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<P>All - </P>
<P>As always, this list is a premier source of information on all things pattern. Great info here on a great range of topics. </P>
<P>But... a dinner conversation w/ a dear, long-time pattern friend brings up a point to remember-- someone used to use this tag line for all his posts -- "My current plane is better than my last one, and my next plane will be better than this one"</P>
<P>To me that means that especially as we start out in pattern, we don't NEED (and may not be able to afford to get at first) : <BR> the latest design airframe<BR> the latest version of the hottest motor<BR> digital servos<BR> PCM 10 + Channel radio<BR> laser incidence meter<BR> a building table that's flat to 0.000 mm over its 2 meter length. </P>
<P>And in fact, in the new pilot's first season the $$ for much / most of this stuff could probably be better spent on lots of fuel... and learning boring things like wings level, straight lines, and round loops<BR><BR>Gathering / moving to most of this stuff should happen as the new pattern pilot's flying skills and experience warrant, and as our skills -- and desire and commitment -- grow. </P>
<P>We all have something of the perfectionist in us, but we don't want to stifle the lurking new pattern guy that reads all this stuff and then looks at his Hangar 9 Cap232 (or watever he's planning to use to compete this season) and decide that it'll never work and he'll be wasting his time and money.</P>
<P>I guess the message is - a lot of the discussion here IS relevant to the new pattern pilot, but some isn't -YET- and the pattern pilot shouldn't feel put down, incapable, inadequate if he doesn't meet the ALL building and flying standards expressed on this list. </P>
<P>Just my $.02</P>
<P>Rick<BR>AMA L727<BR>NSRCA 2972<BR>District 1 VP </P></DIV></div></html>