiveness”.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Two
examples…<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Back in ’91…flying
Sportsman (Now intermediate) we had a crop of VERY competitive flyers.
There were 10-12 traveling pilots going to every contest, duking it out.
The top spots were consitantly held by 2-3 guys that dominated, but there were
3 or 4 others that were tight and not far behind. Any of 8 could win a
particular round. Those 2 or 3 ALL pointed out…lots of people at
each contest provided lots of points and back then we had 8 or 9 local
contests plus a few “must travel too’s (the mint coming to
mind).<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Then came the
nats…and our star pilots got their collective BUTTS kicked. I think the
top guy finished 12<SUP>th</SUP>. Bottom line…we all sucked. No one
should have moved up. The “points” were being awarded relative to
the gang…not relative to actual skill.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Then there’s
1997… Flying advanced…we had another big group, with 3 of us always
battling for each round. Finishing often within just a few points of
each other, but in this case, one guy always on top. Winning every
contest that season, so HE pointed out, but no one else. Again, the nats
came…we were expecting to do ok, but were fearful of another “education” on
how this is done, only this time the opposite. We all did well…finishing
1<SUP>st</SUP>, 3<SUP>rd</SUP>, and 7<SUP>th</SUP>.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">In this case…everyone
should have been forced to move up (we all did), but only one had
too.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">So how can we force a
“move” just because someone is doing well locally?? National
standing…the only real measure we have, doesn’t
count.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>