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<DIV>Jay,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>No disputing your point in theory.</DIV>
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<DIV>In practice, "we" spend far more time practicing flying, than practicing judging. So the end result is that "we" are the most comfortable / proficient / qualified judging what we know. The vast majority in pattern are not judges, they are flyers who must judge to keep the event alive.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Regards,</DIV>
<DIV><BR>Dave Lockhart</DIV>
<DIV><A href="mailto:DaveL322@comcast.net">DaveL322@comcast.net</A></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I see little correlation between an arthritic thumb and a sharp eye and mind. With proper training and desire there is no reason why anyone could not learn to be a good judge. The ability to “see” what’s going on with the airplane as a whole improves with judging time and experience, not stick time. Someone who, for any number of reasons, no longer flys and has never moved beyond Advanced could still remain involved in the sport and be well qualified to judge FAI. This is true of many “judging” occupations. In fact I would bet the majority of sport judges never reached the levels which they are now judging.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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