Ah, you "KIDS". 50+ and Mode One, you youngsters just have too many interests to attend to. Now we elders are probably a bit more specialized. Next Feb. 19, will be my 72nd birthday.

Hey, it's You guys that are the problem as you are so DIVERSIED!!! Trains, boats, cars and all those non flying things?? How can you possibly waste your YOUTH on such things? Heck, fellows, you will be taking up GOLF if you're not careful. Hope ken allows words such as GOLF in this forum. That is about as dirty a word as I know, even though all my inlaws think it is a way of life. There are some in my club that fly in the AM, then play Golf in the PM. At least that is not contagious. I still sleep in the AM and play in the PM.

Like Mode 1, I prefer being in the workshop than out flying. I was at one time a hard-core competitor in both FF and CL events. Although CL stunt was my thing, I just could not ignore the other events and FF became a most consuming activity in the '60s. I could go back there easily enough but it would take too much "Larnin' "' to get up-to-date in today's technology.

Last Sat. I entered the Club 40 event at a Pylon Contest. That plainly showed that I don't spend enough time on the flying field practicing. OTOH I witnessed the fast folks that spend hours and hours working on a machine that is going to do 5 flights of a minute or so. I am NOT into that kind of time in the workshop!

The diversity in model aviation is a result of technology, youth education, changes in society, and our entire social society. It's evolution just as we put away the coils and condensers when good ol' Ray Arden presented to us the glow-plug. Model FLYING is the mode. Modelers have always come and gone. Like back in the early '70s when the youngster -- can't remember his name -- showed up and won the Pattern event at the NATs for 3 years in a row, then quit and went off to be a Dentist.
Now we have another one doing the same. Check out young Brett Wikizer. He just got into Pattern several years ago. Won every round in NATs Intermediate last year, this year he jumped over Masters and took SIXTH in FAI against all those NAME fliers. I think he is now 17.

Modeling is not too diversive. It's just that the world changes daily and we elders are not keeping up very well. Look to the future and don't dwell on the history of one eye-blink ago.

Now M-1 and 50+, you guys do know -- I hope -- that my jabs were all in fun because I am the real old flart.

edited: spelling