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<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>Mike &
Mark.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2> You are
absolutely correct and the sport is filled with many attributes you described.
One of the strongest reasons I stay with pattern. Just remember to pay it
forward as I am sure many are already doing.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="MS Sans Serif"
size=2>
del
<BR>
NSRCA - 473</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=flyintexan@houston.rr.com
href="mailto:flyintexan@houston.rr.com">Mark Hunt</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=discussion@nsrca.org
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, May 11, 2004 11:08
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: My Friends</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mike,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I must add a bit about Larry Mercer to that
summation. Larry called for me at my first contest even though we
had never met before.... He continued to call EVERY round for me
and coach me as the meet progressed. With every round my scores improved
and so did my confidence. Thanks to Larry I took home 1st place with a
12yr. old Kaos.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I just bought (more like stole) a complete
pattern plane (Summit/YS120/radio etc.) from a friend because he said,
"you need this plane, so go fly and don't worry about the (low)
price".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think Pattern has these kind of guys
everywhere...if not, Ya'all need to move down here.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I feel as lucky as you Mike.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=mweast@prodigy.net href="mailto:mweast@prodigy.net">Mike East</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=discussion@nsrca.org
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, May 11, 2004 8:48
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> My Friends</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>I have a habit of being wordy but I will try to keep it to less than
5000 words.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thought I would share something positive about the sport and the people
in it. </DIV>
<DIV>I dont know how it goes everywhere in pattern but I am really fortunate
where I come from here in Nederland, Texas. When I 1st learned about pattern
I heard words like "clannish" and "eliteists". Not where I come from.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Where I come from that couldnt be farther from the truth.
Especially when it comes to 3, not 1 but 3 guys. Buddy Brammer,
Ray Rhodes and Larry Mercer. How lucky we are. These guys are really
something else. They have shared their time and resources with me
and many MANY people without asking for anything in return. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ray taught me and the rest of Jefferson County how to fly and
cheerfully continues to coach me on a daily basis and tolerates
endless phone calls and unscheduled visits with a kind and welcoming
spirit even though I know he has to get tired of hearing from me sometimes.
haha. Ask anyone who knows Ray and they will agree that he is
worth 100x his weight in gold.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Larry is just the same as Ray and is always quick to share
his "stuff" so I can fly when I have forgotten something I shouldnt
have, break a prop or forget to charge my glow heater. He regularly
assures me that I am welcome to call on him anytime and believe
you me I do. Whatever flight skill I have comes directly from these two
fellas, they have nursed me along through my flight training and although I
am just a young punk at 36 they treat me like a friend. They have both even
gone as far as letting me fly their planes, their new planes just
to give me a feel of what a well trimmed pattern plane feels like and Im
barely a sportsman. What a rush.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Buddy,,, what can I say about Buddy. BudCo pro shop has practically
become a 2nd home for me since I started flying. His door is always open and
hes always ready to drop what hes doing and get me out of a bind on a
moments notice, hes never told me he was too busy even though I know
sometimes he has to be. Hes had me there at 7am and at 7pm,,, repainting,
rebuilding, resetting. He has shared more nuts, bolts, props, motor
parts, paint and most of all,, time, than I could ever repay him for.
About the only thing he will take in payment for his time and TLC is a
"brown bag special" and even then he insists on picking up the tab more
times than not. And Im not the only one, there are plenty of other
guys like me that Buddy has taken under his wing. I dont know how many times
I have heard the phone ring followed by a smile and that quote I hear
all too often, "my public calls." </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>These guys are great pilots and great guys. </DIV>
<DIV>Even if they are full of.... well. you know :)And even if we never flew
another plane together again I will always consider them MY friends.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Mike East</DIV>
<DIV>Mid County RC</DIV>
<DIV>AMA793948</DIV>
<DIV>NSRCA3662</DIV>
<DIV>Nederland, Texas</DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>