I finally flew the whole beginner pattern

[Pat Chewning]

Whoopie!   Today I put together 3 whole "beginner pattern" flights.   The overhead 8 was a bugaboo for me for a long time and now I can do one that is "recognizable" as an overhead 8.

I flew my 1st contest in October (in Salem OR) and did a "truncated" beginner pattern.

Now I'm looking forward to the Portland contest, with maybe more beginners 2 weeks from now.

[Daniel_Munro]

It's a great feeling when the confidence builds and we manage to put it all together isn't it.

I too flew my first ever contest just last week, looking forward to many more.

[Target]

Congrats both of you!
Having the most trouble with the square loops myself! Mine are basically a "D", LOL. Seems I am worried about hitting the pavement!
R,
Chris.

[Pat Chewning]

 I am just a bit more confident to try the new stunts over grass than over concrete.   Next major thing to learn:  UPSIDE-DOWN flying.   Definitely will be done over grass.

[Pat Chewning]

I guess to sound more official, I should say "Inverted" flying, not UPSIDE-DOWN.

[Dave_Trible]

Congrats to all!  Keep after it.  Practice makes .......well a lot better.  Burn fuel......or ions,  whatever.

Dave

A friend of mine,  Steve Jeltz ( Phillies/ Royals 1983-90) oft says to me "you play what you practice".  Very good advice.

[Tim Wescott]

The D-shaped squares will persist through at least part of Intermediate.  The learning process isn't instant.

[JoeJust]

Pat, don't worry about ending up in last place at Portland.  I will be entering Beginner PA (for the umpteenth time) with a new plane, or an old one. Anyway, I nearly always end up at the bottom, so just come and have fun!
Joe

[john e. holliday]

I too had trouble with inverted and squares,  of course the judges say I still do.  But doing lazy 8's and keep stretching them out.  I started doing out side squares doing reverse wingovers.  Just stay with it and you will be doing the pattern.   Remember if you start a maneuver, complete it and don't change your mind halfway into it.  Also remember the take off, level flight and the landing is what cost some people points.

[Steve Helmick]

Congratulations!

Whatever you do, when learning inverted, keep your handle vertical. Bad habit, hard to break, to tip it horizontal (as many do).

First time I tried inverted, I was about 16-17, flying my first and only Ringmaster S-1 with an early Veco .29. Crashed, I did. Next time I tried, maybe two years later, was with a combat model (they were all "Fast" in them days...about 100 in this case). I told myself simply that the next input I would give would be "down".  I have crashed since, but not while flying inverted.

When I came back to flying CL in the late '90's, I sometimes checked my total flight time by looking at my stopwatch while flying inverted, but decided that probably wasn't a good idea. Learning the pattern and getting the flight time under 8 minutes stops the need for doing that stuff anyway.   Steve  

[Shug Emery]

Whooooooo Buddy)))))) I know it took a lot of good and hard work and gluing and crashing and all the right good moments to get there.
It is on now!
Shug