Thanks for the good thread,

I flew four out of seven contests last year with a Tower Kaos powered by an OS 46 AX. I won my first contest (against two other flyers), podiumed in two others and was fourth in another. I was flying against SebArt models, Osiris's, a certain 2M Abba, and the like.

I flew for a week before my first contest to try to get all of the maneuvers in order, though I often flew around to get reoriented or started over in the middle. I didn't have a caller that week, did it by memory. Once at the contest, the fellow flyer upper-class callers were a big help and que's and hints were abundant and timely.

Performance of the model;
The best for the Kaos was when I went to an APC 12 1/4x3 3/4 C/L Tuned Pipe prop to keep the speed constant for the little piston engine and keep the torque up, the vertical was a bit better though it was never really bad with the 11x5 but I didn't have to saw the power off and on.
The first contest was in a 25 mph wind, steady both days. All three of us flew every flight, we egged each other on. One competitor had a Hobby King Extra 48 inch on 3S, I don't think that performance is a problem with the current sequence, we were at 4400 feet.

I went to an Osiris with 6S and a Hacker A50-16S and it was like night and day, but it didn't get me big wins. I could still blow it big time.

Changes to make it mo' better;
I wouldn't sweat the sequence, hell it's got two breaks in it. Divvy it up into three parts. If you sucketh at certain maneuvers and orientations (like we all have and some still do) work those out with a guy that knows. It's better to find an old Pattern guy in the crowd, (I found out that there were several that haven't flown Pattern in decades in the general group at several fields), or IMAC guy than a sporty type because the Pattern/IMAC know what a precision maneuver looks like and how to fly it.
Like the OP, promote, ask guys to try it. Break it down to the basics, build up from there.

Get more people;
Make the NSRCA more visible.
Add more contest flyers, and each district list the years events asap.
Get the CD's to include the contests in the MA contest section (this goes to all AMA members so when I read about the lack of AMA involvement and see no contest announcements in MA I figure Pattern wants to remain a secret).
Promote flying what you have or brought and how to get the model straight and true (like the download for the Pattern book from the 80's, good idea).
Promote Classic and SPA Pattern within the aerobatic community and add Classic events to current AMA contests. (I actually got into Pattern to fly Classic but found more contests to fly when flying AMA. Hence the Kaos.)

One problem I see with Pattern is that at fields with a hard 400 foot ceiling the 2M guys don't fly there, so the lack of Pattern flyers at some very popular fields is a problem with no cure. I fly close in and low, just to get in the practice. I also fly at the school yard with a 40 inch Rogue Bipe 3S model, anything to just do it.

Just to give you guys an idea of how boutique Pattern is, there were as many C/L Stunt contests in the D7 area as there were D7 Pattern contests last year. And D7 has a LOT of contests. C/L Stunt also has 150 entrants at the Nats every year. They do it by a strong SIG with a great magazine.

We can increase our numbers, but making it easy isn't the way. Promoting big, expensive models isn't either. Promote the contests we have, get them out to the AMA membership (MA, it's not just for the trash can), encourage "run what you brung" and develop the SIG magazine with good trim articles, how-to about batteries, how to make heads or tails out of all of the electric motor nomenclature, why my model flies bad except when Tony F flies it, you know.

I appreciate the thread, posters and ideas by them here, together a balance might be achieved and we may gain a few more pilots.

Chris...