If you've read this forum much, you've probably heard that running an
F3B contest is labor intensive. I also noticed a post that stated the was a
worker shortage at the USA Team Trials at Muncie. On Saturday, I drove down
and spent the better part of the day as a "Base B" worker at those trials.
Now, I had also worked "Base B" in the rain at this year's NATs on Sunday so
I knew what to expect workwise. What I missed may go a long way toward
explaining why there's an F3B worker shortage. Now I've been around long
enough that I realize that pilots at a team trials probably have a lot on
their minds competing for a spot on the US team, but I have to observe that
the cream of the R/C Soaring crop seems to have forgotten a couple of basic
things. First: WITHOUT volunteers, you simply would NOT be able to have the
competition in the first place. The volunteers are as vital as extra winch
line or a backup sailplane. Second: Common courtesy costs nothing. Sure,
the CD thanked the volunteers for their efforts, but at least during the day
I spent there, hardly any pilots took the few minutes to personally
acknowledge the efforts or even the presence of the volunteers. I realize
the best pilots in the country probably have almost nothing in common with
the people helping but a friendly word or two from the "cream of the crop"
would go a long way toward making a long tedious time seem worthwhile.
Remember, every hour a volunteer gives is gone, never to be available again
for flying, building, or some other pleasurable activity. At this point,
the reader may be wondering what it was that I missed. The answer is really
quite simple. At the NATs F3B event, more than one pilot made a point (some
even walked all the way out to base B) to say thanks for making it possible
for us to "do our thing". Now, those personal thanks really meant
something and went a long way toward my decision to come down and help out.
At the NATs, I was made to feel like a vital part of the competition by the
competitors themselves - sorry I can't say the same for the team trials.
I'd sure like to think that the avid pursuit of the soaring skills required
for serious F3B competition does not provide a breeding ground for "prima
donnas". If it does, I think I have an explanation why not that many fly
F3B and why F3B workers are in short supply.
I do, however want to wish the 2005 USA F3B Team the best of luck and
hope that, in Finland, they'll trek out to Base B and thank the workers
there.
Jim Deck
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.
