Hi Guys

 

I probably should just keep my mouth shut but for those that know my history of falling on my head from many years of motocross and ski racing (sometimes without a helmet,SL & GS),  know I am not the brightest bulb on the string.  That said; the following is a format I think would provide a great team although I make a few huge assumptions about the need for rounds flying and the "dead zone".  I assume that our team members models are very capable of making the fly off  if air choices are good and that flying our best models over and over will not make them better and just wears stuff out.  If we are working on something new, then by all means we need to keep testing.  I have never been on a team so am speaking without much knowledge but it seems the team helps pick the air so I do not understand the need for multiple contests, if we stand on the line waiting for someone good like Alex to shoot one up for us to follow.  Our contests are n ot formatted like the WCs, although could be.  Sooo, I am thinking, if our goal is to choose a team that have the best performing models, they have a great chance at making it through the rounds to the fly offs.

 

Here is the idea.  A three day contest at Lost Hills or a 1000 acre sod farm to be found.  Fly to the ground in the early morning for two classes followed by to the ground in the evening for two classes the other to time (help will be needed here like always because of the difference in number of contestants).  Do this for three days which will give each class four results; take the best three total time to determine the team in each class.  I would also propose that the launch window be five minutes and F1 Bs could be prewound.  Times are for example only.

     Day 1               Day 2               Day3

7am F1A               F1 B                 F1 C

7:30 F1 B              F1 C                 F1A

 C times                A times              B times

 

6pm F1 C            F1 A                  F1 B 

6:30 F1A             F1 B                  F1C

 B times               C times              A times

 

I am buckling up my helmet chin strap now and hiding behind my van so "let'r buck"

 

Best Regards

 

Mike Roberts


An Old Timer observes ..

a comment on John's comments
 
Making the team has become as much financial as it has flying skills!There r many excellent flyers who can't afford to flit around to all the qualifying events since essentually they mostly take place on the west coast! Even my dear friend Bob Gutai has confessed to me it has become a financial hardship and he does no know how much longer he can continue. ln the good old days we had tean selection from three areas across the country with a team member coming from each of three districts and not all from flying in California.ln fact it was at these selections where l met Frank Parmenter and the other famous memners of the Brainbusters club.And even as interesting, we still produced several world champions!At that time we had names like Cannizzo,Hatschek,Reich,Hartill,Montplasir,Allen,Gutai,Keck,Wagner,Sifleit,Ehling,Rousanville and so many,many more!This now has become an area only limited to the flyers who are also finacially abled to travel anywhere they care to compete and l know if the thinking in this arena would be changed that there would be more very qualified people picking up the gauntlet........just a bit of food for thought from an old timer!

sincerely,

Krine "Red" Laffler


Editorial comment ..