I don't know whether the people on this RCSE thread are reading the corresponding thread or not so I am reposting a message I have on that thread in this forum. Before everyone loads up to shoot, please understand that these thoughts are offered not as definitive but more as illustrative of what might be done with regard to an alternative path. The posting includes a paper discussing evaluating achievement award tasks based on skill requirements and an illustrative proposal as to one way an alternative program might be structured:
A proposal regarding tasks and skills. This is partly a rehash of a previous communication -- revised to illustrate one way a "Sportsman" track Achievement Award program could be structured. The objectives in this proposal are: 1. Mitigate the problems participants would have with regard to the logistics and/or other difficulties required to complete the existing LSF Competition Tasks. 2. Mitigate the problems participants have with respect to Goal and Return tasks -- specifically the unsuitablility of this event for people who live in densely populated areas, areas where it is unsafe and/or illegal to fulfill the requirements of the task (most places it is illegal to ride in the bed of a moving pickup truck and illegal for passengers to not use their seatbelts -- thereby making operation of a transmitter through an open sunroof problematic.) 3. To encourage some level of participation in group activities which advance the sport. 4. To be mostly achievable with typical club at a typical club site. 5. To devise an alternative program where the challenge at any level is comparable (+/_ to its existing LSF equivalent. 6. To complement and augment the existing LSF program. Level I -- Exactly identical to current Level I tasks Level II -- Exactly identical to current Level II tasks (I realize this has a competition element, but it is easily achieveable at most club sites and is consistent with objective 3 above. Level III -- Identical with current Level III Thermal Duration and Slope tasks. Goal and Return is modified to allow distance to be flown in laps not less than 0.5 KM per full lap (Minimum turning distance are approx. 792 feet.) Competition Requirements Can be fulfilled either in accordance with current Level III Competition requirements as written or by completing any combination of the following competition event equivalents which totals six "competition equivalent events". (A) Placing in a competition event which has 10 or more entrants. (B) Completing a competition equivalent event which consists of three rounds of 10 minute AMA Task T2 (Precision Duration) using an AMA L4 Spot landing with a total score greater than or equal to 2000 points*. All three rounds must be completed within 1 hour. Level IV -- Identical with current Level IV Thermal Duration and Slope tasks. Goal and Return is modified to allow distance to be flown in laps not less than 0.5 KM per full lap (Minimum turning distance are approx. 792 feet.) Competition Requirements Can be fulfilled either in accordance with current Level IV Competition requirements as written or by completing any combination of the following competition event equivalents which totals six "competition equivalent events". (A) Placing in a competition event which has 15 or more entrants. (B) Completing a competition equivalent event which consists of three rounds of 10 minute AMA Task T2 (Precision Duration) using an AMA L4 Spot landing with a total score greater than or equal to 2000* points. All three rounds must be completed within 1 hour. Level V -- Identical with current Level V Thermal Duration and Slope tasks. (I realize that this includes an onerous Slope task which cannot be substituted with another Thermal task. At this level of accomplishment, this is the one compromise in this proposal to the concept of solving the logistics problem (perhaps an exception could be granted for aspirants who do not live within 500 miles or some other such distance from a reasonable slope.) Goal and Return is modified to allow distance to be flown in laps not less than 0.5 KM per full lap (Minimum turning distance are approx. 792 feet.) Competition Requirements Can be fulfilled either in accordance with current Level V Competition requirements as written or by completing any combination of the following competition event equivalents which totals six "competition equivalent events". (A) Placing in a competition event which has 20 or more entrants. (B) Completing a competition equivalent event which consists of three rounds of 10 minute AMA Task T2 (Precision Duration) using an AMA L4 Spot landing with a total score greater than or equal to 2350 points. All three rounds must be completed within 1 hour. For Level V only,in addition to (or as a part of) completing the combination of the 6 competition and/or "competition equivalent" events the aspirant would be required to participate in at least three competition events with more than 25 entrants. (the events used to satisfy this requirement could include events which qualify for (A) above. (I realize this, too, runs counter to Objective #1 above, but at this level of achievement -- reallly thin air -- it does not seem unreasonable to expect the aspirant to do a little more to support Objective #3 above.) *Points suggested for these tasks may need revision. Perhaps LSF can look at results of past LSF events and interpolate better numbers -- or perhaps LSF competitors can suggest appropriate numbers. I prepared this proposal mindful of the criteria set forth in a paper I provided earlier (copy attached). I realize full on that this is just one (perhaps terribly misguided) opinion -- but it seemed to me worthwhile to throw out at a time when the thread seems to be getting caught up in discussion of us vs. LSF. At any rate take it for what it's worth. Don +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Filename: Defining Model Soaring Achievement Levels By Skill Analysis.doc| |Download: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=981065 | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ -- dharban ------------------------------------------------------------------------ dharban's Profile: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/member.php?u=31927 View this thread: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=567627 RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off. Email sent from web based email such as Hotmail and AOL are generally NOT in text format
