Model Aviation Online - Modeling Spoken Here (July 2006)

In my experience, those
who put out the most effort
get the most in return.

Like many I have certain axioms and truisms to which I always try to adhere. A simple and popular example would be "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Another, more pointed one is "A winner never quits and a quitter never wins." And yet another old favorite is "Luck is where preparation and opportunity meet."

    I actually collect these types of sayings and try to put them into daily use whenever I can. I've come up with a few of my own that are modeling specific and have modified others to adapt to my favorite pastime as well. For instance, "An ounce of inspiration is usually followed by at least a pound of perspiration." That's an example of a modified old truism.

    Some of my other favorites (mostly original) are as follows: "It is possible to build a Stunt model too light, but no one has ever done it" or "There is only one correct amount of horsepower—way too much!" That one happens to fit both of my hobbies/sports: model airplanes and motorcycling! And, of course, "If a little bit is good, a whole lot more is better, and too much is perfect!"

    My most favorite is one that my very good friend and modeling mentor Bill Simons used to quote to me whenever I complained that I was not scored high enough for my performance at a contest when I was just starting out in competition Aerobatics. He would say, "Fly good enough, long enough, and they can't keep it away from you."

    It is not exactly grammatically correct, but it got the point across and he was right. In fact I thought so much of that one that I used it as the title for a new book I'm currently writing. Bill's ability to cut through to the essence of a problem was always amazing to me. He was always able to " ... see the forest in spite of the trees."

    All of these axioms or truisms are geared to motivate us and help us succeed, proceed, and, well, achieve a goal. They are helpful keys to help achieve success if we use them and really, really listen to their message.

    What set me off on this tangent this month? There is an article in this issue written by my very close friend Bill Werwage about his 2004 F2B (CL Aerobatics, or Stunt) World Championships-winning P-47 Thunderbolt.

    Bill, for those of you who may not know the name, is a competition Stunt flier who has been at this game since he was 12 years old. He's 64 now. When I say he's been at this game for all that time, I don't mean that it's his hobby and he practices it as often as possible. I mean, quite literally, that he's been on a quest 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

    Sure, he's had to make a living like the rest of us, but I know that the foremost thought in his mind on a constant basis is winning the World Championships in the Stunt event. To that end, those of us who know him well refer to him as "The Man."

    No one I've ever met or heard of has put so much of his life into just one goal as Billy has. He won the World Championships in the event on his first try in 1970 and then successfully defended his title at the next World Championships two years later in 1972. Since that time his entire life has been dedicated to capturing the title again.

    If you're doing the math, it took him 32 years to accomplish the task. During that time he has been on 14 FAI teams, has captured several medals other than the Gold, and has consistently been at the forefront of Stunt model and engine development. The point I'm trying to make is that he never stopped putting out 100% effort day in and day out for those 32 years to achieve his goal!

    Think you really want something out of life? Have you really put out the effort required to achieve it? Are you devoting every waking hour to do whatever is necessary to get to your goal?

    If not, don't be too hard on yourself; not everyone can do that. But the message is clear; if you really want something, you must be prepared to go far beyond the norm in dedication, innovation, perspiration, sacrifice, and desire to capture it. In my experience, those who put out the most effort get the most in return.

    The harsh reality is that sometimes a goal is unreachable no matter how much time and effort you invest. But you will, in trying, achieve things that would not have been otherwise possible without your having strived to reach that unattainable goal.

    The catch-22 is that you won't know if your particular goal is achievable until you make the total commitment to try. In other words, there are no guarantees. It's worth trying anyway.

    Is Billy ready to retire now that he's reached his goal? Not on your life; he celebrated for about 12 hours and then got right back to work trying to put himself in a position to win it all again. Winning is more than a goal with him; it is life itself.

When I'm not trying to figure out ways to beat Billy in competition I can be reached at (610) 614-1747. Or if the computer is your thing, try robinhunt@rcn.com. My address is Box 68, Stockertown PA 18083. MA