Agree x2....and I'd stretch it by the same margin to 20-30 years. It began with ARF's replacing building. I've seen several guys come out recently with surfaces throwing the wrong way, and they didn't know the difference!!
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Did he keep coming back?

It seems to me everyone needs to ask themselves what their objectives are. Do you want to show that you can fly a crappy flying plane better than everyone else can fly their crappy plane, or do you want to out BUY, out BUILD, out TRIM and out PRACTICE the others and then after 75 flights feel you are ready for competition? And then after maybe three seasons you actually win a local contest. I've been there and done that and I hate to say it but the rewards are questionable.

I fly pattern with the objective of flying as well as I can but I'm never going to buy $6500 airframes and fly six flights a day six days a week. If I can buy something for $100 that makes my airplane better I'm all for it. It isn't going to initiate commands for you and it isn't going to automatically control sequencing. It will help make your crappy airplane less crappy or well trimmed airplane better in rough air. If you don't like those results stick with your old rules that allow any number of stabilization devices and schemes as long as they are not electronic.
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Jim,
Yes, he stayed with us for a short time anyway. The gyro wasn't the issue; he was 17, so cars/college took him away.
I agree with the sentiments regarding the investment and results, however gyro's do exactly what you said they don't; they initiate commands for the pilot. They don't just improve crappy airplanes (and I've build plenty of those!), they make pilots look (and score) better than they are.