Hi All

    I started flying models when I was 5 or 6 years old, Control Line, Free Flight then RC as it became available. Starting with single Channel Escapements then Reeds and Proportional once Proportional became reliable, some of the early sets were Junk like the Sampy 404 which my Father and I sadly bought, I'm 67 years old. 

    Back to the subject, 40 years ago I started to become heavily involved in competitionm mostly Pattern and Scale Aerobatics, I think this class is gone now. When I had my own Hobby Shop I sponsored contests and was also a Contest Director, obviously I did not compete in contests I sponsored or in which I was a Contest Director.

    The Competition flying and then the Hobby Shop eventually almost ruined the Hobby for me. Even though I did  well in competition, it became a job, practice, practice and more practice. I got so burned out after many years, I quit flying models and only Built Models and concentrated on Full Size Aerobatics and Air Shows. After 7 years of Air Shows, it started to become a Job also and I stopped doing them, I also had a Wife and two young teen age children who needed who needed a live Husband and Father rather than a Dead one.

    Model Flying used to be much more graceful and smooth than most of what I see today, 3D flying just, "Well", I won't go there. I feel models should be flown like their full size counterparts.

    Building and Flying models is a HOBBY and should be FUN and relaxing, I feel the easiest way to kill the fun is Competition or turning it into a business. All Scale Competition is subject to the Judges opinion, many times the best plane on the field does Not Win simply because a couple of judges do not care for your style of aircraft, just a simple fact of life. The only kind of competition I would even consider anymore would be stand off scale Pylon Racing, "if this class exists", he or she who get's there first, WINS. 

    Well, I've turned this into a book, However, these are my thoughts on Competition.

    Have a Great day Everyone

    John Eberle

    Montgomery, TX