vupilot

Questions.....I am interested in my first IMAC, I have prior experience in full scale aerobatics though.

In Basic I understand its legal to fly any size/type airplane. Honestly though I am wondering, if I show up with a .60 size aerobatic monoplane in the mid-west am I going to be the only one flying such a small plane? Will the vast majority of the Basic competitors be flying 27% and larger aircraft?

Are any of the contests just single day events or are they each all weekend long affairs?

sewbusy

Hi there Vupilot... Welcome to the Scale Aerobatics world. You are correct...in Basic, a pilot can fly any aircraft. I have seen quite a few pilots flying smaller pattern airplanes in their first venture into IMAC and have done pretty good with them too. You will not be judged on the size of your airplane so you should work on the Basic sequence with what you have. Trimming it properly for competition will relieve a lot of pilot work load and give you more "nano-seconds" to concentrate on flying the sequence. Realistically, you will see larger than the .60 size airplanes however, I would use what you have now & experience the adrenaline of competition once again, this time standing on the ground looking up.

We normally have a 2 day contest throughout the USA, however weather will play a very important part if the contest remains a two day event.

Please visit the IMAC website http://www.mini-iac.com/ & take a look at the region nearest to where you live to see what contests are on the calendar for your area. We do also have a Forum that after registering, you will have access to, where you can ask relevant questions.

Safe flying & hope to see you at a contest soon,
Wayne
IMAC Sequence Committee

shall36

My Feedback: (23)

Hey VU,

I'm a newcomber, too. At my first event, the smallest plane there was 50cc. That being said, don't worry about it. The best part of my first contest was getting feedback from the judges, meeting other pilots, and seeing what other folks are doing. I'm a competitive person by nature so I really had to convince myself to simply compete against the standards as opposed to the other pilots there....it was more fun that way.

As for the event, some are very crowded and you may only fly twice in a day over two days and there may not be a lot of time for practice or open flying. From that standpoint, I'm not a big fan of the events because it's a three day deal for me plus all that goes into packing up the camping gear and planes and stuff and I only get in an hour or so of flying for the whole weekend. Your mileage at your local events may vary.

If you're into aerobatics, try it at least once with what you have and see if you like it. If you like the format of IMAC contests and want to be more competitive, you can upgrade to a bigger machine. Even though you aren't judged on the plane, you are judged on how you fly and IMO, it's easier to fly precision aerobatics with a large, purpose built machine.

Have fun!

octanehuffer

I was flying a 30% plane and found some were flying larger. Most were flying the same size. If you desire to fly a smaller plane, keep in mind, that it will not present as well as a larger plane. You will have to fly closer to the judges.
Your first season should be more of getting used to the routine and observing the contest. Not flying. Get out there and meet some people, have a good time and most importantly do NOT become dissapointed in your flying. It is meant to be fun.
Last year was my first competetion in Basic. I liked it so much that I entered a contest down in Chicago just to get a fix. Had a very good time and met some really great people that I now look forward to the next time I see them.
Adam

Flyfalcons

Don't worry about the size of your plane. Just practice the sequence and fly against the judging criteria set for the maneuvers and you'll do just fine. One of my first contests I practiced a bunch in the spring, brought a .40 size Extra out to the contest, and placed first against many pilots who brought out bigger equipment including a 40% 3W Extra. In basic, you'll find pilot skill varies widely and having a larger plane won't help those who haven't practiced or don't know what the maneuvers are supposed to look like.

sweetpea01

My Feedback: (10)

Yes, don't worry about size. My first IMAC competition I used a 35% Katana and the winner of the Basic class flew an electric Fliton that was in the 1.20 glo size.

mcmcintyre

I have flown 1 IMAC contest in the SW region. I flew my 60-90 Edge. I had the smallest plane on the flight line but I finished above some of the guys flying 50CC size airplanes. Two of the guys in basic were flying 100 CC sized airplanes. A young man 14 or 15 years old, flying a 1.20 size Giles finished I believe in second place. It is possible to fly a small airplane and be competitive. Remember it's not the size that matters, it's how you stir the sticks....

bubbagates

My Feedback: (32)

It never hurts to have your girlfriend in a very skimpy bikini calling for you as well It distracts the judges and since if there is any question on a maneuver, judges are required to give you the benefit of the doubt, well you see where I'm going with this

All kidding aside, basic is the come and fly what you got. Is it possible you'll be flying against 50cc and larger stuff, you bet but I've seen guys will 90 size Ultrastick's kick major butt because they understood exactly what needed to be done, to the time to setup the airplane properly and and learned how to properly flew the sequence

If at all possible, get someone close to your area to sit down and watch you fly. Then listen to what they have too say and do what they tell you. IMAC is loaded with a bunch of great people that are more than willing to help you be the best you can be and if you really want to learn go to a contest and do nothing but scribe for the judges. Most judges will give you the reasons for the scores they hand out if you ask, time permitting. They will see things that look fine to you at first but in short order you will start seeing little things and since we are talking Basic, the first maneuver is a 45 degree upline, you will learn how to actually tell if the pilot was at a 45 degree angle on not 35 or 55.

And one last thing, try not to be embarrassed, as IMAC pilots we do remember that we were all there at one point or another. No one is gonna make fun of you and there is no shame in starting in Basic. I've seen tons of excellent 3D pilots start out in Sportsman or higher because they felt basic aerobatic maneuvers were below their own standards only to have their butts handed to them when the scoring started. Even if it's one or two contests do basic first to get a feel for IMAC and if you are feeling challenged enough, then move up to sportsman