When you realize there's no rhyme or reason to it and it doesn't look "polished". When you realize you're just goofing off, and not really getting any better. It will come one day. It did for me and every other pattern flyer I've ever met. Ever seen a pattern pilot 3D? They're usually the best of the best, with only a few notable exceptions. Chip Hyde? Pattern. Quique? Pattern. Jason? Pattern. CPLR? Pattern. Ya know Chris Hinson, owner of Extreme Flight? Guess what....ex pattern flyer. Don Lowe, whom the Masters was named after? Pattern. Almost every participant of the TOC, and ALL of the TOC contestants before a few years ago? Pattern.

Get the picture? Pattern teaches you how to control your plane, not just yank it around and do funny looking stuff. You can always tell a pattern pilot 3Ding vs the average guy. The pattern pilot looks smooth and the old guys usually don't get nervous. The other guys......well.......heh. Let's just say some need to learn the basics of correcting for a crosswind before hovering overt he runway.

-Mike