Everybody has their own frame of reference that they identify with, and whatever that is seems "RIGHT" to them. My frame of reference goes back to before I ever flew any airplane. I was about 13 to 15, and saw all the pioneers such as Kazmirski, De Bolt, Don Lowe, Ed Izzo, (that you mentioned), Jim Kirkland, Ed Keck, and others fly at the Detroit Invitational, which at the time was one of the major contests on the circuit. Tom Brett and his Perigee was a member of my club. I watched them fly back when there was no such thing as retracts....that was the norm. The photo of Don Lowe's Phoenix 1 above was taken at that meet. The flying was beautiful, and as an impressionable young kid, it left memories for me that will stay with me, so to ME, flying without retracts is perfectly normal...especially in an organization that wants a low-tech, inexpensive competition format. I later saw plenty of planes with retracts, but I never got out of AMA Novice, (which of course did not allow retracts and pipes), so the "retract bug" never bit me personally, and my original frame of reference stayed intact. I got out of RC for many years, and when I returned, I gravitated back to those early pattern planes that impressed me so much when I was a kid.

SPA originally flew the kind of planes I identified with, planes like the Taurus, Quik Fly, and Kaos. They flew with wire gear, ane a 2-stroke 60 for power. Later the planes evolved within the legal date range more toward the end of that range. The original SPA rules however have not been modified because SPA leaders want the level playing field at the most basic level, (like the earliest days of pattern in the early to mid 60s).

Like I said, I can appreciate any kind of aerobatic flying, but my personal "sweet spot" is right in line with SPA, and the way it is set up. You are right...SPA competition IS a lot of fun, and you are not the only person who liked the pipes and retracts, but can also enjoy competition without them. We feel we have a set-up that works for us.

Duane