Hi All
Below is the proposal to add Expert Skill class to the NATs, it passed overwhelmingly at the PAMPA meeting
The gloom and doom scenario Brett states will not happen:
To The PAMPA EC
Subject: Proposal to add the final skill class of Expert to the NATs schedule.
The main reason for PAMPA’s existence is to promote aerobatic C/L flying and increase the numbers of pilots doing so, With that in mind:
We propose adding Expert to the NATs in C/L Precision Aerobatics. This will facilitate making our event more inclusive, and could increase participation, and help grow numbers of new pilots, or pilots that for BOM and other reasons, cannot fly event 322. This will include many people that are expert pilots not advanced , but are also not quite ready to go to OPEN, as it is now they have no choice. Adding Expert will extend that choice to them. It will give a place for many U.S and other foreign pilots that would travel to the U.S for our NATs, but have RTFs or ARFs to travel with ,or have bought or borrowed planes.
This proposal is designed to help increase the number of pilots flying Control Line Aerobatics, without affecting the tradition of the 322 events , (322 is Open, Jr. and Sr.) and the tradition of picking the best modeler/pilot in the U.S as the National Stunt Champion.
Every PAMPA skill class we have added so far has turned into a great way to help increase the numbers of new pilots enjoying the NATs experience. Expert will be another feeder event for Open.
This will also help the Advanced class by allowing Advanced flyers to compete without the local Experts that far too often, now fly in that class at the Nats.
This will not affect event 322 in Jr. Sr. or Open. The Expert class is a Skill class event, and will not fly in any flyoff with the 322 event. Just as Advanced flyer do not now or ever.
The Expert event can be run very easily with the circles and manpower we use now, by simply adding them to the 2 qualifying circles we use for the Advanced class. Pick 10 qualifying pilots for Advanced and 10 For Expert. Their respective scores would simply be kept separate on the scoreboards. Fly off for the Expert and Advanced finals on 2 circles and use the other 2 circles for the Open Finals.
This is not intended to affect , or to do away with the BOM in any shape form or fashion, in any event, be it Skill classes or 322. The Non-mandatory BOM rule for skill classes would still apply where non-BOM models can be flown but will not receive appearance points.
Remember ,PAMPA’s Job 1 and main reason to exist is to get more people flying this event, This is the ONLY proposal I have seen , in a long time, that has a good chance at increasing the numbers of pilots flying the US NATs in C/L Precision Aerobatics
EXPERT is already an official event, and is in the rulebook so it takes no rule change, all we need do is just run it.
Sincerely
Randy Smith and Keith Trostle
This proposal has zero effect on any Flyoff for any other Event , 322 included.
This will help in many other ways, it will help Clear the Advanced Skill Class of the local, and other EXPERTS that fly there now.
It will take NO more personnel to do this, as it can be run inside the 4 circles we use now.
It will help the Intermediates in moving up to a class that is full of only Advanced flyers.
It will let other Flyers from outside the US come and have a Skill Class to fly, as well as anyone else in the US that buys or for whatever reason has a plane he did not build.
It will also help with the large gap that exist between the Advanced class and qualifying to fly Open 322
It also may help relieve a little bit of the OPEN BOM wars