WELCOME !!!!!!!!!!! I'm also really new to the sport and I've met some of the best people on the PLANET, both on this site and at a local club (read my post on "Worst "First" Ever" about my experience last weekend! Basically, the FIRST time I ever go to a club, meet a whole bunch of new people, the FIRST time I grab the sticks, fly SOMEONE ELSE'S plane, CRASH IT INTO THE TOP OF A PINE TREE!!!!! And they not only offer to get it down, they're fixing it COMPLETELY to "better than before" status AND it's going to be MY PLANE AFTERWARDS!!!!! And I had JUST met these people 3 hours before!

People aren't shooting you a line of hooey about this sport. The people in this sport are far and away the BEST people I've ever met in any situation! I really don't know why it is that way; maybe because everyone can remember the confusion, excitement, curiosity, and all of the crashes/near crashes of their days as a new pilot and they're eager to share what they know and try to keep YOU from doing some of the silly stuff they did.

And I think Bigedmustafa is right too: all the buttheads are out golfing [sm=teeth_smile.gif] (....and that spurs some weird desire in me to buzz golf courses for kicks...... but I've always been a little deviant, and thankfully tempered with enough forethought to know that's actually pretty dangerous )

In the short time I've been into this sport, I've already developed a real sense of community, an admiration and deep respect for all of the people who help the new guys along, and I've learned that EVERYONE has AT LEAST ONE story where a complete stranger went far-and-above the call of duty being EXTRA good to them. Whether it's helping you prep your plane or even FIND your plane if you wipe out; if there is only ONE other person out there, you can almost bet your bottom dollar, they'll help you out if you have any problems. Just remember to return the favor when you see someone ELSE having trouble. It's a big beautiful group of like minded people who all want 2 things (1) to ALWAYS have fun flying and (2) to become a better pilot and help someone else become a better pilot if they can

Like we say in the south, "They're good people" and that's no lie. I've never encountered anything like it before. It's unique, special, and it makes a WONDERFUL sport even MORE WONDERFUL ! I feel truly blessed to have stumbled into this arena. It's made the depression I was suffering due to unemployment from corporate "downsizing" disappear like water on the sand! It's like nitromethane Prozac