ORIGINAL: MHester

To me it's just frustrating because I feel very strongly that we are dealing with myths, not facts. Name a myth, we've probably put it to a test and disproved it recently. Pick one:

1. AMA pattern flyers are snobs and unfriendly

-JUST BECAUSE IT IS SAID THAT SPA PILOTS USUALLY GO "OVERBOARD" TO BE HELPFUL DOESN'T INPLY THE OPPOSITE ABOUT AMA PILOTS. A GOOD NUMBER OF SPA PILOTS ALSO FLY AMA--I'M SURE THEY ARE JUST AS FRIENDLY WHEN FLYING THERE. MIKE IS RIGHT THAT I SAID I'VE HAD SOME NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES, (IN REGARDS TO JUDGING THE NON-RETRACT PLANES I FLEW IN NOVICE) WAY BACK WHEN IN MY OWN BRIEF AMA "CAREER", BUT THIS HAS BEEN TAKEN AND EXPANDED OUT OF PROPORTION TO HOW I MEANT IT. A MORE ACCURATE THING FOR ME TO SAY IS I HAVE FOUND A TOTAL LACK OF SNOBBERY AND UNFRIENDLINESS IN SPA.

2. Pipes and retracts give an advantage over a 4 stroke with fixed gear

-BASED ON WHAT I SAW IN HUNTSVILLE, THE STRONGEST OF THE SPA PLANES COULD KEEP UP WITH THE BPA PIPED PLANES WITH RETRACTS. I DO BELIEVE THERE ARE DIFFERENT FLYING STYLES BETWEEN SPA AND BPA PLANES--SPA AIRCRAFT IN GENERAL ARE SLOWER, THOUGH THEY CAN DO MANEUVERS EVERY BIT AS LARGE AS THE BPA PLANES. IF JUDGES FOCUS ON THE MANEUVER RATHER THAN THEIR PREFERENCE OF PLANE, (OR L.G. PREFERENCE), THERE SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM. I THINK JUDGES, (ESPECIALLY NEWCOMERS TO COMPETITION) NEED TO BE REMINDED AND COACHED ABOUT THIS--THE OLD PROS ARE PROFESSIONALS AND LOOK FOR THE RIGHT THINGS.

3. SPA guys have more fun and are more friendly and helpful

THIS HAS BEEN TWISTED SOMEWHAT. THE KEY WORD IN THIS SENTENCE IS THE WORD "MORE". I CAN ONLY SAY THE EMPHASIS IN SPA IS PLACED ON THE COMPETITOR HAVING A GOOD TIME ABOVE ALL ELSE--THE TROPHY IS GRAVY. THE ATMOSPHERE WITHIN SPA IS LARGELY DUE TO THE LEADERSHIP OF CURRENT PRESIDENT BRUCE UNDERWOOD. BRUCE SETS THE EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF US, AND WE WANT TO BE THE SAME WAY--IT IS INFECTIOUS. MY OWN EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN VERY POSITIVE IN SPA, AND I WANTED OTHERS TO KNOW ABOUT IT--THAT'S WHY I WROTE THE ARTICLES.

I AM SURE MODELERS IN GENERAL ARE HELPFUL ETC ETC. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE--BACK WHEN I WAS FLYING AMA--THERE WAS A GUY, (A COMPLETE STRANGER) WHO OFFERED TO LET ME SWITCH OUT THE BEARINGS ON MY ENGINE WITH ONE HE HAD--I REMEMBER THAT AS WELL, BUT MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH SPA HAS BEEN FAR AND AWAY THE BEST I'VE HAD.

4. Piped planes with retracts cost more

IN TODAYS AGE, THERE IS NOT MUCH OF A COST DIFFERENCE, BUT IT'S FAIR TO SAY PIPES AND RETRACTS ARE MORE INTRICATE THAN A BASIC MUFFLER AND WIRE LANDING GEAR. THE REASON PIPES AND RETRACTS ARE NOT ALLOWED HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THEY ARE EXTRA EQUIPMENT, AND SPA IS ABOUT SIMPLE AND BASIC. EVEN THOUGH WE ARE NOW USING 4-STROKES, THEY ARE BASIC AND UNSUPERCHARGED. I'M SURE SOME WILL TAKE ISSUE WITH THIS, BUT THIS IS THE HONEST ANSWER TO THE "MYTH" AS PRESENTED.

5. There is no REAL interest in ballistic pattern planes

I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS CAME FROM--CERTAINLY NOT ME. I NEVER HEARD THIS "MYTH" UNTIL I SAW IT HERE. IN FACT I SAID IN MY SECOND ARTICLE THAT THERE ARE SCADS OF EX-PATTERN PILOTS OUT THERE, AND I POINTED READERS TO THE BPA WEBSITE TO ADVERTISE THE ORGANIZATON

6. turnaround killed pattern

THIS DEPENDS ON WHO YOU TALK TO--I'VE HEARD PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS. I DON'T BELIEVE ALL FOLKS FROM SPA BELIEVE THIS ANY MORE THAN BPA PILOTS.

-M