I guess with all your experience in pattern, you can blow aside stick control. I prefer not to, it was the first lesson when I was working toward flying pattern. Stick control and flying a straight line. Proper trim, proper aircraft set up, including the thrust line, are all necessary and you don't learn that overnight, nor does your aircraft become perfectly setup overnight. All this takes time, and that was my point.

I provided goirish some simple drills that I used to get myself prep'ed for flying maneuvers. I'm sure even those top competitors out there started out trying to figure out how to make that nice roll, nice loop before they were introduced to a half cuban 8 or Immelman, or whatever you wish. And I can pretty much assure you that before any degree of perfection was possible, they had to learn to fly straight and level, and that the aircraft had to be set up properly and the pilot had to understand that what has to happen is the repeated drills in the air to get things right.

I'm sure even you, Joe, found that after practice, certain maneuvers came upon you much easier, and to the point where you realized that a little left rudder might help correct that maneuver.... something that does not happen on week one - day one of pattern 101.

I believe my intent was to help Goirish with simple approaches to begin pattern and what to do in the initial phases of learning pattern. It does not come by osmosis, it takes practice and lots of it. And, no matter how good the flyer is, without proper stick control, even with a rudder, maneuvers will be sloppy at best.

Any one wanting to get started in pattern has to know the basics of pattern and it must start out with stick control. As you progress and learn in steps, you learn how and when to apply certain inputs to help align the aircraft for the next maneuver.