Does Pattern competition cost too much?

[Anthony Romano]

In our quest to build everyone's self esteem we have killed the competitive 
spirit. I have tried for many years to cultivate new pilots in a number of 
large clubs in my area. When I ask potential pilots and you wade through all 
the excuses what I repeatedly here is," I am not a competative guy" or "That 
is too much like work" and my favorite "travel all that way for six 
flights!"

Ask any new pattern pilot what was the hardest part of their first contest. 
The usual answer is flying in front of judges.



Anthony


>From: Gray E Fowler <gfowler at raytheon.com>
>Reply-To: discussion at nsrca.org
>To: discussion at nsrca.org
>Subject: Re: Does Pattern competition cost too much?
>Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 16:56:32 -0500
>
>Its not the money, its the pressure. Anyone can come up with the cash for
>the plane, but the pressure of keeping up with what is competitive is too
>much for some. For example, to keep in vogue, I may show up to the NATS
>with my new Easter egg colored plane, only to find out I am three years
>too late, and my propeller is unpainted.    sigh!
>
>
>
>Gray Fowler
>Principal Chemical Engineer
>Composites Engineering
>
>
>
>"J.Oddino" <joddino at socal.rr.com>
>Sent by: discussion-request at nsrca.org
>07/25/2005 04:40 PM
>Please respond to
>discussion at nsrca.org
>
>
>To
><discussion at nsrca.org>
>cc
>
>Subject
>Does Pattern competition cost too much?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>From time to time I hear folks suggesting the reason the number of
>contestants is down is due to the high cost of pattern planes and support
>equipment.  Well I don't believe that is the reason.  This weekend I went
>to a relatively local IMAC contest in Camarillo California and there were
>somthing like 61 preregistered and 56 actually flying.  I'd guess 80% of
>the planes were 40% scale, meaning they had $1500 engines and $3000
>airframes and $1500 worth of servos.  Then you've got the motor homes and
>trucks and trailers to transport them.  I still say the highest cost of
>flying is the driving to and from the field and that is probably why the
>park flyers are so popular.
>So what is the reason for the drop in attendance and the drop in the
>number of pattern contests?  Or is that only in Southern California?
>
>Jim O


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