Mode One makes a good point. While I might be able to enter a local contest I could never really take on the expense of attending a progressive series of such contests. In essence then unless I could walk right into US scale nationals or FAI finals, I really couldn't take on the cost of a whole "contest circuit."

But like everything else in life, it's about where you want to spend your money. I'm sure I'm no more strapped for cash than most RC hobbyists. Some may happily spend hundreds of dollars a year attending contests, while I might more happily spend those same hundreds of dollars on historical materials or visits to air museums or model supplies.