Playing with the idea of flying again after a 12 year absence I converted my 12 lb. Epicure to electric due to the field I joined was electric only. I used a Hacker A50-12 with a 6 bat. The intent was to make this old plane as a fun fly and not pattern. A few months later I ran into Mike Austen at the AMA field. We quickly became friends. He convinced me to do a D7 contest with him at . The first thing I noticed on contest day was that we were invisible to almost everyone. I walked through the pits to get ideas and ask advice and, except for one guy, I got nothing. On Sunday we found out that the flyers had a get together the night before at one of the local restaurants. We weren’t invited.   So here we have two relatively new guys coming from 250 miles out of town.  A first impression is your last impression and this one was not a good one for any new flyer.  At the beginning of a contest we should ask if there are any new flyers and if they need any assistance, questions , or any help.

Gary

quote:

ORIGINAL: caution

Playing with the idea of flying again after a 12 year absence I converted my 12 lb. Epicure to electric due to the field I joined was electric only. I used a Hacker A50-12 with a 6 bat. The intent was to make this old plane as a fun fly and not pattern. A few months later I ran into Mike Austen at the AMA field. We quickly became friends. He convinced me to do a D7 contest with him at . The first thing I noticed on contest day was that we were invisible to almost everyone. I walked through the pits to get ideas and ask advice and, except for one guy, I got nothing. On Sunday we found out that the flyers had a get together the night before at one of the local restaurants. We weren’t invited.   So here we have two relatively new guys coming from 250 miles out of town.  A first impression is your last impression and this one was not a good one for any new flyer.  At the beginning of a contest we should ask if there are any new flyers and if they need any assistance, questions , or any help. 

Gary

quote:

ORIGINAL: caution

Playing with the idea of flying again after a 12 year absence I converted my 12 lb. Epicure to electric due to the field I joined was electric only. I used a Hacker A50-12 with a 6 bat. The intent was to make this old plane as a fun fly and not pattern. A few months later I ran into Mike Austen at the AMA field. We quickly became friends. He convinced me to do a D7 contest with him at . The first thing I noticed on contest day was that we were invisible to almost everyone. I walked through the pits to get ideas and ask advice and, except for one guy, I got nothing. On Sunday we found out that the flyers had a get together the night before at one of the local restaurants. We weren’t invited.   So here we have two relatively new guys coming from 250 miles out of town.  A first impression is your last impression and this one was not a good one for any new flyer.  At the beginning of a contest we should ask if there are any new flyers and if they need any assistance, questions , or any help.

 

Gary

Peter,   

This is great that you got this reception as it should be, but this is not how it always works. I want to make it clear that I’m not bashing any of the contest directors or contestants. Their  work and friendship is greatly appreciated.  We need to think outside the box on how to improve things and reevaluate  what we are presently doing. Sometimes small simple changes get big positive results.

  My opinions below , take it or leave it. I’m done!

Gary

PLAN :A

 A new flyer comes to his first contest, he’s nervous and unknown. He wanders through the pits seeing the high dollar planes and saying to himself “Am I going to look stupid and is this for me?”  The contest starts and he’s up first (no coincidence as in most cases, as we fly the beginners and unknown guys first) It’s how we test the air for us.

PLAN : B

A new flyer comes to his first contest.  At the pilots meeting the contest director asks if we have any new flyers. He’s introduced to everyone, asked about his plane, experience, equipment, asked if he has questions, told about any get together that night, etc. We offer him an experienced caller. Now the ice is broken. He is now part of the group. Now we know him and when he comes through the pits he’s no longer too intimidated to ask questions and just talk with the guys.

We got it backwards. We need them, they don’t need us. They’re not applying for the privilege to fly with us. We should be applying for them to join our team.

Gary,

I certainly agree that your plan B is what you should see at contests and in my opinion, usually do. 

However, a new contestant has certain obligations as well. He needs to make sure that the CD is aware before the contest that he is planning on attending, make an effort to show up for Friday’s practice and to introduce himself to everyone he runs into.  Friday is when you can meet contestants in a low-pressure environment and ASK for help. You cannot fail to preregister, sign up on Saturday with the non-pattern club member running registration, and then wander around the pits expecting to be noticed. It might happen… or not. This is also the busiest time for the CD. He is trying to keep a number of balls in the air and your newbie ball may fall to the floor. Also keep in mind that there are a lot of out of town contestants that may only see each other at this contest. Expecting them to stop reconnecting and pay attention to someone wandering around the pits is too much.

I would suggest the CD uses name tags listing: name, pattern class, years in pattern or newbie and model. Perhaps a different color tag for the newbie. This identifies everyone you don’t know and potentially gives you a leg up on something to talk about. CDs, are you listening?

Another area is the skill level of the newcomer. We often assign experienced pilots to act as callers. Sometimes this can be excruciating for the caller. When you get someone with a  mistrimmed airplane along with lack of recognition of the fact that they are flying 30 degrees offcourse with a roll angle of twenty degrees and you are supposed to talk them through two loops…… Just do the best you can and offer to help them trim their model after the last round of the day. Plus try to find them some local help down the road.

As far as the Friday night dinners go, these are usually old friends getting together and are not part of the contest nor are they set up by the CD. You best bet is to try to set up a new group with the other sportsmen. I’ve been trying to get past this at my contests by holding a dinner at my house Friday night for all contestants to include significant others, etc. Of course if I don’t know you are coming…..

One thing I’ve pushed for but haven’t managed to pull off even at contests I CD, is a real scoreboard. This would be a board with scores, both raw and normalized, a photo of the flyer and model, plus placing in class for the current round posted. This helps both the contestants and provides an entry point for, dare I say it—spectators.  If you think the new contestants are being ignored, try being a spectator at a contest where you are unknown. When you think about it, anyone who expends the energy to attend a pattern contest as a spectator not only deserves a medal but is also a POTENTIAL PATTERN FLYER.

John Gayer

NSRCA Treasurer

quote:

ORIGINAL: turbo.gst

My experience with going to contests goes along with the clique/ invisible one. Figure the cost of driving some 300 miles( each way) and the cost of a 2 day trip, I could have bought a new toy. I tried to talk to everyone, but it was like pulling teeth. I got the impression that they didn't care if I was there or not. Talking about it to others afterward related the same experience mostly. Very sad state of affairs.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Silent-AV8R

IMAC does not have a box at all. They have no defined airspace that you must fly in other than being in front of the deadline. They used to have a box and also had a centering requirement, but those went away a few years ago. IMAC uses a subjectively judged thing called the "Airspace Control Score or ACS" to attempt to keep sequences within visual sight of the judges. Doesn't always work that way however.

quote:

ORIGINAL: KLXMASTER14

My experience has been positive. I re-entered the active pattern contest "world" a little over a year ago. Prior to that, I went to a couple of IMAC contests. I knew no one, and made it a point to introduce myself. So I do the same at pattern meets, and this is not easy for me, I am much more comfortable in my shell. It is human nature for the "crowd" to size up the new guy. After that, you are either in or out. Again, human nature. If you make an effort to introduce yourself and you are ignored, that is just plain rude. It sucks, but it happens.

When that happens to me, I just remember that I am there to fly my toy airplane and the person that I am really competing with is myself. I really don't care if I win a popularity contest. Sometimes when you carry yourself through such a situation, you gain the respect of those who are seemingly ignoring you. (They're still watching). If they don't, then whatever. They can't all be winners.

That being said, my overall experience has been overwhelmingly positive, and even a dork like me has been accepted, as well as my beautiful wife, and we are grateful to our new friends in the pattern community. Pattern folks by and large are wonderful people, and our lives have been blessed by their acquaintance. Thank you.
.

-Robert