I tend to disagree with Don, on the Judges moving around. The flier should signal to the Judges where he will do his next trick, and then they should move only when so directed. What if the Judges move to the wrong spot? I think the flier would take a hit on points, and would have a very good reason to complain. If the flier can't be bothered to signal, why should the Judges move? I understand that the latest rules prevent the Judges from moving more than 1/8 circle during a flight, OBTW. :! Steve
"STEVE..SORRY BUD!!!
"Then if that is true...that the latest rule "PREVENTS THE JUDGES FROM MOVING MORE THAN 1/8 OF A CIRLCLE DURING A FLIGHT!" IS NOT ONLY DEAD WRONG....BUT IS AS LAME AS THOSE FLAT-FOOTED LAZYBOY HEADED JUDGES.....who handicap not only themselves...but even worse...lessens their ability to judge the very shapes of the pattern from their ALL IMPORTANT VIEW POINT....BUT EVEN WORSE...IT SICKENS ME TO EVEN THINK THAT A FLYER WOULD HAVE TO LESSEN HIS ABILITY TO FLY HIS BEST PATTERN....BY HAVING TO COW DOWN TO LAZY FLAT FOOTED JUDGES, WHO ARE VIRTUALLY BLINDED BY NOT STANDING IN THE CORRECT UPWIND POSITION?
For an experiment...JUST TRY TO STAND IN ONE SPOT...RECORD A FLIGHT ON VIDEO....either slightly up wind or downwind, while another video camera is given to another judge who moves in cadence with the wind direction changes...
TRUST THIS!!!!
TALK ABOUT HOW DIFFERENT A PATTERN WILL APPEAR...FROM EITHER VANTAGE POINTS.
I have flown and judged numerous precision sportkite competitions...and nothing will eliminate any judge faster...THAN A JUDGE WHO REFUSES TO MOVE TO THE UPWIND SIDE OF THE KITE PATTERN WINDOW! The judging staff always move in cadence with the direction of the wind at all times...EVEN DURING A HUGE WIND SHIFT.
Even when kite patterns are flown with-in only HALF A WINDOW..HUGE DIFFERENCES IN SHAPES...WILL VARY GREATLY!
ROUNDS BECOME EGG SHAPES...SQUARES CORNERS BECOME VIRTUALLY UNJUDGEABLE...AS WELL AS HEIGHTS...ETC.
Nothing reeeks more disrespect than judges who refuse to understand (or give a rippazzz) the aerodynamics of flying either kites or toy model airplanes, that are restricted to flying on strings...that rely on the flyers ability to adjust to the variations of wind conditions and direction changes.....AND THEN REFUSE TO WORK IN TANDUM WITH THE JUDGES...
BOTTOM LINE:
EITHER THE JUDGES NEED TO CHANGE..OR THE RULES NEED A CHANGE?
RULES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN....ESPECIALLY IF THE RULE IS STUPID DEAD WRONG!
PUT THAT IN BOB GIESKE'S PIPE AND SMOKE IT!!!!![/move]
A good choice of video's that show EXACTLY what I was trying to get across about what happens when JUDGES DO NOT MAKE AN EFFORT TO ACCOMIDATE THE STUNT FLYER THAT IS UTILIZING THE DIRECTION OF THE OFTEN VARIBLE WIND DIRECTIONS,in order to illustrate and present the best illustration of perfection in flying of the stunt maneuvers.
For example...even a world class champion's VIRTUALLY PERFECTLY PERFORMED TRIANGLE..WILL LOOK HORRIFIC to any judge if he stands slightly up wind or down wind. Either direction to right or left will make on side of the triangle look steep or flattened.
Great examples are shown on the rounds and square 8 and a perfectly performed hour-glass looks especially poorly performed maneuver...if the judge or photographer DOES NOT MOVE WITH THE VARIBLE FLOW OF THE WIND!
Even worse yet...is the JUDGE (especially if this judge happens to be a seasoned competition flyer) YOU CAN BET YOUR BRITCHES...that if this flyer doesn't move to the center of the flyers wind window...SADLY, this judge will take into account what he THINKS HE SEE'S that flyer performing that maneuver and will judge him on what he feels is a perfect example.
BOTTOM LINE: AGAIN.
We know that a JUDGED EVENT is just that (A JUDGED EVENT) but I think EVERYONE COULD IMPROVE THEIR FLYING AND THE SCORES...
SIMPLY, IF BOTH THE FLYER AND THE JUDGES...MAKE A MUTUAL EFFORT TO PERFORM THE TASK OF KEEPING TRACK OF OFTEN VARIBLE WIND DIRECTIONS...AND MAKE THAT SAME EFFORT TO WORK TOGETHER show as to illustrate the best duplication of stunt flight path as shown in the old humdrum'worntofrazzzelled stunt pattern rule book!
ANY ONE SEEN A PERFECT PATTERN?????? PRETTY DARN CLOSE BUT---LET'S GET REAL, AS SOBERING AS IT MAY BE...I HAVE NOT SEEN A PERFECT PATTERN-----EVER!
MAYBE SOME DAY....BUT NOT YET!!!! I AM FROM ARKANSAS..NOT MISERY' SHOW ME!!
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