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ORIGINAL: Capjun
Can't wait ! Had the best time ever at T-birds event
I'm really excited and impressed with the "spirit" being generated in Texas, especially this past season.
It wasn't that long ago that I went to my first SPA event "just to watch", and before I knew it, President Bruce Underwood had me talked into forking over $25.00 entry fee, and I was competing....competing?? Oh man...I'm not so sure I wanted to do that and look "stupid" in front of everyone.........but now it's too late to change my mind.
OK, my first round. Bruce's son was called over to demonstrate the pattern, and how it should look. It looked perfect, (I'll take his scores).
Nothing all that hard really...half the maneuvers you do anyway every flight, (take off, three loops, a couple rolls, flying straight, turning, then flying back along the same path...that's not too hard. Well anyway, my caller helped me start the plane and carry it out to the runway, and all of a sudden I noticed my hands were shaking. There was something "challenging" about performing maneuvers in front of two judges...it made me want to practice more, and made every flight have a purpose. Back to the story....I increased the throttle, and the plane roared, then veered off straight into the weeds. [X(] My caller looked at me like I was from "lower podunk". Anyway, that was the start of my illustrous SPA career back in 2005. We have all been there.
I flew Novice for five years until I finally got "good enough" to "point out", then I moved up to Sportsman this season. SPA has been the best thing ever to happen to me "R/C hobby wise", and every contest is special with its own "flavor". The hardware you take home is just icing on the cake, the REAL prize that you always take home with you are the memories, and the fun with like-minded pilots.
I'm glad Bruce put my feet to the fire and got me involved...it's been the most fun I've ever had in R/C, and I've met the best group of guys you can imagine. It changed me into a "vintage pattern pilot"...competition without spending a ton of money. I liked it so much I wrote an article for Model Aviation in 2006 about my SPA experience, then another one in 2007. I wanted others to know about it.
If you're even thinking, (just a little bit), that this might be fun, you owe it to yourself to come out and try it...you WILL like it. I've seen the story repeated over and over again with dozen of guys since my first year, and they all say the same thing...the same thing that "Capjun" said above.
Duane Wilson
SPA Board of Directors Member
Newsletter Editor