Also, now would be a good time for me to point out that I don't make any of the rules and I'm not on the TS committe. If people ask questions I try to give the logic behind the process and I try to encourage participation in it. But I don't actually make any of this stuff up.

I just enter the data into spreadsheets and update websites.

Ryan

Ryan, your work is appreciated. I understand the rules. I appreciate Tom's comment about the work load to get all this stuff done, and it takes effort. What I am typing next is not to you, but is intended as thoughts, ideas and examples.

I will say that the idea of automatic opt in may be a good one for contests that are AMA sanctioned and follow F3K rules. The reason is again for work load. CDs have a lot to do. They have to get sanctions, announce the event, arrange sound systems, scoring systems, printers and so forth. They need to coordinate lunch, drinks, coffee etc.. In the east they need to coordinate with ESL to get the contest on the calendar. After that fact they may need to forward scores to three separate places and maybe in two formats. Scores to ESL by day if the contest is two days. Then they need to come up with combined scores for the Tour if the contest qualifies for that. Then last but not least they need to forward scores for qualifier points.

CASA is a contest that has gotten caught in this cycle of "things to do" and that is too bad. The contest was announced here and on the ESL site back in June and Jay has gotten everything up and running as required, but a duplicate notice was not sent for TS. Jay has done a great job and the turnout this year will be UP! I am using this as an example that we need to keep "simple" in mind for everyone. No matter if you are on TS committee or part of a club hosting a contest, the volunteer designation applies. There are just too many calendars and places for all of us to look right now. Thoughts on how to streamline this condition would be a good thing IMHO. I take responsibility for not thinking of this sooner. I assumed and we all know what that does......

Not at all a rant, just a suggestion and food for thought. As opposed to other contests that were earlier in the year and have a chance to host a qualifying contest next year, this contest has traditional dates that will now prevent it from generating TS points until the following cycle. So a long standing event will now not qualify pilots until 2013 or 14.

Respectfully to those interested

Seems like just a given that all the ESL dates should just end up as qualifiers! Too friggin easy to do if you ask me ! No ?

I will take responsibilty for CASA not signing up as a team select qualifier. Jay stepped up to take over the contest director job from me. That was a very positive change for the contest and likely the biggest reason for increased attendance. I should have taken on the duty to understand the team select dates and ensure that registration was taken care of since I could easily have recognized that Jay has not been tuned in to F3K news lately. It is especially impressive that Jay has taken on CD duties for this contest even though he doesn't fly F3K much, if at all, in recent years.

Having said all that, I doubt that it matters much if this one contest doesn't get any team select qualifier points for anyone. There are so many contests available for qualification and the threshold for qualification is low enough that it should not be a big deal.

Ryan,

Thank you for all of your efforts in helping put this system in place, keeping the website updated, hunting around for contests etc. I'm a little disappointed that CASA isn't in the schedule (mostly because Oleg is skipping this one so us mere mortals might have a shot at a decent finish), but things slip through the cracks...

One Suggestion:

1) The website is nicely laid out and the rules are pretty clear, but some things are not up to date and may not reflect the contents of this thread?

All,

I think the KISS program should be followed for this, and at this point I think it has. Someone mentioned going to an Olympic qualifying format-please, please, please DO NOT DO THIS. I have spent considerable time evaluating how to qualify to represent the U.S at the Olympic level for sailing, and besides the sailing side of things (1 year off work, professional coaching, $100K in boat costs, $50k in travel/housing/food costs etc.), the format is tough. Imagine if you had to compete at a world championship level event the year prior to the Olympics and place in the top 10 to get the U.S a slot in the Olympics. Then, after being the team to spend the $$ and effort to qualify the U.S to even participate in the event to begin with, you have to place in the top 3 at an internal U.S-held qualifying event to get chosen as the team that will actually represent the U.S at the Olympics. Many teams have qualified the U.S to actually participate in that particular sailing discipline at the Olympics only to get knocked out by a U.S sailor/team that didn't bother to go to the qualifying event....

Keep the F3K process simple, get as many contests setup as qualifying events as possible, get a large turnout at the team selects, and if the numbers get huge, find a location that is willing to deal with it until so many people are in attendance that it is impossible to manage with the field space available at the top locations.

Originally Posted by samc99us

1) The website is nicely laid out and the rules are pretty clear, but some things are not up to date and may not reflect the contents of this thread?

Without a doubt! I have to appologize about that, and posted a few times in this thread but stuff sometimes gets overlooked. I had a hard drive failure and I need a small but critical piece of info in order to update f3k.us. The guy I needed to get it from was super busy earlier in the summer so I kind of didn't bother him with it. I'm sure we can get on the phone though in a few days and then I can get to updating it again.

Ryan

Ryan,
I do not know how what allowances you have for the website but I was wondering if any thought was in place to automate some of what you do and allow CDs to push in the data on their own, for example.

Might be able to make the process a little bit lighter for you guys.

Since we know pretty much that the software in use tends to be F3KScore, we could make a loader for that software so that scores can be pushed up by the CDs.

Also, might be nice for either the regional leagues (like Blues Skies or ESL, etc.) to have some means of pushing their contest list in all in one shot so all can be listed as team qualifier contests.

just some ideas.

Frank

Originally Posted by rdwoebke

Call 1800IFLYAMA, tell them you want to register for the F3K team program, give them your credit card. While you are at it, renew your AMA for 2012. You probably have to do that anyway unless you renew for more than one year at a time.

Just go to the contests you always go to and fly well like you often do. I think you even have one coming up in a little over a week.

Simple.

Ryan

Not so! Have you called that number?

A very complicated phone tree that eventually drops you into a mailbox.

Any way to register online?
Should I be able to register at a sanctioned F3K event?

As I stated before this process is not posted in any document or published for any AMA pilot to understand and follow. If so where?
Seems that only a handful of individuals are "in the know".

Originally Posted by SOAR-Steve

Not so! Have you called that number?

Yes, I have called via that number and talked to the competition people. I have done this for F3K business and other FAI business.

You just go to the tree for competitions. You might get a mailbox. Just leave your number and asked to be called back.

Originally Posted by SOAR-Steve

Any way to register online?

There is offline. You can print out the form and mail it in with a check.

Originally Posted by SOAR-Steve

Should I be able to register a sanctioned F3K event?

You want to add a contest to the team qual calander? Just email usaf3k "at" gmail "diznot" com. Or post in this thread.

Originally Posted by SOAR-Steve

As I stated before this process is not posted in any document or published for any AMA pilot to understand and follow. If so where?
Seems that only a handful of individuals are "in the know".

It is posted in this thread. Eventually the documents will also be posted to the f3k.us website.

Ryan

I'm pretty sure that I did somewhat OK at the 2011 CA Challenge and paid for the $20 registration for this League shindig but I don't see my name in the spreadsheet... hmmmm.

Dude?

Jun

PS: No impatience intended with this post, just curiosity. Thanks for all the effort that you give to this community, Ryan.

Originally Posted by rdwoebke

Yes, I have called via that number and talked to the competition people. I have done this for F3K business and other FAI business.

You just go to the tree for competitions. You might get a mailbox. Just leave your number and asked to be called back.




There is offline. You can print out the form and mail it in with a check.


You want to add a contest to the team qual calander? Just email usaf3k "at" gmail "diznot" com. Or post in this thread.




It is posted in this thread. Eventually the documents will also be posted to the f3k.us website.

Ryan

Okay. Again you reference information without any supporting document or location.

Any "new" person that wants to try out for the team but has no knowledge of this thread will have a very difficult task. Telling someone to sit down and read 100s of posts to glean a "simple" amount of information is ridiculous. I thought we are trying to foster more competition? Is this a closed club or what?

Losing my appetite towards this selection process. But if you want to keep it small, you're doing a good job.

Originally Posted by jcats

I'm pretty sure that I did somewhat OK at the 2011 CA Challenge and paid for the $20 registration for this League shindig but I don't see my name in the spreadsheet... hmmmm.

I just got an updated team program paid listing this week and your name is in it. I will be updateing the qualified spreadsheet this weekend and you and a few other people will show up on the list.

Ryan

Typo. That should read.

Should I be able to register at a sanctioned F3K event?

Should CD have the forms?

If not why would you not want it available?

Originally Posted by SOAR-Steve

Okay. Again you reference information without any supporting document or location.

Here is the location of the team program form:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...postcount=1255

Originally Posted by SOAR-Steve

Any "new" person that wants to try out for the team but has no knowledge of this thread will have a very difficult task.

Hopefully here soon we can get the f3k.us website updated. Then folks can be directed there for all the pertinant info.

Originally Posted by SOAR-Steve

But if you want to keep it small, you're doing a good job.

I'm doing my best to try to get the website updated. I have a minor hiccup I just need to get corrected then we can make quick progress.

Ryan

Originally Posted by jcats

I'm pretty sure that I did somewhat OK at the 2011 CA Challenge and paid for the $20 registration for this League shindig but I don't see my name in the spreadsheet... hmmmm.

Dude?

Jun

Dude, first of all the $20 is not for the league, it is for the US F3K team selection program. Second of all, did you check with Ryan privately or Colleen or whoever you gave the money to register with the program to make sure you are signed up? Ryan has already said if you don't see your name on the qualified list and you think you should be to let him know. He also said it may take some time for things to get sorted.

Maybe you could check with Ryan and see if he needs any help with tracking this stuff down? Dude?

Tom