Ray Murtha came down from Coral Springs today and we got some practice flights in at the AMPS club field. Ray didn’t bring large enough wheels for a grass runway so we ended up doing all the flying on my plane. Lol

After six flights, we went to the local BBQ pit and had lunch. I personally had a great time. It’s was great flying the old pattern with someone who has the same interests. Best part was we both learned where our deficiencies were and what maneuvers to practice. Actually, I need to practice them all.

Over lunch, I had a brain storm. Why don’t the Florida guys just get together for not so much a contest, but a “practice” session where we all fly, critique, and practice our pattern sequences. Maybe we could even get one of those knowledgeable SPA guys to come down and do a judging course or something. My last count of interested parties in Florida, I come up with 8 people willing to start a Florida SPA chapter. I don’t know that that is enough people to start a chapter but I don’t see that we should wait until we have a chapter to get together to fly and enjoy some pattern flying.

I just felt that if Ray and I can have that much fun with just the two of us, that eight or more of us together would be a blast. I would offer to have something like this at my home club, but I don’t want to make everyone drive to the end of Florida. I would be more than willing to drive to central Florida to do something like this if we can come up with a location. It seems to me an SPA contest is mostly a social gathering with a chance to do some great flying. We’ll do the same thing on a low key scale without the contest hardware.

So, sound off. Let me know what you think. Is this something you would like to do? Or, is this just another one of my pipe dreams? If you want to do it and you’re willing to drive to Miami, let me know that too. I have no problem setting this up if you don’t mind driving down here. I just feel we would get better participation if it where more centrally located.

Bob Cox
Miami, FL