DeLuded DeNigrations answered
1. I have attended perhaps equal numbers of indoor and outdoor contests, 1994 to present. There is zero difference in the attitudes and behaviors of either discipline toward newcomers or toward children. I can personally recall way more kids getting "yelled at" from not observing the rules of the road at outdoor FF contests than I've witnessed at indoor contests. But, I've been exposed to more children at outdoor contests than indoor, so that obviously skews the numbers. Yet I am not labeling the "outdoor FF crowd" with any self-spun angry stereotype. The fact is there are necessary rules of the road with both indoor and outdoor FF. Go stand on F1A towline laying on ground (not the model, just the loose line) and see if you get a gentle tap on the shoulder asking you to please step away. Rather, you're more likely to hear a quick, loud command, then you realize how careless you were to just be alive at that moment, in that place. And rightly so. Or go lift the towel or whatever sun cover off an F1b flyer's daily rubber supply, and observe how a normal HUMAN being (NOT indoor men vs. outdoor men) can be easily perturbed. The more important the contest is, the more edgy a contestant is likely to be. Of course some flyers could exhibit grace under pressure even if a space alien were to land upon his model. Conversely, a few aren't afraid to wear their "bad day" in their tone of voice, for all to hear. So what's new? Let's not hang 30 or 40 year old stereotypes on either group. It's FINE to have separate spaces without being accused of "us vs them" attitudes. We should feel free to toast a marshmallow over either campfire. I like separately controlled fires.
I have officiated at several Wright Stuff (Science Olympiad) contests. You can rest assured that many of these Middle School and High School students have figured out how to rebuke and redirect needless disasters from careless passersby, from other teams, or even own teammates. You can rest assured they love the rule that prevents looky-loos from wandering around the team pit area. Among themselves, you can hear both kind-toned interpersonal skills at work, and you can hear "different" tones of some who are feverishly working under intense pressure then things go wrong. Those who are jolly the whole time always end up with only one "participation point" because they didn't care enough to get serious. Another natural strategy I noticed was that the experienced, ultimately most competitive teams know how to arrive early and choose a remote spot against a wall in order to protect, bunker themselves in as much as possible. That's just competitive INDOOR, having nothing to do with being Mean Young Farts.
2. Old idea--let's make "easy" events to enhance accessibility for newcomers. How many more "newcomer" events to we need? LPP is good, and many try A6. Want some outright "Shucks It's Easy" events? Great, build one and campaign the concept. Allow boron everywhere? Boron and composites are allowed in 5 or 6 events already, but does that fact enhance the relative competitiveness of the inexperienced? No, and never will. Notwithstanding, probably even oldtimers would sacrifice any one of their beloved events to the hands of beginners (ie LPP) if doing so held any realistic promise. Personally, I would like to see a sort of competitor phase-out for one event, maybe LPP. After a flyer's name appears on top of at least 20 other names--meaning the accumulation of flyers beat in all contests flown--then the flyer has graduated away from "novice" status, and has to step aside from that event (in competition.) But we never will be able legislate away the equivalence of experience and talent, and the advantage that always brings. Nor should we even want to. Some of us do this precisely BECAUSE indoor is difficult, and the targets are high. Take that away, or tie one hand behind someone's back in order to illustrate someone else's vision of "fun," or "fairness" or "growth" and some of us will be gone in a hurry. Sure, let's give all the newcomers whatever concept of FF fun tickles them. But if you want to mix in flyers who have already found their own concept of fun from grit-and-spit competition, then the experienced flyers "game" should prevail. For FUN, there's always FUN flying. Let's stop supposing that "growth" is what justifies the discarding all the problematic distinctions about indoor FF competition. I'd rather be nothing at all than an ecumenical "flying things hobbyist."
If unfair assertions about indoorists' character in general is supposed to count as "forward thinking" then I don't blame anyone for finding their own bunker and plugging their ears.
Mark Bennett
Received on Tue Jun 02 2009 - 08:43:57 CEST
This archive was generated by Yannick on Sat Dec 14 2019 - 19:13:45 CET