From: <Roger.Wilfong@umich.edu>  (Roger Wilfong)
Subject: Re: NARAM SUMMARY????
Organization: UofM Hospitals
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 20:21:00 GMT

In Article <6977@transfer.stratus.com> "cdt@sw.stratus.com (C. D. Tavares)" says:
> In article <19921002165451.Roger.Wilfong@umich.edu>, Roger.Wilfong@umich.edu writes:
> > > 1/4A Parachute Duration Multi-Round, to be changed to 1/2A if 1/4A's
> > >                go off the market.
> > > 1/2A Streamer Duration Multi-Round
> > I hope the contest board changes these two events.
  
I fear that holding MR events at a NARAM (especially an east coast NARAM) is
asking for problems.  These are the problems that need to be planned for:
  
1)  With out fly-off rounds there could easily be 300 flights in each event.
    How are you going to get that many off (along with a second event the 
    same day)?
2)  You are going to have to tally and post 'official' results on the field 
    to know if you need fly-off rounds.  That will require a well oiled range
    head.  The crews assembled from contestants are not going to have the 
    opportunity to PDCA (plan, do, check, act - Total Quality terms) 
    necessary to work the bugs out.
3a) If the events are flown in real rounds (ie Round 1 @ 9-10, Round 2 @
    10-11, ...), how do you accomodate those assigned to range duty during a
    round?
3b) If you don't fly in real rounds, you have to set an early dead line for 
    the first three rounds to insure you have enough time for one or more 
    fly-off rounds.
  
If they think they can pull this off, more power to them.  I just think there
are too many things that can go wrong and there are likely to be a lot of
angry people yelling at the CD.
  
> 
> > > 1/2A Cluster Altitude (provisional event)
> > I assume that this will be changed if Apogee's 1/4A's are unavailable.
> 
> > > A Payload
> > Not a bad choice for a small field, but judging from NARAM-33, they better 
> > order multiples of the trophies.  There will be a lot of ties.
>
  
Just an observation.  There are still people waiting for their trophies from
NARAM-33's low impulse altitude ties.
  
> > > D Dual Egg Lofting Duration (provisional event)
> > ELA is a better event.
> 
  
I won't expand on my previous observation.
 
  
> Hey, Roger, YOU want to hold this one?
> -- 
Woody Woo shows up at a HUVARS meeting about once every two years and 
suggests we do just that.  Unfortunately (or fortunately), the HUVARS 
membership feels we are lacking two things necessary to offer hosting a 
NARAM:
 
  1)  A field.  (Our best field is too small and bordered by a swamp and
      a river - the Huron Valley IS a river valley after all)
  2)  Enough members with enough time to pull it off.
 
Besides, remember what happened last time NARAM was in Michigan.
  
I try to avoid volunteering for anything I know I'm not going to be able 
to committ enough time and resources to.  Maybe in the future, but not 
this year.
     
I am not trying to play wheel chair general on the choice of events, I'm 
just trying to point out the pot holes.  I've always gone to competitions
for fun and fellowship, but I've been to enough to know that there are those
who forget all too frequently that "it's just a f***ing hobby!"