-For Immediate Release -

- 10/13/2007, Orlando, FL -

Today the pilots of vintage pattern aircraft in Florida met at the RCACF flying field in Orlando and decided in favor of forming the Florida Chapter of the SPA, to be named the Florida Vintage Pattern Association. On Monday, the FVPA will submit the required paperwork to the SPA Board of Directors for Chapter formation. The FVPA is in total agreement with the mission and regulations of the SPA and will conduct contests accordingly.

The inital plan is to host a minimal number of SPA events in 2008 (3 or 4) and see how they are supported before expanding to a larger number. We have positive committments from at least three clubs to host events and more are expected. Contests will be scheduled in the open times of the current SPA schedule, primarily winter and fall. Florida's great this time of year, y'all come on down. The currently proposed contest locations are Orlando, south Florida, and the Tampa area. Expansion to the panhandle and the Jax area are expected as word gets out.

In addition to the four SPA classes at each contest, we plan to host two additional, non-SPA classes for what we are calling the Historic Pattern planes. These classes will include planes that flew through the 1995 time frame and will allow tuned pipes and retracts. These classes will be flown and scored independently from the SPA classes. They will also probably fly a later version of the patterns. Pilots will be allowed to enter both SPA and Historic classes if they wish. Details are still be workied out based on additional input from the interested pilots.

The officers that were elected for the 2007/2008 season are:

President: Rich Ernst Brooksville, FL
Vice-President: Jeff Owens Tallahassee, FL
Secretary: Orlando Frets Orlando, FL

We have some other exciting ideas for contests down here in the fire, but more later. Our contests will be added to the SPA calendar as they firm up. Make travel plans and see what it's like to fly down here.


Rich Ernst

President, FVPA, the Florida Chapter of the SPA.
Issued 10/14/2007