At the risk of being too basic, (and possibly innacurate--and being corrected by about 20 guys), "pattern" planes fly a prescribed "pattern" of maneuvers composed of loops, rolls, and snap rolls. Everybody in a certain class flies the same "pattern", and the maneuvers are judged from 0 to 10, (I am speaking of SPA, I'm not sure if that's still the case with AMA pattern which I haven't flown in 20 years). There is a "K" factor included depending on the difficulty of the maneuver.

Pattern planes are designed to go exactly where you point them, with little or no tendency to "recover" straight and level flight on their own. They are very smooth and graceful flyers, but they will also make a spectacular crater in the ground if that's where you point your ship.

There is something about the contest itself that helps pattern flyers find the discipline to practice maneuvers---striving for perfection, (the natural tendency for most sport fliers, meaning most of us, is to just "frog around", and do random maneuvers wherever the plane happens to be). In pattern flying, it is important to "fly the plane rather that it flying you"---you have to put it right where it should be, and do the maneuver "just so" to get a good score. It is surprisingly difficult at first to simply fly a straight parallel line to the flightline, make a 90 degree turn, then a 270 degree turn in the opposite direction, and exit on a straight path in the opposite direction, and at the same altitude----try it sometime.

There is the introductory Novice class with simpler, (but still challenging and graceful maneuvers like a simple Axial roll, 3 Loops, Immelman Turn, Short Inverted Flight, and Stall Turn. Takeoff and landing are also judged. If you get bitten by the "pattern bug", and place out of Novice, there are plenty of additional challenges in the higher classes.

One of the bonuses of flying Pattern is it will make you a much better, smoother, and more disciplined pilot faster than anything else.

If you live anywhere in the southeast, the most economical and low key way to try your hand at the "old style" pattern is to get involved with SPA, (flying in Novice does NOT require any special type of plane), or perhaps Vintage RC Society, which also flies pattern of vintage planes, (before 1970).

If you are bored with the normal "flying around", it is quite a challenge, (and a lot of fun), to take on flying the pattern.