ORIGINAL: lucas-RCU
How many of flyers at the Master are professional pilots? Or ones that making a living flying? I think Quique Somenzini, Jasen, Chip, are the best there is. Don Szczur might be considered professional as well.
In other sports we have professional, they do not compete with the Amateur
With the Top 4 places how many have a full time jobs that has nothing to do with RC.
I love to watch them fly against each other, but they are in a league of there own.
Out of the top 5, only 1 flies models for a living. Don Szczur is an electrical engineer for AT&T I think, Mark Leesburg is a student and also flies full size aircraft as a part time job, Ivan is retired I think, and Andrew Jesky is in high school. Quique is the only person out of those who I think makes his living from R/C (but I'm not 100% sure on that either).
Trying to take anything away from these guys simply because they might have more chance to practice than others is just flat wrong.