Team Trials

[John Ferrell]

Some personal observations:
If we all flew like the guys at the team trials, we would have to hire
people to put on contests.
If we did not have ARF's we would lose a lot of flyers.
If we did not have guys in business to produce pattern planes, we would lose
a lot of flyers.
If we all agreed on what airplane/engine was best it would be a one-design
program.
The only real constant is change...
I believe things are coming along nicely!

There are elements of IMAC/SCAT/SPF & ARF's that have made positive
contributions to pattern.

Some of us come to grips with the fact that we fly pattern for fun and are
never really going to become really successful competitors regardless of the
rules. At that point we choose to pick the contests that are the most fun,
fly in weather that threatens neither health or equipment, with equipment
that provides the least frustration.

There are lifestyle factors that come into play as well. A new baby, a
grandchild who is willing to share your time, a health problem (yours or
your family), an employment situation, an opportunity to fulfill some
special dream (think full scale flying). Environment changes: Your local
field is no longer available and travel time to the field becomes excessive.

We each come to the Pattern World with our own agenda and either adapt to
reality or leave. While there are a lot of us who have a strong drive to
compete and win, I believe there are more of us who pursue it as the venue
for self improvement. Those who must compete and win simply go away when the
trophies stop.

Like I said at the top, just some observations....
I am still having fun!

John Ferrell
6241 Phillippi Rd
Julian NC 27283
Phone: (336)685-9606
johnferrell at earthlink.net
Dixie Competition Products
NSRCA 479 AMA 4190  W8CCW
"My Competition is Not My Enemy"

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "JOddino" <JOddino at socal.rr.com>
To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 11:41 PM
Subject: Re: Team Trials


> Hi Dennis,
> You make sport flyer sound like a bad thing or maybe I'm over reacting.  I
> am a sport flyer if that means I fly to have fun.  I also assert that
>

=====================================
# To be removed from this list, send a message to 
# discussion-request at nsrca.org
# and put leave discussion on the first line of the body.
#