That's okay! This is just one of my favorite subjects obviously!
B.V. wasn't an example. He designs ducted fan aircraft and high r.p.m. engine mod's, but I'd call him a pylon racer and not a pattern jock. His daughter Patti is the pattern jock!
Damn fine pilot, too!
Useless recall: I once snap-rolled over the top of her aircraft, in order that I avoid an impending midair. Bob yelled 'Thank you' at me. I didn't reinitiate my entry to the manuever (Running Eight), despite the offer of the line judge, and still pulled off a '10.' That flight also resulted in the best landing I have ever done. I think my Curare landed at about 3 m.p.h.!
I don't know the percentage.
As an F3A FAI pilot I used 0%(FAI), but there were rarer moments when a flew as much as 95%. Whatever the ratio is it doesn't matter. I'm not burning any of it.
Pattern guys just take it too serious. Happiness comes after the NAT's for them, or the World's. Strangely, I couldn't stop smiling whenever I was flying heli's. I've got hundreds of hours in jets, but heli's gave me that warm fuzzy feeling that only 'landing with your wingman' can deliver in AH. I fly heli's like a pattern plane, but often times sideways and inverted, too.
Thank you, for spurring a few memories.
Voss 13th T.A.S.
