I simply see this differently.

Don't freak, I didn't say you were lying telling a new guy he could do with less. Of course he can. The first part where we disagree is that there is more to the story, and depending on where you are, that story gets more pronounced. But I'm not lying telling him there may be more to it.

Then we just part on philosophy. (the world is safe again). In my opinion, from what I have seen in my limited time in pattern competition, there are serious guys in sportsman. They are willing to spend the bucks to have a good pattern plane. They exist, and they like to win. I simply fail to see the down side of this and here's why.

First if they are spending the money on a full blown ship, then they already have a substantial investment before they ever compete. If you make it fun for them and there are other people there who want to compete just as bad as they do, then they are even MORE likely to have fun and stay with it. I don't see anything wrong with this at all, in fact I think these are the guys we should spend more time focusing on. That doesn't mean that we should focus on the guy with the smaller plane any less, but we are letting some huge fish get through the net while we are trying to catch minnows. With me?

And if you show up with a Kaos, you'll have fun but probably won't beat those hardcores. Seems I've said that somewhere before...

A slight tangent but indulge me. We as the pattern guys are extremely focused on getting new guys into pattern. What are we doing to keep the ones we already have? Are we even spending 1/100th as much effort? I could really go off on a rant here but my priorities are elsewhere.

You're focusing on the technical, but not at all on the intangibles and uncontrollable. At any given contest, you have inconsistent judging (ESPECIALLY in sportsman), uncontrollable weather (usually a crosswind of 20mph or greater), and that one intangible that's in the rule book...the part about "presentation".

You know Bryan Kennedy well. Ask him how his sportsman year went if he hasn't already told you. Get details. He should have beaten me on a few occassions, but he just didn't get the scores, and I just didn't get the downgrades. Oh we were always within a few fractions of a point from each other, but every time he dropped a wing tip, you could see it. I could drop mine 5" and you couldn't tell until I had already corrected. That's not the pilot skill, that's not preparation so much, that's the plane. He knew it too, we had many conversations about it. I also saw a arresti 40 smoke Bryan in Ocala, so that's where my exception comes in. There's always an exception, to my way of thinking and yours too.

When it comes to 2 meters in sportsman being intimidating, maybe. It depends on the person. It didn't seem to stop Tommy up there, and he's still with us. It didn't stop Steve Homenda, and he's still with us. The list goes on and on. People you may want to get used to 2 meters in sportsman, because it's the way of things. Back a few years when you had to build your own or have it custom built, (recently), people were much less reluctant to go into entry level with a full tilt machine. But now we have the Focus. The Arresti. And the list is growing all the time. As these planes become easier and more affordable, you will see more of them in the entry level classes. I simply don't see the problem with that.

Now, as far as how it should be? Closer to your way than mine, but it isn't always that way. Reality is closer to mine in many places. It smells like change, and it's a nice fragrance. People that actually fly pattern and LIKE the high stakes and the competition, it could swing that way very easily. You say 2 meter planes discourage new guys. I disagree fully, maybe slightly intimidated though. You said it yourself Troy, look at IMAC. 40% planes in basic. That's a fly anything class too, but then look at thier numbers (in the southeast especially, I don't know about the rest). They aren't scaring off anyone. They are paying the bucks getting with it, so I don't think that arguement holds water. I'm not convinced the "average" sport flier should be our target anyway. Usually people just want to fly, or are intimidated by the very IDEA of competition, long before they ever see a plane. By the time they approach us they have already made up thier mind about 85%.


Ahh well it's late and I need to fly in the morning if this stupid rain will ever quit.
-Mike