2022 NATIONALS SUGGESTION PAGE

[mikecondon]

As a reminder, I can not express enough, how important your input plays a part in next years format.!! Its a long way off, but as I stated before, 2021 is fresh in minds of all. Some decisions need to be made far in advance. There are a hand full that will wait till they see me onsite and tell me what I should have done or should do!! Be brave!!

[Chago_N20P]

Thanks to open for suggestions.

I too favor the following:
1. No lunch practice
2. A fix no round time start after each day.
3. Single matrix for AMA426 and AMA422

To quote an earlier post: "A single matrix contest with more rounds allows for further separation, and in turn, fewer fly-offs"

Reversing or mixing the schedule by starting with Q500 and Q40, and ending sport q500 and EF1 may work out better for most.
I would be incline to participate in everything if this was the schedule.
1st day (Sat or Sun) could be dedicated to practice and tech inspections.

thanks
Chago

[Jim DeYoung]

I would be in favor of single sequence and no finals. That way everyone keeps racing until the race is done.
Jim

[MLH]

Since 2022 will be an unusual year with the WC proceeding the Nats I would suggest changing the order of the competition. Move Q40 to first in the week. That will allow many of the WC competitors to fly that class also. Our friends from around the world also fly Q40 (F3T I think it is called) but do not have a chance to compete in the US in most cases. Would make for an interesting contest. Almost a 3rd WC.

Mike

[KRProton]

I've read through the suggestions again and have put together my thoughts mostly from what Dan Kane and Jim Allen wrote:

With the Preliminaries and then Finals rounds format, people who don't make the finals leave after the preliminaries and some people who make the finals, but are no longer in contention after a couple rounds also leave or quit flying. With a single matrix format (no Prelims, no Finals), some people just filter out more gradually as they realize they have no shot at getting the finish they want (first place or whatever). So as Jim and DK wrote, either way, you're going to have dwindling numbers in the end, so in the interest of keeping more pilots on hand neither will work better than the other.

But in the interest of having a meaningful competition for those who do remain and are in contention at the end, with the fewer number of pilots in the finals rounds, isn't it more likely that there will be competitive, meaningful races that determine the standings right up through the last rounds?

That said, there may (or maybe not?) be a significant number of pilots who feel they have little chance of making a finals and therefore may not even attend the Nat's. In this regard, I suppose it has to be decided what is the purpose of the Nat's. To provide a venue for the most pilots, or hold an event that, as efficiently as possible, determines a national champion.

Tim Lampe

[MLH]

Oops! the WC will be before the Nats.

[Chago_N20P]

I still like the idea to begin with Q40.

That said, there may (or maybe not?) be a significant number of pilots who feel they have little chance of making a finals and therefore may not even attend the Nat's. In this regard, I suppose it has to be decided what is the purpose of the Nat's. To provide a venue for the most pilots, or hold an event that, as efficiently as possible, determines a national champion.

Either way a champion is determined. The single matrix w/o the finals allows most folks to fly until the end, which is what pilots who make the huge effort to attend request comes from.
I do not buy that folks throw the towel when they learn they will not place. You may have 1 or 2 trophy hunters that may do that but the majority just want to continue participating.

FYI: my best Q40 race happened towards the Quali end, and I already know I would not qualify. I literary raced balls to the walls with very fast company and zeroed. Still it was the highlight of my Nats.

[mikecondon]

Great to see the suggestions so far!!! They are taken seriously towards changes for 2022. The amount of post to this subject is still 45 short of the suggestions that I get on site during the Nats!!!...lol
Keep the replys coming!!!!...

[fizzwater2]

For what it's worth, I would also prefer the single matrix for each event, instead of qualifying and finals.

I also wouldn't switch up the order, leave Q40 for the last.

just my .02c worth.

[LittleViking]

I've been to the past 4 NATS, and this year was my first year getting into the finals. I really enjoyed the competition in the finals, getting the restart and having to race until the end for your placement. I understand why others don't like the finals, but even though it stopped me from flying many past NATS, I think that they are a great way to determine the winners of the race. It may be costly for those who end up a part of the carnage, but I feel that at the NATS the competition should be fierce all the way through.

I like having Q40 towards the end, but next year it might be of interest to put it in the beginning due to the WC. That way WC pilots from other countries have the opportunity to experience American Q40. I remember when Emil and Gunnar Broberg came over from Sweden to the Champ Race and they said it was much more fun than racing FAI style, as they do in the rest of the world.

Lunch Practice could be removed, but I find it helpful at times if you need to adjust or fix your airplane mid-race. It allows you to test fly before the next heat, and a couple times that has saved me from a 0.

I saw some people talking about flying FAI at the NATS, and I would love to have another opportunity to fly my F3D planes, but I think the field of people flying would be pretty small.

Take my advice with a grain of salt, after all, I am just a kid.
Leo