RE: Radio most used at events?
"For any sport pilot thinking of A new radio the JR 9 or Futaba 10 should be looked at. With all that P-mixing in both radios and the ease of operation they are just too nice and far more user friendly then either makers 7 ch. radios."
Agree - There is value in seeking out good gear that will take you from plane to plane, i.e. radio, onboard electrons, engines, etc. While even very large/complicated planes can often be flown without "fancy" radios, some of the advanced mixing, conditions, etc. sure do make it a lot easier to setup not to mention more flexible. I've seen buds at the field get a nice low-mid range radio only to replace it a year later because they can't do "X" on their radio with the plane they bought today. Do they need to do "X" to fly the new plane? Probably not, but a hobby isn't about need, but wants.
As for which brand is seen more often at events...I don’t see how it is relevant. I don't buy gear "X" just because all the others are doing it or just because awesome sponsored pilot "Y" said so. Show me something of value, then I'll buy.