2016 NATS Schedule of Events

This is the big one ladies and gents, the AMA Nats

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midair02
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2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by midair02 »

I'm planning on changing up the order of events for the NATS next year. We'll fly the official classes (SSC, 2948 & Open B) the first two days and might go into the third if we get held up by weather. The last two days, will be the provisional classes (GNAT & Limited B). Let me know what you guys think about this.

Schedule of Events
RC Combat
July ??-??, 2016

Day Before Competition
As soon as we have control of the field (including frequency control) and you have picked up your contest packet and badge, tech inspections and test flights can start.

Day 1
Finish up tech inspections **** BY 7:30 AM.
Minimum of five rounds of (760) SSC. We may go additional rounds to take us to the noon lunch break. After lunch, five rounds of (761) Scale 2948 followed by five rounds of (755) Open B.

Day 2
Finish remaining rounds of (760) SSC, (761) Scale 2948 and (755) Open B.
Tech inspections for Provisional Event GNAT and Provisional Event Limited B.
Pizza party and RCCA NPS Awards after flying has ended!!!

Day 3
Finish remaining tech inspections **** BY 7:30 AM.
Finish any remaining rounds of (760) SSC, (761) Scale 2948 and (755) Open B prior to starting Provisional Events, if held up by weather the first two days.
Minimum of five rounds of Provisional Event GNAT followed by five rounds of Provisional Event Limited B.

Day 4
Finish remaining rounds of Provisional Event GNAT and Provisional Event Limited B.

************************************************************************
First round is planned to start at 8AM each day to help prevent loosing rounds due to weather. Lunch Break will be planned for noon each day. Every attempt will be made to get in the rounds as planned. Days of the events will not change but the number of event rounds may be more or less in order to work around bad weather if needed.
William "Dominator" Drumm III
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Dane McGee
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Re: 2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by Dane McGee »

Will, Its possible to pull off 15 rounds and 3 classes in one day....it would be a beating but it can be done.

What is the motivation to cram so much into 2 days? Is it just so we can get all the Gnat rounds in?
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Re: 2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by midair02 »

The number of rounds the first days is no different than this last year. We were scheduled to fly SSC, Open B and GNAT the first two days. We should be able to get 4 heats an hour and fly from 8-5. That gives us 32 heats a day with a lunch break. If we end up with 3 heats in SSC, it will definitely make for longer 2 days, but my matrix program will not have any back to backs, so the clock will keep running with no holds in that situation.

I got the date for the Cadet Encampment next year, so we will be able schedule around that. We should have judges so pilots can get ready for the next round quicker.

The changes are:

The order of events. I believe we should give the official events priority to being completed. I also believe GNAT's should be flown in the morning, when usually the winds are lighter.

If we don't get all the of rounds in the first 2 days, I changed the 3rd day to allow us to finish up those rounds. So those flying SSC, 2948 or Open B should plan on being there for the 3rd day.

The first day, we may go more than 5 rounds of SSC to take us to the noon lunch break. Same thing with GNAT on the 3rd, if we don't have to finish up the official events.

Each day, we will plan on ending on a complete round at 12:00 for lunch and then start back up at 1:00. Of course, weather may shorten up the lunch break.
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Re: 2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by Dane McGee »

Since you have the dates for the Cadet Encampment, what dates for the Nats are you proposing?
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Re: 2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by midair02 »

I will see what we can get at the planning meeting on Sept 12th. It won't be July 2nd thru 9th as that is the Cadet Encampment.
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Re: 2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by Dane McGee »

midair02 wrote:............ It won't be July 2nd thru 9th as that is the Cadet Encampment.
Sounds good.



If we have to have 3 classes in a day, I prefer Gnat as the third class, simply because they are easy to unload and get ready.

I liked the program of the 2015 Nats, with 2 official classes plus Gnat on the first two days. The only thing that I would have liked better was if the Cadets would have been able to judge.

I've heard talk of more pilots wanting to fly the Nats next year. That would make the for more heats per class and a longer day.
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Re: 2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by midair02 »

Again, I think GNATs should be flown in the morning, same for SSC. We will have the option to go into the 3rd day, if it's too much to get done.
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Re: 2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by Quickdraw »

Do we have to schedule and fly Gnat at the NATS? If Gnat is not flown we could fly 2 classes each day (days 1&2 SSC/Open B and days 3&4 2948/Limited B) and not be pressed for time.

Does a matrix with two heats per round and no back to backs mean we will be flying in the same heat with the same pilots every round?"
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Re: 2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by midair02 »

No back to backs with 3 or more heats per round.
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Dr. Kamakaze
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Re: 2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by Dr. Kamakaze »

Looks good to me William. Makes sense to get the official classes done before the provisionals. Thanks for taking the NATS over, it was well run last year...just like your predecessor.
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Re: 2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by Quickdraw »

It's a good schedule if your entering one of the three official classes.

Flying SSC, Scale and Open B in one day will be a chore and labor intensive. Unloading, assembling, disassembling, cleaning and reload airframes (10-12 minimum) will be tough. I don't recall these three classes being flown back to back to back before. Then there is the repairing of these airframes after the days carnage so that you'll be ready for the next day. Depending on the weather, you may have to do this three days?! I guarantee that you will have pilots not entering one of the official classes. It will be a shame to lose official class pilots so that Gnat can be scheduled and flown in the morning.
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Re: 2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by midair02 »

The 2016 NATS will ***Tentatively*** be July 18-21. This is what we got after the schedule was voted on at the planning meeting. It still has to be voted on by the AMA Executive Council to make it official. It's up to them if they want to change the schedule around. Again, not official but plan on the 18-21.
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Re: 2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by Dane McGee »

Will, for the record: I don't like it and I will not support 3 classes in one day consisting of SSC, 2948, and Open B.

Last year was my first Nats, but it will not be my last...in fact we should have 6 or more Texans at the 2016 Nats this year and I speak for them. No.
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midair02
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Re: 2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by midair02 »

OK. We will have to fly 3 classes on 2 of the days. It's the only way to get all of our events done. I re-did the schedule and what do you guys think??? Call it schedule B and the first one A.


Schedule of Events
RC Combat
July ??-??, 2016



Day Before Competition
As soon as we have control of the field (including frequency control) and you have picked up your contest packet and badge, tech inspections and test flights can start.


Day 1
Tech inspections **** BY 7:30 AM.
Start (760) SSC - We will fly until the noon lunch break.
Start (755) Open B.

Day 2
Tech inspections **** BY 7:30 AM.
Finish remaining rounds of (760) SSC and (755) Open B.
Start (761) Scale 2948.
Pizza party and RCCA NPS Awards after flying has ended for the day!!!

Day 3
Tech inspections **** BY 7:30 AM.
Four rounds of Provisional Event GNAT.
Finish remaining rounds of (761) Scale 2948.
Start Provisional Event Limited B.

Day 4
Finish remaining rounds of Provisional Event GNAT and Provisional Event Limited B.

************************************************************************
First round is planned to start at 8AM each day to help prevent loosing rounds due to weather. Lunch Break will be planned for noon each day. We will fly until 5PM every day. Every attempt will be made to get in the rounds as planned. Days of the events will not change but the number of event rounds may be more or less in order to work around bad weather if needed. There will be a minimal break between classes.




The way I see it playing out is:
Day 1 - 6 rounds of SSC and 7-8 rounds of Open B (if everybody's up to it, all 10)
Day 2 - 4 rounds of SSC, 2-3 rounds of Open and 6 rounds of 2948 (more if we finish Open B on Day 1)
Day 3 - 4 rounds GNAT, 4 Rounds 2948 and 5-6 rounds of Lim B
Day 4 - 6 rounds GNAT and 4-5 rounds Lim B

Each day will only have about 13 rounds of combat.
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Re: 2016 NATS Schedule of Events

Post by Quickdraw »

Thanks Will. The B schedule sounds like a good compromise. It has my vote.
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