Pattern is a type of acrobatic competition. The airplanes are built to fly smooth and track well in the air. The planes are stable in the sense that they have a "locked in" feel, and go where you point them, no matter where you point them.

However, they don't self-right at all, you have to do everything. And they tend to fly a lot faster than your typical first or second plane, though some can make reasonable second planes.