Im sorry, I think you were assuming that I was talking about the RC when I said the word "representatives." I was talking SSA BOD. My apology.

The RC simply makes rule recommendations to the SSA BOD. The upcoming SSA winter BOD meeting which will contain the US Club Class "BOD approval vote" will late February, 2013. The SSA BOD ultimately must provide approval on the rules recommendation presented "traditionally" but the RC for the new US Club Class to be officially sanctioned. If the RC is remains unmoved by the petition, I suspect the SSA BOD might be. I am not sure why all proposed US classes require the US RC to be involved (126 for example). More on that later.

Again, I think the RC does a great, great job and means well. They have all been on the job for some time. They are very passionate about their highly custom, unique soaring rules system. The US Rules are, for example, twice as long as FAI rules. The members of the US RC are all good people for sure. But it is important to remember that they have created an entirely new soaring rules system "utopia!" They therefore have separated all US pilots from the rest of the soaring world which uses FAI. Canadians are also, in part, sucked into this as well in some cases. Nonetheless, the US RC takes great pride in this although they may not see it as I have just explained it. I have no major issue with US rules personally. They are fine, but for many in the US we would like to HAVE THE CHOICE!!!!!!!!!!!!! We would like, in at least one US class, to be in alignment with the REST OF THE WORLD in the soaring rules. It also happens that the FAI rules are the rules used for ALL World Championship events. We are therefore completely isolated at current by the actions of the US RC in terms of soaring competition. The RC clearly fights with passion to maintain this bubble. They wield GREAT power over the bubble. We as US pilots have been fairly passive until now on challenging the complete isolation from the rest of the soaring world.

So, yes, this is a bit of a rebellion against the "ruling" class. But its not as bad as that may seem on the surface.

It is worth stating again, clearly, that we are NOT trying to alter any of the existing US classes in any way with this petition. We simply wish for our US Club Class (which we had requesting for years) to actually be the FAI Club Class which WAS REQUESTED since day one! The whole point of requesting this class (from the beginning to now) was to be in alignment with the FAI Club Class.

Consider that It was entirely UNNECESSARY for the US RC to assume that when the US Club Class owners and pilots requested a SSA sanctioned US "Club Class" that they also wanted the RC to cobble up US rules modifications to go along with it! In fact, all that needed to happen here with this request for a SSA sanctioned US Club Class sanction was to SIMPLY APPROVE IT and let it happen. No modification of the FAI rules was necessary or requested. No time was needed. Sports Class should carry on as is!

I am also concerned that the US RC does not utilize the right tools in regards to getting the opinions of ALL members. It seems a very dark, closed process this annual poll. It raises serious concerns about objectivity and transparency. Why must this be so closely guarded and private? Why can this process not be public, open and transparent? A simple, public Y/N poll is far more effective on key topics. Polls are subject to interpretation and are all about the "design" of the questions. People rarely use polls to generate "pure" data. They want to see certain answers! That is the point of a poll. They power of the poll is being able to set ONLY THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT ANSWERED! In the case of the SSA poll, only a few (or 2 choices are often provided on broad topics. More later...

Our petition, on the other hand, is a highly transparent effort to PROVE (to all (SSA, BOD, WORLD), not just the US RC) the strong desire which exists with many US Pilots for a US Club Class which is in tight alignment with the rest of the world's soaring rules. These pilots are (in most cases) publicly, proudly, confidently stating their opinions on a ver specific, well defined topic. They want "just one" US Nationals to follow the world FAI standard as opposed to the US RC vision. This cannot be that bad! You would think, in some cases, that we are proposing the RC drink pure snake venom.. What are they so afraid of? There must be more to this thing which I do not yet fully understand...

Now, in terms of the recent statement challenging Sean Franke and I to make a plan for the RC since they have already submitted theirs. That is an interesting request. I thought the essence of our petition spelled that out fairly clearly.

That said, it is odd to me that the RC has not taken the opportunity to propose ANY compromise to its original proposal based on the 41 signature strong petition, this thread, the many behind the scenes email conversations, etc. Despite the passionate RC arguments against FAI, it is clear to us that we can easily run an FAI Club Class for Nationals next year and even use the exact same software, Winscore. So in terms of our proposal, here is what we want: FAI rules Club Class within the Sports Class Nationals next year, in Mifflin (or perhaps at a separate site). It is that simple. It only become "complicated" when the RC changed the Club Class to the point that it is unrecognizable to the world standard FAI Club Class!

Again: The long standing (albeit unique) US SSA Sports class remains EXACTLY THE SAME in our proposal. Keep that AS IS!!! FAI Club Ship owners who "choose" to fly in the new US FAI Club Class are welcomed to do so (these ARE the pilots who requested a US FAI Club Class in the first place!). Clearly there are a great deal of pilots who are excited about that opportunity presenting itself (especially since this new class with qualify US pilots for the Club Class World Championships). Nobody is left behind. If a pilots within the FAI Club Range chooses, they can REMAIN in US SSA Sports Class and fly MAT's and AAT's! Everyone is HAPPY! What is the problem with this again? Seriously? What am I missing?

In conclusion, it is fairly amazing to me peck this out on my iPhone on my flight home this evening, that the group of US pilots who have basically been requesting a popular FAI soaring class be sanctioned for the US are no being told (by the RC) to "go away" BECAUSE they simply want a class to be in alignment with what the rest of the world uses! Is it just me or is that simple fact stunning. We need to be more fluid as an organization (SSA). We are not voting on debt ceilings here. This is not that difficult. There is great upside allowing a single FAI class in the US. There is almost ZERO downside.

Yet many are deeply disappointed and are being offered only one option. Take it or leave it. Not very diplomatic.

Sean
F2