I have found the GPS data very helpful. The most difficult thing to do well is fly on the right heading at the right distance while performing maneuvers. First I set up my GPS to announce heading every few seconds while practicing big square rectangles. After awhile you get to know what the plane looks like when it is on the correct heading and pretty soon you get to trust the airplane and stop putting in corrections it doesn't need. I found I had been making the same mistakes over and over. I don't believe heading info would help during a contest as there is a lag. I also used the GPS data to tell me how well I was staying in the box and keeping the plane between 150 and 250 meters out. You can't do this in real time as the distance to the plane is constantly changing even if you fly exactly parallel to the runway. I don't think taking a reading when you get to the centerline would be too accurate either because of the lag and the variance in altitude. So I plot the path of the flight on the computer, usually after I go home. I think everyone would be surprised at how far out most folks fly. Again you can see how you do the same thing over and over with the same errors, pilot induced, based on the wrong perception of the flight path. Of course there are other functions, too many to discuss, that telemetering can provide, but I believe practicing with the GPS is very valuable for perfecting pattern flying.

It doesn't look like the unit you are looking at would be that much help. I use the Jeti RC system which is very well integrated so all I need to do is plug the GPS unit into the receiver. To use it with a different system you would need the GPS, a Jeti receiver and a Jeti Profi Box to receive and record the data on the ground. You can check this stuff out at Esprit Models web site.

Jim O