Very Interesting.

It must be a local thing....by country. <Grin>

Here in the USA, I've been to contests all over my region of the country and at the Nationals (NATS) and haven't seen an external antenna on a pattern airplane that I can remember in the past 5-10 years. Now most of the sport fliers do the external thing as have I on many occasions.

It's mostly an aesthetic thing, since I know of no problems with reception...at least on the frequencies on which we operate in the USA.

Cheers,

Ken B.