Sadly it does not work like that. A FAI team has to be picked under specific guidelines, they include using the FAI scoring system, judges that are voted on by the contest board, and a few other things that I cannot think of right this second. It would, however, be nice to not have to make two trips to Muncie every other year. Just ask Brett how he feels about that.
Derek
Derek, I am not picking on you, but chose your statement to try to explain something here.
Actually, there are no guidelines/requirements that specify how any "Team" is selected to represent a "country/national aerosport organization" for any FAI aeromodeling world championship. The FAI is the governing body that oversees international sport aviation activities. Here in the US, the NAA governs all of the activities regarding the US participation in any FAI sanctioned sport aviation activity. Our AMA, as a part of the NAA, oversees the US participation in any FAI sanctioned event. In turn, the AMA will solicit bids for a team selection process. In most cases, the AMA has established a team selection committee to initiate the process to establish a team selection program. Also, in most cases, the AMA through those specific team selection committees will work with the relevant Special Interest Groups (SIG's, in our case PAMPA) to actually administer whatever team selection program is chosen. Over the years, before and after PAMPA was created, our F2B teams have always been selected by a single team selection finals where FAI rules and scoring are used. Actually, though it is almost unimaginable that it would ever happen, the AMA could establish a world championship team just by appointment of the team members. (This is highly unlikely in today's environment where the AMA is looking for excuses to eliminate teams to the world championships.) Instead, almost universally, the AMA depends on the AMA team selection committees and SIGs to determine the makeup of a team to the world championships.
There is absolutely no requirement that any special, single event team selection finals program be held to establish any of the AMA world championship teams. For our F2B teams, we have always held a single FAI F2B Team Selection finals (though I am not too sure about the process in the early days of FIA CL World Championships which started in 1960). The team selection process is determined by the respective team selection committees, approved by the AMA. There is nothing in that process that requires any separate team selection finals. It is possible that an F2B team could be selected based on the results of our Nationals or any contest for that matter or just by the team selection committee submitting names (no contest or finals) if the process were approved by the AMA.
To most in our CL Aerobatics community, it makes sense to hold a separate team finals, using FAI rules where the primary difference is in the scoring systems used (10-40 points per maneuver, pattern points, and appearance points for AMA scoring vs 0-10 points with K factors, different penalties for incorrectly flown maneuvers, and no appearance points for the FAI system). It has been argued that whoever flies the best pattern will be scored the highest, regardless of the scoring system. There is some merit to that argument. However, because of the K factors for the more "difficult" maneuvers, the FAI system puts a premium on flying those portions of the pattern better so a top score in one system might not translate to a top score with the other system.
In the past, our FAI scale teams have been selected based on performance in the AMA Nats scale events. That could be done now to select our F2B teams, but so far, those overseeing the "process" has determined not to do so. Some of the details would have to be worked out, like what to do with appearance points and pattern points, what kind of qualification process (if any, there are options) to use, but the Nats could well be used to select our F2B team, either based on the Nats event itself, or hold a separate event before or after the Nats.
The F2B Team Selection Committee will soon need to initiate the process for the program next year. There are many things and options to consider.
Keith
By the way, the procedures for the AMA World Championshp teams can be reviewed at
http://www.modelaircraft.org/events/teaminfo.aspx
Topic: 2013 Nats date change (Read 13454 times)