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Thread: [IAC-L:416] Volunteering redux
Message: [IAC-L:416] Volunteering redux
Follow-Up To: ACRO Email list (for List Members only)
From: "Damon Wack" <lomcevak at win.bright.net>
Date: Sun, 13 Jul 1997 19:20:44 UTC
Daryl Grounds wrote: >>Allyson: I'll judge Sportsman and work any category in which I'm not flying except I won't work any category in which Damon Wack needs any help in any way if he's there. << I apologize to those of you who could care less about this issue any more, but there seems to be some misunderstandings about my opinion, and I would like to try to clear them up. I will not fly immediately after judging simply because I judged two categories (about 30 pilots total) in a row at Sebring, Florida on a very hot day last year, and then went out and tried to fly my first Unlimited freestyle. Without going into details, suffice to say it was unsafe and scared me enough to not want to make that mistake again. Allyson and I understand each other on this point, and we are friends, even if we may have a different point of view. I made my disagreement known simply because to me it was a safety issue, and important enough to be talked about. I do not want someone to feel compelled to do something that may be unsafe because they feel like they will be branded "lazy" or "unhelpful". Yes, I also want to be in reasonably good shape when I fly because I spend a lot of time, money and effort to practice in order to do well, and it seems sort of silly to then toss all of that by tiring myself out right before I fly. It also seems obvious that different circumstances will dictate different responses, for instance if the weather is cool, or the category is small, then I will not be as tired, so flying right after judging wouldn't be a problem. Or perhaps just a little cool down time after working would help. Perhaps we could go to 3 judges instead of 5. The main idea is not to compromise safety. I understand there are some of us who can be a bit of a prima donna and abuse the volunteer system, but in my experience these type folks are pretty rare, and my response is to ignore them, and get on with having a good time Kurt's "list" response to my repy to Allyson on this subject was rather satirical , and I responded badly with another satirical post (the weenie one) that came off insulting to Kurt. Kurt, for this I apologize. I have been using this media for long enough to know how things can be so easily taken the wrong way, and should have known better, but my post was not well thought out. To those of you who do not know me, I volunteer at every contest I go to. At Sebring this spring I judged all the Unlimited and Advanced flights. I did not fly at all. It was quite relaxing not to fly, and my beer drinking was not interfered with by my flying this time!<G> I also spent a fair amount of time last winter designing 20 new unknowns for Intermediate, and I will soon be putting all the old ones on computer format. I am starting on new Advanced unknowns now, and will probably make some more Intermediates as well. I take my time with them, and try to design something that will challenge brain work, and not give those with more horsepower an advantage. It is not easy to do this, but it is fun. Feedback on them is welcome and invited. I love this sport, it has some of the best people in it I have met anywhere. I am going to take a little break from heavy duty competition for a while, but I am planning on attending some contests, if only to see my friends, who are among the best friends I have ever had. I will spend most of the time judging, socializing, and reducing the surplus beer population! Again, I apologize for the previous bad post, and the length of this one, and to those of you who feel this subject has been beaten to death. I promise no more! Damon Wack Birchwood, WI