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(In his article Tony mentions a current discussion on eaaforums.org about this subject. I didn't even know EAA had a forum. So that's my next stop but since biplane competitors factor heavily as the losers in the equation-as Tony sees it-I thought it might make for entertaining discussion here.)
For those who haven't seen the article, Tony's gripe is that Unlimited competitors can take their unlimited mounts to Advanced and dominate even the most proficient 4 cylinder powered competitor. It doesn't always happen, of course, but it happens enough to make some cry "Unfair!" Tony wants CIVA and the IAC to adopt the old CIVA rules of limiting what planes are allowed in Advanced by using Alan Cassidy's Aerobatic Performance Index (API) with a cutoff value of 65 units. This would rule in types such as the One Design and Giles 202 and rule out the Extra 300 and all Sokois (among many others).
At first this idea seemed obviously prudent to me and I still support it even though I don't really have a dog in the race. Tony's article can promote his idea. As a supporter I want to mention a couple of concerns I have with it. I've been to just four regional contests so far. None of them had more than 4 unlimited competitors. Two contests had just two. Maybe it's a foolish game to cry too hard for a guy trying to compete in a half a million dollar airplane but if I was in that guy's position I'd be pretty pissed if I couldn't step down a category just to keep flying. A competitor I have come to respect is a NY based pilot named Ron Mann. Ron has been just killing Sportsman in his Super-D for years. This year he bought a partnership in a Extra 300 and plans to move up to Intermediate. Planes at that performance level are increasingly becoming within reach of pilots of some, but not necessarily of great, means. If you tell this category of pilot that they will need to keep the monoplane in the hangar until if and when they register for Unlimited, I'm not sure the sport will benefit from the reaction.
So that's me playing devil's advocate. I'm curious to read the thoughts of biplane pilots who really do have a dog in the race (meaning you "Grassroots"
).
Is it: "Bring on that Extra 330! Like Yeager said, 'it's the man, not the machine!'"?
Or is it: "I don't see any Indy cars at my kid's Kart track! This has gotten way past rediculous!"?
For those who haven't seen the article, Tony's gripe is that Unlimited competitors can take their unlimited mounts to Advanced and dominate even the most proficient 4 cylinder powered competitor. It doesn't always happen, of course, but it happens enough to make some cry "Unfair!" Tony wants CIVA and the IAC to adopt the old CIVA rules of limiting what planes are allowed in Advanced by using Alan Cassidy's Aerobatic Performance Index (API) with a cutoff value of 65 units. This would rule in types such as the One Design and Giles 202 and rule out the Extra 300 and all Sokois (among many others).
At first this idea seemed obviously prudent to me and I still support it even though I don't really have a dog in the race. Tony's article can promote his idea. As a supporter I want to mention a couple of concerns I have with it. I've been to just four regional contests so far. None of them had more than 4 unlimited competitors. Two contests had just two. Maybe it's a foolish game to cry too hard for a guy trying to compete in a half a million dollar airplane but if I was in that guy's position I'd be pretty pissed if I couldn't step down a category just to keep flying. A competitor I have come to respect is a NY based pilot named Ron Mann. Ron has been just killing Sportsman in his Super-D for years. This year he bought a partnership in a Extra 300 and plans to move up to Intermediate. Planes at that performance level are increasingly becoming within reach of pilots of some, but not necessarily of great, means. If you tell this category of pilot that they will need to keep the monoplane in the hangar until if and when they register for Unlimited, I'm not sure the sport will benefit from the reaction.
So that's me playing devil's advocate. I'm curious to read the thoughts of biplane pilots who really do have a dog in the race (meaning you "Grassroots"
).Is it: "Bring on that Extra 330! Like Yeager said, 'it's the man, not the machine!'"?
Or is it: "I don't see any Indy cars at my kid's Kart track! This has gotten way past rediculous!"?
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