There is another pattern group called SPA for Senior Pattern Association.

http://www.seniorpattern.com/

They fly the original pattern aircraft, or should I say, sport aircraft that are capable of doing pattern maneuvers. It was where pattern got it's start. They have a list of "SPA Legal" aircraft that can be flown in competition. Their routines are pretty much the same as classical Pattern but use different planes.

I have one such plane in my inventory, the Goldberg Skylark 70 with an OS .75 AX engine. It is a very nice flying aircraft and meets all the requirements of SPA. My instructor, Ron Lockhart, who is a Master Class Pattern Competitor, flew it and put it through all of his master class sequences and it did just fine.

As for me, well, with work and other activities, I just don't have the time to dedicate to all the practice that is necessary for getting any better at the pattern sequences, but I am fully capable of flying the pants off of my Skylark, but I often just go out and to the maneuvers to keep "in shape", then just sport fly for the relaxation of it all.

Don't let anyone fool you. To do well in pattern, it takes a lot of discipline and time... time = burning fuel.. lots of fuel.

The most basic maneuver that you can do, probably some would not refer to as a maneuver, but it is and gets judged at events, is the straight and level flight from right to left or left to right. The reason for that is you cannot set up properly for any of the follow on maneuvers if you can't fly straight and level... hands off the transmitter. That takes skill and a lot of prep to make the plane ready for that type of flight. Every maneuver you make requires a setup from straight and level flight. If you aircraft starts off into a loop, for instance, and you are not straight and level, well, the loop will be sloppy and will get judged accordingly.

So, if you want to get started in Pattern, then get that plane set up properly, and learn to fly the plane straight and level with little or no input from the transmitter. Do a proper and extended take off, with a slow turn into the flow, make your turn to downwind, and level out at about 100 feet or so altitude with a little over half throttle. Trim for straight and level flight during your downwind pattern. Do it quickly and decicively, then at the end of the downwind leg, do a half reverse cuban 8, if done right AND if your plane was trimmed out correctly, at the end of the maneuver, you should be flying straight and level upwind and ready to begin your maneuvers.

Even if it sounds easy, try it. You will see that this is the very first thing you must master so you can move on into the other maneuvers. That is not to say you can't learn and do the other maneuvers, but to get them right, you must master the straight and level flight.

Practice.. practice.. burn fuel.

Best of luck, Sentry4. Stick with it and you will be a much better flyer.

CGr.