I think Don has given this idea a lot of thought. It has so many valid points, mainly the infusion of non-contest fliers that are now flying, but non-fliers as witnesses so as to encourage them to be fliers and LSF participates. I would encourage the new (2004) board to give these 3 pages of Don's a lot of thought for the future of the LSF. Just a note to those older guys who have already done it, this would take nothing away from you. I congratulate each a everyone of you for your achievements in the LSF program, and encourage you to continue your activities in LSF.
Jerry Miller, Level III and counting SOSS-Medford, OR -----Original Message----- From: Don Stackhouse @ DJ Aerotech [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, October 17, 2003 9:40 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [RCSE] LSF non-competition program ideas (long) (part 3 of 3) (continued from part 2) Of course, while we're coming up with alternatives to the "experience" requirements, we could also do some adjusting to the one-time tasks. For example, we could tie them to the wingspan of the model. The existing thermal tasks for Level V are framed typically around the capabilities of an open-class model from the era in which the program was started. That would be about a 10 ft. span model, but with overall capabilities for launching, ranging and penetrating that are probably somewhat less than today's typical open class ship. One option might be to use a modern 2-meter model for the baseline standard, and therefore to set the thermal duration tasks of Level A to 7.5 minutes for each meter of wingspan, 15 minutes per meter of span for Level B, 30 minutes per meter for Level C and 1 hour per meter of wingspan for Level D. Under this system, if you wanted to get a Level D thermal duration flight with a 1.5 meter HLG, you would have to fly for 90 minutes. If you wanted to use your 3-meter open class moldie, you would need to fly for 3 hours. If you went for it with your 5.5-meter scale ship, better plan to have a cast-iron bladder surgically installed first. A similar approach could apply to the one-time distance tasks. If we use a 2-meter model as the baseline for the current distance tasks, that means that for Level B you would need a 1 kilometer flight, 2 kilometers for Level C and 10 Kilometers for Level D. However, with a 1.5 meter HLG you would only need 0.75, 1.5 and 7.5 kilometers, while that 3-meter moldie would require 1.5, 3 and 15 kilometers respectively. Note, I'm only referring to the requirements for this new branch of the badge program. If other folks want to apply this to the existing program of badges to make it more interesting and more in step with today's technology, that's their business. Wingspan seems to be less of an issue for slope models, so perhaps those tasks should remain the same. I'm open to suggestion on that one. Also, I'd like to hear feedback from folks in tune with the typical slope-soaring contest scene regarding what sort of documented non-contest slope soaring experience would equate to the slope-soaring contest experience and skill level shown by the contest requirements in the existing LSF badge program. Remember when you're thinking about those that we're not trying to kill the new program with excessive requirements, but rather make it just tough enough that accomplishing it demonstrates at least an equivalent level of experience and accomplishment, and commands the same respect, as earning the equivalent "number badge" in the current contest-oriented LSF badge program. Ideally, if we've set all this up right, there should be a significant number of individuals who want to complete BOTH programs. Who will be the first to have both a Level V and a Level D badge, or even two of each? As far as submissions and record keeping, I recommend we stay within the framework of the existing voucher system as much as possible, to make it easier to fit into the existing LSF program infrastructure. Additional documentation for the "experience" portions of the requirements would simply involve legible photocopies of the appropriate pages from the aspirant's logbook, with the applicable flights highlighted, plus a tally of the flights involved showing that they add up to the required number of flights and number of hours. The idea is to keep it as simple as possible so we don't create problems for Jim Deck. Of course if the participation in this new program is so great that Jim can't handle it all, the LSF might need to get him an assistant. As I mentioned at the beginning, this would be no different than if participation in the existing program had suddenly increased, and in any case would show that the LSF had become more successful. This is a GOOD thing, folks! The other aspect of the existing LSF program that we've touched on briefly, but needs more elaboration, is the mentoring aspect. Supposedly a holder of an existing LSF badge has contributed to the history of R/C soaring and to the soaring community through their mentoring and other encouragement of new blood in our sport. The badge indicates a mastery of a certain level of soaring technology, and presumably the contest and witnessing requirements imply that they've passed at least some of that knowledge on to others (although that is not absolutely guaranteed by the current requirements, only the opportunity for it to occur). We could make it a requirement for these new badges that the aspirant must log a certain number of hours of time directly helping beginners. That should include hours spent helping with building as well as flying. A similar system of logbook entries could be used to document this activity, just like the way full-scale instructors keep a logbook of dual instruction given. Legacy requirements: Another issue is the long-term contribution to our hobby. Many of the current Level V badge holders have made significant contributions to advancement of the state of the art in our sport. Presumably the achievement of a Level V badge indicates an accumulated understanding of how our models work, and how they interact with their environment. The same should be true of a Level D badge. I have somewhat mixed feelings about how far to take this concept, but might even make sense to build it into the requirements. One way to accomplish that would be to make a requirement for a Level B badge that at least one of the one-time tasks for that badge be done with a model built by the aspirant (no ARF's, models built for you by someone else, or pre-builts allowed). Kits would be OK. For Level C it would be a scratch-built model, or a from-plans model. The great classical guitarist Andre Segovia admonished each of his students, who would themselves later be the "cream of the crop" among classical guitarists, that they had a responsibility to add to the body of work available to other classical guitarists. Some did this by making original compositions, while others such as the great Christopher Parkening transcribed and adapted existing music such as some of Johann Sebastian Bach's compositions so that they could be performed on the guitar. In this same vein, for Level D we could make a requirement for something akin to a "doctoral thesis" by requiring that the model used in at least one of the Level D one-time tasks be an original design by the aspirant. That's right, if you want a Level D badge, you have to learn enough about the design and construction of model sailplanes to design and build a model yourself that is capable of completing one of the tasks required for the badge. Part of the documentation required would be a set of plans for that model, or proof that the plans had been published in a periodical, or proof that your design was kitted and available from a commercial source. You could kit it and sell it yourself, or get some established company to kit your design, but in any case you would have to somehow add another sailplane design to the collection of sailplane designs available to the entire soaring community. These are all ideas of possible foundations of a new branch of the existing program, one that will encourage LSF to reach out to a currently excluded segment of our community, and to encourage and help them to strengthen and expand the soaring community as a whole, as well as helping the LSF to serve as a facilitator for that growth. There are undoubtedly many other possible ideas as well, which should each have their fair shot at inclusion in whatever program evolves from this discussion. Obviously some folks will like some of this, others will like other parts, probably everyone will see things they would prefer to leave out or do differently. However, it is a starting point for a program that can potentially help member of the soaring community as well as the LSF if discussed constructively, and developed and implemented effectively. It also leaves the existing badge program intact and undiluted, and creates additional opportunities for further growth by folks involved in the existing program. The potential exists for a great deal of good for all of us. We just need to reach a consensus on the details, and work together constructively to make that consensus a reality. Don Stackhouse @ DJ Aerotech [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.djaerotech.com 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. 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