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Also from what I've read, you are active in the SPA, aren't you? How is the membership among them, since that is a helluva lot cheaper version of pattern? Is it growing, staying steady, or what? I would think that they would have a healthy following, especially among the people who used to fly pattern and quit. They can buy some of the same planes and better equipment to put in them for cheaper than it would have cost "back in the day". With the way the CPI works, and the general economic growth within the US, It's probably cheaper to fly SPA type pattern now than it was back when it WAS pattern. How has the promotion of the SPA worked out? I can see your point very clearly about how that type of pattern is attractive. People love speed. Those planes flew faster, were sleeker, and are less costly. They are more easily transportable to boot. If people knew about the SPA, wouldn't you say that it could become as popular as it was back in its heyday?

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The SPA is doing very well and continues to grow. I’m not sure how many members we have now, but the members I’ve met are a good group of people. I think it’s mostly getting the word out that there is a SPA and they are having a lot of fun flying pattern. I found it interesting that some of the SPA flyers are young folk and SPA was their first choice for pattern, but there are a lot of pattern flyers in the group that were very active in the 70, 80, and 90s and some that also fly 2M AMA.

The SPA is mostly focused on 1965 to 1975 pattern aircraft. Apparently the pre 1965 group that must run non-Schnuerle side exhaust engines doesn’t have much activity. Some of the flying sites have had noise problems so SPA allowed 91 FS engines for noise reduction. This created a challenge in that the designs had to be modified some to get the aircraft to balance with the increased weight of the FSs. Air frame modifications are hard to monitor. I like the group simply because of the work they are doing to keep the pattern going with the pre 1975 airships. I have two of my pattern designs on the SPA pre 1975 approved list and it’s nice to know there are still people that remember them and enjoy them. Kind of elevates them from just being another plan number on a RC magazine website.

One area that the SPA has not been able to address, is all the flyers that love the rocket ships of the 80s, with pumped and piped engines and retracts. It is a pretty big undertaking to run the pre 1975 events and if you added the 80s it would be overwhelming. I like all of the pattern ships but I think it is good that they stay focused. The fun factor is very high and the events are relaxed and well run. The cost is less than 2M stuff but most flyers build kits or build from plans. ARFs are pretty limited for SPA but there are a few. I think it is more of the “fun factor” driving the successes than it is lower cost.

All the SPA info can be found on their website at http://www.seniorpattern.com/