RE: 2009 Basic Narrative
Z - I am not sure I understand your concern. Narratives that are helpful tend to be those that are simple decoding of Aresti, such as a the invidual elements that make up a figure. When they get into judging criteria, if they do not follow the language of the rules, they are of little value. What happens though, is that people read them instead of the rules, and the narrative becomes what is quoted, rather than the rule, and that can lead to judging issues. these threads are useful because it brings to light misunderstandng of the rules, and in doing so, creates better judges and better informed competitors. Aresti is a simple and straightforward language, and while i think you can survive in basic without being able to read it, the unknowns in the upper classes pretty much require it. As Danny said, trying to fly a sequence off a narrative is very difficult and requires the caller to be focused on the narrative rather than the flight. Using Aresti only requires a quick glimpse, even for complex figures.
The FAI catalog can be used to construct literally thousands of figures, the larger majority of which do not have names. An Immelman by definition is a half inside loop followed by a half roll. Change the roll to a 1 1/2 snap and it is no longer an Immelman and the caller and pilot need to come up with how it is to be called. Names like teardrop and bowtie are used by convention, but they do not refer to a specific figure, only its outline.