SCAT Electronic News 23 July 1998
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- Category: Archive 1998
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SCAT Electronic News 23 July 1998
Table of Contents
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Timekeeping - Allard Van Wallene
Directions to SCAT Composite Class
Timekeeping
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Dear Roger,
Finally someone took the courage to put a (the) finger where it hurts:
biased timekeepers. I witnessed (and experienced I must say) this on
many occasions over the past years. But let's not put the blame on some
timekeepers not playing the game as it should. I would like to add a
point 5 to the list of Richard: Flyers / team managers influencing
(understatement!!) the timekeeper(s), the inexperienced in particular.
Example: a young flyer did a 21 sec. in one of the first rounds of the
W.C. in Portugal. I was standing close to the event, and I saw
the flyer preparing his 2nd model. Afterwards I heard that this flyer tried to
claim a reflight pretending he was making a test flight. It was
Pierre Chaussbourg preventing this from happening. I'm sure if he wasn't
there the timekeeper would have given the guy a reflight. How many times
did we see a flyer trying to 'talk' the model to the max (no no it's
still flying, look!). Only the most experienced timekeepers (flyers)
are strong enough to withstand such pressure.
I would suggest some kind of judge on the field, co-timing randomly
flights during the competition. Compare it to spot model checking. If it
is obvious that someone doesn't play the game, there should be some
kind of penalty. Of course it should not be known who the judge is, so a
flyer will think twice before 'bending the rules'.
Regards, Allard
[Editorial Comment]
I couple of points that come to mind . When we were organizing
the '93 World Champs we had experinced modellers or wives and other family
members who had timing experience as the timekeepers.
I know that one person was excluded because in the past
they has exhibited to much 'creativity'.
I compare many contests in the US where we do not have
'offical' timers and some in Europe where there are.
I felt that some of the keepers in Sazena in '97 were a little inexperinced
and not always well equipped in terms of binoculars. In the fly off I know
that they lost my model before it hit the ground and I my offical time
was a few seconds short of what I really did, but this did not affect the
out come. At that place in the preceeding World Cup event I saw a time
keeper lose Igor Vivchar's f1B high in the sky. A more experinced timer
with better binoculars would not have done that.
It is standard practice at the World Champs for some team managers
to give the time keepers small gifts - pins , t-shirts etc ..
is this OK ?
The only event where we have guaranteed independant timekeepers
is our Team Selection Trials where the contestants hav to time
flyers in other classes and the organizer has an extra pool
of time keepers to help out. Even then people are not always happy !
I think that many times we are so happy to get some
one to help us and time our flights that we put up
with occasional substandard timing.
Driving Directions to Composite Construction Class
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Directions to Leuzinger High School, 4118 W. Rosecrans Ave. Lawndale:
405 South from LAX; Exit east on Rosecrans (second Rosecrans exit, don't
confuse it with west Rosecrans); Between major streets of Hawthorne and
Prairie; East of Hawthorne and 1 block west of Prairie (if you get to
Prairie you've gone too far); Turn right/south on Avis St. and park in
school parking lot (you will see the school clearly from Rosecrans on
right side of street); follow posted signs to bandroom.
The drive is approximately 15 minutes from LAX, under Saturday morning
traffic conditions.
........
Roger Morrell
