Hello all,

I thought we should start the !QUOT!Ballistic Pattern Association!QUOT!. For the people who want retracts, and pipes on their vintage pattern planes. So I made us a logo, and that makes it a start. Ok so here it goes, this may just wind up being a cyberspace association, but hopefully we can become a recognized segment that currently has no real home. There has been a lot of controversy about the SPA allowing retracts, or pipes, or both. There is no need to force them to allow or change the rules they came up with just to include something others want. With that said, the term Ballistic Pattern came up with reference to the older planes, Curares' the Jekyll's'. etc. Most of what RC City produced, and some planes now carried by PAC. So I thought if I came up with a logo, we could all sign in and say what we are flying, and or building. This has been a chicken and egg scenario. Some people say if you have a club, then people will build, others say build then make a club. So here it is a club dedicated to the Ballistic Pattern planes, retracts, and pipes.

What do I hope to accomplish?

1) Give people who enjoy those planes a group to belong to.
2) Possibly some group discounts from Mfr's. on some kits? $400 for a fuse, and wing kit seems steep. Maybe if we have 10 people order they can lower the price, and hence more club members.
3) If we get enough people we can get some decals made, and put them on your plane. People will ask "What is the BPA"? Spread the word.
4) Tell your club Presidents about us, maybe we start out with 2 guys flying against each other in 1 club. Then 2 clubs, etc. and we grow some more.
5) If we grow large enough then who knows ~ maybe another group will invite us to become a part of them, or even fly at their events.

If none of that happens so be it. At least we can say we tried to get people together, and if it fails then the controversy about allowing retracts/pipes into the SPA should end.

Hey, This is a hobby, and supposed to be fun, so I am doing this in a fun atmosphere, and hoping to see what we can accomplish. So here is my membership.

1) Jeff Quid -Founder. Building a Great Planes "Illusion"- have Rossi .60 W/Pipe and Spring Air retracts (3) gear. Glass fuse, foam cores.
Membership # 00001

Whose next?