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ACRO E-mail Archive Thread: [Acro] AWAC 2002 [International Aerobatic Club] [Communications] [Aerobatics Images] Disclaimer: These aerobatics pages are developed by individual IAC members and do not represent official IAC policy or opinion. |
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Thread: [Acro] AWAC 2002
Message: [Acro] AWAC 2002
Follow-Up To: ACRO Email list (for List Members only)
From: PWKNIGHT at aol.com
Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 21:49:30 UTC
I started to write these comments as a response to one of the several notes that have been posted to the web in regard to the team situation but instead decided to make it a general post. Before it goes to far I would like to make a few comments. My comments are based upon being a Foundation Board member for the past 10 years and being a member of teams for the past 10 years. With the recognition that this exploder is viewed by people all over the world I shall be very careful with my thoughts, something I have not seen done at times. You ask for more information about the team situation, I suggest that you are wanting to know about peoples personal lives and I don't feel that it is the business of the organization to know this information. I can tell you from past experience that even with funding, a trip to worlds is a very large finical, family and personal commitment. If you have not been involved you can never appreciate the magnitude of the effort. The Foundation committed to a level of support. This level was based upon available funds. These funds have been severally stretched. The reason for the lack of funds falls upon the decision of CIVA to realign the WAC and AWAC schedule thus causing 6 world events in the past 3 years. These were 2-WAC, 2-AWAC and 2 glider world contests. It has always been a challenge for the foundation to support the normal contest structure without the extra events. Many hours have been expended by many people to raise funds for the teams, they do not deserve to be criticized for the efforts and or lack of successes. I find it a little unrealistic for some to sit and demand that the organizations fund these trips no matter what the cost is. Quit obviously they would not run there personal finical life this way. Neither USAF or IAC can do this either. I also fine it unrealistic that the major level of funding for our teams comes from outside our organizations. This year has been especially difficult with the current world situation insurance coverage for travel has become impossible. A pilot taking an airplane out side the United States will probably do so without insurance coverage. The ability to ship airplanes has become much more difficult. The availability of airplanes equal to those being flown by our pilots are very limited if non existent. The original concept of AWAC was not to move airplanes but to be able to rent equipment at the contest site, thus keeping the cost to a much lower level. Our pilots have tried this as evidenced by our participation in 1999 and 2000. It, at best, was very unsuccessful. I think that we all must realize that this is still a hobby. I am confident that these pilots who have decided that it is impossible to attend this event have very good reasons and that these reasons need not be public. I am also sure that if it were a different group of pilots that the out come would have been the same. I truly hope that this will not effect our relation with the rest of the world. For them to attend a world event is like us attending an event in the US. For us, quite obviously, it is a major logistic and finical challenge. I trust that those who are truly concerned with the decisions of these team members will discuss the topic on an individual basis and not present this topic to the world. In regard to the decisions of the IAC board and USAF, I can speak as a board member of both when I say that they are guide lines in place that limit the placement of new people on a team after January 1 of the team year. This rule was put in place at the request of members of previous teams who felt that it was unfair to have an alternate be standing by up until the date of departure. I am sure that on a one on one that any of the current IAC or USAF board members can shed light on any questions that any of you might have. This is not a topic that needs to become a political football. Sincerely, Phil Knight