SEN 1046 - 2 Nov 2006
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SEN issue 1046 - 2 November 2006
Table of Contents
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The Money and the mouth
Jim and Sam's point of view - Farmer
Congratulations [to Ben] on 5th place USA Team Trials finish - Edmonson
Finals 2006 pictures - Norvall
F1 Shrink
The Money and the mouth
========================
In reading much correspondence about the finals there are number of
complaints about the time of year and the site.
The reason the finals was held at Lost Hills is because ONE
[and I believe ONLY ONE] qualified CD - Mike McKeever volunteered
to do it at the site where he could get the most help and
do the best job - Lost Hills. It's just not practical to
fly at Lost Hills [ or other South
Western sites such as Eloy or El Dorado Dry lake] during the
summer months. - So it had to be in October , or at least not
June , July or August.
If you don't like where the finals is or the way its run you
can do what George Batiuk did a few years back after a less
than memorable Florida finals - that is offer to run the finals to
show how he thought it should be done, which he continued to
do for a couple more cycles until he thought he
had shown everyone the right way and quite rightly decided it
was someone else's turn.
We did switch East/ West coast until the Palm Bay site just became
too over grown and just not suitable. I seem to remember that Florida
is hot too but we flew a little earlier in the year, Septemebr , I think
still a problem for people at school. In spite of some serious searching
by people who really wanted to find a good site beside Lost Hills
there was no sucess. If October is the bigger problem or just some other place
than Lost Hills is what's needed maybe there are sites in the West
that are big but not too hot in July ?
Jim and Sam's point of view
===========================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The plan was to sit back and enjoy all this discussion about the finals and
team selection process as an interested observer. Who was I kidding? A
couple of you have hit directly on my situation, and I have to tell you that
it took the fun right out of my plan. I'm talking about comments by George
Ulm (who I don't know yet), Ken B, and Lorbieki senior relating to how the
present team selection process/schedule affects participation, or lack of.
They all pointed out how the fact that the finals is in the Fall, and during
the week, makes it difficult for flyers with families to attend. I can
relate.
Because of some trickery by Jim Parker, I was lured back into this sport
three years ago when he put F1H gliders in the hands of two of my boys at
the December Eloy contest. They liked it, and of course I liked it (Jim
loaned me an electronic F1H also), so we got it going. The interest level
has been up and down since, but I've been pretty succesful at fielding at
least one Junior flyer for a few events each year. The thing is though, I'm
only in this if the boys are in it. If they're out I'm out. Maybe some of
you don't know this yet, or possibly forgot, but moms really frown on dads
having a hobby that requires extended travel and expense, and no kids
involved. I'm talkin major stink eye. And I don't have a problem with
that.
Sam (my second oldest) and I were both qualified for the finals, but didn't
go. Why? Well, Sam couldn't justify missing that much school and also
football. He was in a tough fight for starting linebacker on the JV team,
and didn't want to risk it. OK, Sam's out, maybe I can use Joe, my 11 year
old. No good. Joe's fall break was the following week, so couldn't justify
missing the preceding week, and Joe wouldn't be interested in just hanging
around anyway. He likes to fly. So, no Sam, no Joe, that means I'm out
too.
This is not sour grapes. It's no big deal to me personally, or even to Sam,
that we couldn't attend. Neither of us have much interest in flying at a
World champs at this time, so the selection process was definitely not hurt
by our absence (despite our superior flying skills). But, it would have
been fun to participate, and we definitely would have if it weren't so
inconvenient. That's the only point. So, I guess it depends on how
important it is to the sport, or to the team process, to keep more family
types involved. I suspect that there are others like us out there, but hard
to know. I like the suggestions of having the finals in the Summer, even if
during the week. I can and would take the time off, just as I did a year
ago for the Junior finals at Muncie. I don't have any comment on format -
seems ok as is, but so do some of the proposed alternatives.
Anyhow, hope to see some of you America's cup aspirants at Eloy in December,
and good luck to the new team!
Jim
Congratulations [to Ben] on 5th place USA Team Trials finish
==================================
Dave Edmonson
Hi Ben
Thanks for the comments.
I certainly disagree with you concerning flapping models at Lost Hills.
I think it to be quite unsportsmanlike and not fair unless the help is
provided to all of the flyers. Incidentally, I think Brian Van Nest got
help in round 10 when you and I dropped. His model was coming down like
a brick, towards a 90 second or less flight when it got over the flight
line and he got flapping help, and then motorcycle help. You or I could
have been on the team. I still think about that because I wanted very
badly to be on the US FAI team when a teenager.
In my day as a teenager, there were NO junior FAI programs, and I had to
compete with the guys who were then in their prime, like Hugh Langevin,
Frank Parmenter, and the likes. I won A-2 at the 1960 NATS in Dallas as
a senior. I also beat Bucky Servaites and Bob Sifleet in FAI power as a
Junior at the King Orange Internationals=85with a model that I built. I
entered my first FAI team trials in 1958 as a 15 year old junior, and
would have qualified for the semi-finals if some idiot had not picked up
my model from the roadside after a good round 3 flight with 2 rounds to
go, and took it home for 2 weeks prior to calling.
I went down to the semi-finals in Wichita Kansas, and busted my only
model during the first windy round.
We have a flying site here in Minneapolis that is 3 x 5 miles, mostly
sod farm. We are not allowed to ride motor cycles on the grass, but can
chase down the side roads if the bikes are licensed. Having said that
we have a flat field of that size, it is private property and we are
greatful just to have easy access to a such a plot.
As I told another fellow, if all there is to acceptable FAI flying is a
field at Lost Hills, I am not too interested in the program. It is time
to diversify the final sites, and I think this 2 in a row is a one time
thing . I hope.
I am glad to see your enthusiasm, we need more young people in body.
All of us old guys are still young at heart, but sometimes our bodies do
not keep up. Like flying off a chase bike on Saturday before the
finals, and flying F1A on an injured knee. Went out flying this past
Sunday, and I am still hobbling a bit.
But don't count me out. I still have plans for models that circle tow
better and fly better, and maybe with 40 less pounds will continue to be
competitive??
Best regards
Dave Edmonson
Finals 2006 pictures
====================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Here is a website that I put a bunch of photos from the Finals.
go to this web site http://s119.photobucket.com/albums/o159/iflyf1b/2006finals/
Put it the password wakefield and enjoy
Larry Norvall
[Great shots Larry !]
F1 Shrink
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I was suprised to see that only people who commented one way of another of
the results of the infomal meeting held during the Euro Champs with the
results, slanted to changing the rules to decrease performance - were the Danes.
This is clearly a subject that will come up at the CIAM meeting. There was
a significant write up in the latest Free Flight News.
Maybe if we move to the mini-Events we can have the finals at Muncie , or
even go back to Palm bay ?! and we could have the World Champs on malta and then
it would be local for the Siefferts !
.............
Roger Morrell
