Patience. Reward. Pay it forward.

[19000rpm]

Doozer mentioned, over on his Pitts build thread, that one of the most important things he learned in putting the plane together was patience.

Patience is a good thing to have in this hobby. Just figuring out how everything works. Building. Learning to fly.

I have some patience but not as much as I'd like. My brain hurts even contemplating how much patience it takes to scratch build a giant scale plane.

What patience I have, I learned from my dad who taught me to build and fly. He'd come home from a stressfull business trip and spend hours helping me. We'd build or fly. In those days it was more crashing than flying. I loved it all. My dad's help, the sharing, the learning, meant a lot to me as a child. Even more as I look back as an adult.

About 5 years ago I spent 11 months building a stick and tissue P-38. And that isn't even a flying plane. Just ceiling decoration. It was my first plane since I was a kid. If I had known how long it would take to build I might never have started it. But I'm glad I did. It was as much a tribute to my dad as a project for myself.

So, be gratefull for whatever patience level you have that allows you participate in this hobby. I certainly am. I try to remember that not every project needs to be done in an evening. I try to remember that a deeper sense of accomplishment is a reward, in and of itself, for time, patience and effort spent. I can hear my dad whispering those things in my ear.

Remember to share your experience and enthusiasm for the hobby and the sense of accomplishment and self worth it allows. Find some kids and pass it along. Or, like a 80 year old friend of mine, teach a 90 year old how to fly. Simply amazing. For both; absolutely rewarding.

[Doozer]

When I got started in the hobby just a few years ago, I was eager. My builds were rushed, even with all the pictures, I would work beyond tired to get it finished. I'd miss screws or read manuals wrong, forget to put the servo horn screw back in after trying to get 90.... and really, I was in a hurry for no good reason.

Because of all that's gone on with my son the last few months I was forced to build the Pitts in moments. I took them when I could get them, but I could really never sit down for long. I would work on one little thing at a time. I was always working on fresh batteries (my own). I even put it down for almost a month when my son started getting pretty sick.

It's amazing what a fresh perspective sheds light on. Things I struggled with suddenly made sense. I call them "No Sh!t" moments. Sometimes 30 minute epoxy is better than 5 minute epoxy. I have no trouble gluing up a hinge (Robart) then go hit a bucket of balls with my dad, watch soccer, listen to music, spend time with my kids. I don't have to stay anymore and complete the job. The payoff for taking your time is that all the other stuff in your life seems to balance out.