RE: I would never enter a contest because......
In reading over the above post the attitudes seem to be evenly split between those who are competitive those who aren’t and some that were non-committal. You can put me firmly in the competitive category.
In my mind I have often wondered why some will join in the fun at a club fun fly and some that won’t. About 10% of the members will participate while the remainder will either not show up at all or if they do attend they will just sit on the sidelines. I am a member of two clubs and the ratio is about the same at both. In talking with the non-participating members I have noticed that some similarities in their backgrounds.
When they were kids in school they never participated in any sports. (I don’t consider band a sport). If the neighborhood kids choose up sides for baseball, they were always the last ones chosen and when at bat they usually struck out and when in the field they dropped the ball when it came to them. From that experience they decided at an early age that the best way to eliminate that kind of embarrassment in the future is not to play at all.
Another common thread is that most all were never in the military. Unless they were drafted, they avoided the military at all cost. They did not ever want to get into a confrontation with anyone. While sitting around the shed in a BS session I have ask these guys if when they were kids if they had ever been in a school yard scrap. To a man they all said no.
I think the spirit of competition is a good thing whether it is in the workplace or at the flying field. First it is fun and has the additional benefit of improving your skills. In addition, the competitive flyers in the club are elevated to a little higher status than the rest. When a member wants someone to check out his brand new bird, they always go to the guys in the competitive camp instead of the non-competitors. Most of the non-competitors would not risk flying someone else plane anyway.
I am not the best flyer in my club I am probably down to about 5th or 6th place. During any competition I do not expect to come in first place. Age has taken the toll on my skills, but I still get a kick of giving the young studs a run for their money. I love competition, it is all good!