Re: Details and background
Don, there is more involved than just those items, but since they play very prominently, the fallacies involved need to be discussed. Regardless of the implementation of this change, these issues need some air time because there are valid concerns which need to be addressed to come up with real solutions. So....
"1. F1D is dying because the models fly too long? Therefore, make them fly 25:00 instead of 35:00 and new flyers will be attracted? I don't see the cause and effect."
-The concern is not over beginners so much as site availability. Supposedly by reducing the flight times, we can have the W/C held in two days instead of three. This doesn't work on inspection, though. If the goal is to simultaneously bring in new participants, there will then be more aircraft in the air, and there will be more midairs, and the contest will be back to 3 days before we know it. It's a self-defeating concept. It also doesn't make sense in the context that the outdoor FF W/C runs much longer than this because there are multiple classes flown. If F1N eventually becomes an indoor W/C event, that contest could conceivably be held in 1-2 days and *should* achieve such participation levels as to bring in enough funds in entry fees to even things out and then some. We should also consider that F1N will be MUCH more demanding of flying sites than F1D. Most of the F1N participants will likely (again, this is conjectural) demand at least a high Cat III site so they don't have to deal with flappers (very conjectural, just based on my general impression of the glider culture, of which I am admittedly on the periphery, but I have flown them quite a bit, and this is what I'd be wanting). Regardless, I'm pretty sure you can't have an F1N W/C in Slanic!
"2. There are only two WCh sites on the planet, thereforein the world?"
-Ah this was the can of worms I just started cutting into on the above bit. When you look at F1N from a W/C perspective, F1D starts to look a lot easier to deal with! Some of the views that have been presented on W/C sites rather short sighted...There has been continued interest in holding a W/C here in the US, and we have a great site where it could happen. I was reminded again this past weekend just how many F1D's can occupy the same airspace at the same time without midairs. I believe that at Kent (a Cat II site, mind you), that we had *seven* F1D's in the air simultaneously at several times during the record trials, and there were F1M's and F1L's sharing that air, too! There's a good chance that Johnson City will soon return to availability, and I wouldn't be surprised if Pontiac, MI would be able to handle an F1D W/C. The AMA efforts to secure long-term access to Tustin would be a game-changer, as the general opinion I've gathered from reading is that it's the best all-around flying site in the world. Obviously the best F1N site in the world...
Just some thoughts...we need to have a better discourse on this stuff instead of slapping rules changes into place as a bandaid to address problems that are best handled by proper scheduling, logistics, and teamwork. I for one am sick of rules changes in general as a means of trying to effect change in this hobby. They carry far too many unforeseen consequences.
-Joshua Finn
Received on Thu May 01 2014 - 06:41:46 CEST
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