Pattern Politics

I am using this page a spring board of ideas for things I feel are unfair or need to be corrected in Pattern.  My attendance at the 1999 NATS prompted me to do this page.

The noise rule is unfair

At the NATS, one person was penalized for noise and two for size in the advanced class.   The size rule seems fair to me.   After all, we all have rulers and it's easy to know ahead of time if the plane is oversized.  It doesn't make sense to me that someone would bring an oversized plane to the NATS, unless they didn't realize that it would not be checked.  Most local contest don't check after all.
The noise rule is more complicated.  It seems that the noise rule is being used as an excuse to penalize a competitor.  During a flight, the header broke on the competitors muffler.  The competitor was then required to submit to a noise test.   Obviously, he did not pass.  What is the intent of the rule?  I thought it was to keep our airfields quiet.  The pilot was acting in good faith.  Noise levels should be measured before a flight, not afterward.
Some other notes on the noise rule.  I personally object to this being a Pattern Rule.  It is not fair to a Pattern flier to practice at his field and not be able to hear his plane.  When a fellow IMAC flier starts his engine at my club field, I will not be able to hear my plane's engine again until the IMAC flier shuts off his engine.   That's picking on IMAC fliers, but really the problem is the same with all other RC competitors.  Where is the noise rule for Scale, or the noise rule for Pylon?   It would be fair if the noise rule was for all of RC or non of it.  96db is also too restrictive.  Most adequately quiet sport setups are 99db or less.  If a local club wishes to place more restrictive noise measures at there field, they have the prerogative to do so.
It should be noted that I was not one of the three penalized, I just find header breaking a fact of Pattern life.  Enough so that I brought spares with me to the NATS.   This noise rule seems to have its roots in FAI and overseas airfields.  Lets adopt it for all of RC or drop it.

A few other notes

Changing the name of the Novice class to Sportsman class is ridiculous
The proposal of scoring only 0 or 10 for take-off and landing is ridiculous.  This is only appropriate for a grass runway.
A size/weight rule instead of an engine displacement rule isn't in the best interest of AMA RC Aerobatics.  Its only in the best interest of FAI Aerobatics.
The proposal to rewrite the maneuver sequences of the lower classes is ridiculous.
Most judges are not looking for centering or box edges, they are primarily looking for smoothness.


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