(1) I wasn't complaining for the sake of complaining but I may have misinterpreted what you were trying to accomplish (more on that below). Furthermore, I have been in enough scenarios to know how difficult it is when guys don't show up for practise, and arrive late (if they arrive at all) for a frame, demanding to be brought up to speed. That's hell for the managers, COs and XOs. Been there and had to cope with that, so I am fully sympathetic.
Here is what I suggest to get around that problem: before the first frame starts, there are 2, preferably 3 practises. If a player misses a practise and has no valid excuse, he doesn't fly in any of the frames, and someone else is drafted from a pool to fill his slot. There are practises for all the remaining frames, and anyone who misses one of those is out for the rest of the event, because the practices are deemed as important as the event itself. Same rules for everyone, no matter their reputation in Aces High. Even newbies can appreciate that rule, and it might avoid anyone (like me) misinterpreting the current selection process as being elitist.
(2) Here is how I may have misinterpreted the recruitment process as elitist. It looked, from what I had read, that this was an event recruited first by invitation only. That meant that some group was creating a list of good sticks who were known to them, and this old boy network was determining who would get invited. Any invitations that were declined became open, but players would have to compete for the slot by applying, record of some sort in hand, for permission to fly with the preselected elect. Any slots not filled after this would be for walkons ... the equivalent of scraps from the table. I came to this interpretation of the process from reading bodhi's initial post, and ROC's post on the same topic. Please guys... ONE CLEAR statement of the process that is agreed upon by all the managers of the event needs to be posted before more players put their own stamp on what you intend.
(3) If I am wrong about the recruitment process in Number 2, then I apologize for my accusations. If I am right, then my judgement stands.
(4) Will I sign up now? Nah, I think that I have ruffled too many feathers and annoyed too many folks to feel comfortable. It's too bad, but that's the way it is. Besides, megadud is right. I smell.
