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<DIV>Well, I have avoided jumping in here for as long as I can but here
goes.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>First, the proposals as presented are not cast in stone, nor mandatory
changes to the current schedules, they are sets of proposed changes of which we
are asking the pattern community (not just NSRCA members) to express their
opinion by selecting one of the alternatives in each class (as a recommendation
to AMA). As previously stated in this discussion group, anyone (and
everyone) is free to submit their own proposed sequences to the AMA for
consideration. However, we had hoped this approach would generate a
preferred solution representative of most of our pattern community and help pave
the way to improving the logical progression thru sequences.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Second, these proposed sequences are not one person's idea, they were
generated by a committee with many hours of thought and discussion and actual
flying of the sequences to come up with not one, but two alternatives in each
class. This was done by volunteers for the committee that spent many, many
hours working on this. I doubt any single individual out there would have
come up with a similar approach and results.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Third, I was involved in early discussions about the approach to this
exercise and spent quite a bit of time discussing the intent of this exercise
with Troy. He and the entire Sequences Committee were very focused on
generating new sequences as balanced as possible, but (get this, it is a very
important part) also generating sequences focused on building progressive
basic-intermediate-advanced flying skills that actually require the pilot to
'fly' the plane rather than relying on being able to bang the stick over and
come out the other side of the maneuver. In my opinion, about 10-12
years ago, we got so focused on making it easy to get into pattern with simple
sequences we lost the part about learning some of the flying requirements.
What happened to having to do MULTIPLE loops or rolls. Anyone can close
their eyes and do one loop or roll then recover with recovery being the most
active part of the maneuver. The proposed sequences (either in each class)
provide a logical and balanced (as much as practical) progression from sets of
skill sets to the next level. I would even guess existing pattern flyers
in the entry classes may find the new sequences to actually be more difficult to
fly (notice the word fly) well than the current sequences, however, in doing so
they will have learned more about actual flying than they do now. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sorry for the long winded message here, but I would ask everyone to
consider the intentions of the proposed sequences as well as the sequences
themselves. I believe our current sequence schedules actually create more
of a gap between the entry level classes and the higher classes because the
lower class sequences actually lack some of the building blocks of developing
flying skills which forces the competitors to take larger 'skill' steps as they
approach the higher classes. The proposed sequences smooth those gaps more
evenly and introduce maneuvers designed to enhance those building blocks rather
than just making it easy to get thru the entry sequences. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Personally, I think the Sequences Committee led by Troy Newman are to be
commended for the thought they put into these proposals as well as their
personal time discussing, flying, reworking and finalizing these
proposals. Obviously thankless work as witnessed by some of the comments
and sniping that has gone on recently on this group. Anyway, I have made
my selections on the sequences, hope you all have to. Thanks Troy and
group, most of us appreciate your efforts and intentions.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Don Atwood</DIV></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>