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RE: 2006 Sequences? - 11/10/2005 4:15:09 PM   
PaulBK


 

Posts: 131
Joined: 12/22/2004
From: corona, CA, USA
Status: offline 		c'mon anna......if your "reality" was correct, then all the cheering from others in the SW would have pilots running to contests. and that hasn't happened either. let's find a more plausible reason for interest being on the wane...like maybe the run is over and the numbers are starting to stabilize. after all, this is utah. haven for mountain biking, hiking, skiing...but toy airplanes? no.

P

(in reply to Silent-AV8R)
       Post #: 51

RE: 2006 Sequences? - 11/10/2005 10:40:50 PM   
quist



Posts: 1606
Joined: 1/8/2002
From: Glendale, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		Paul, The attitude of any type of flyer will influence fellow flyers epecially at a local level. We have had a large increase in IMAC pilots at my field in the last 3 years. I believe that has to do with what is actually going on at our field and not what is going on in other states.

As far as the other comment about people who only flew one contest. There are people who only fly the contest at there field, they are not serious about competeing and just want to have fun. For local club contests these people are good to have. Some day they may want to compete.

One last item, I think it is amazing that the numbers have increase when you factor in the increased traveling expense. The Camarillo, CA contest cost us $500 in room and gas.

(in reply to PaulBK)
       Post #: 52

RE: 2006 Sequences? - 11/11/2005 3:06:46 AM   
wgeffon



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quote:

ORIGINAL: quist


One last item, I think it is amazing that the numbers have increase when you factor in the increased traveling expense. The Camarillo, CA contest cost us $500 in room and gas.


I dont even want to think about what I spent to fly at the Shootout this year...
It was worth every penny though.



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(in reply to quist)
       Post #: 53

RE: 2006 Sequences? - 11/11/2005 3:44:57 AM   
dick Hanson



Posts: 10069
Joined: 12/12/2001
From: slc, UT, USA
Status: offline 		doom and gloom?
Obviously, you don't know me Anna --
My comments were meant to encourage some thought about growth in IMAC
I CD our contests each year -enthusiastically !

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Libby

(in reply to wgeffon)
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RE: 2006 Sequences? - 11/11/2005 5:08:02 AM   
quist



Posts: 1606
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From: Glendale, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		That's what you get for riding in style. That was a nice ride!!
quote:

ORIGINAL: wgeffon


quote:

ORIGINAL: quist


One last item, I think it is amazing that the numbers have increase when you factor in the increased traveling expense. The Camarillo, CA contest cost us $500 in room and gas.


I dont even want to think about what I spent to fly at the Shootout this year...
It was worth every penny though.



(in reply to wgeffon)
       Post #: 55

RE: 2006 Sequences? - 11/11/2005 5:20:56 AM   
wgeffon



Posts: 6376
Joined: 12/2/2001
From: Bloomington, IL, USA
Status: offline 		LOL.

Its paid for.... but putting $3.10 diesel in it for 3600 miles hurt.
Thankfully we split it.


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       Post #: 56

RE: 2006 Sequences? - 11/11/2005 5:57:40 AM   
piper28


 

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quote:

But the real point is that 57% of the pilots who flew in an IMAC contest in the SW last year chose for whatever reason NOT to compete again. Those are the folks I would like to talk to!!! And I doubt that the major reason was that they were scared off by all the big airplanes!! In the SW this year I did not see a single plane at a contest (even in Basic) smaller than a 27% to 30% plane. And everyone that I saw was a scale planes. I do not see this as the factor that stopped that 57% from coming back for even 1 more contest.


As someone that's been debating giving the imac thing a try, I would have to say the larger plane size is definitely something of a concern. It does represent a fairly sizeable hurdle for getting in. (And yes, I recognize that you don't necessarily have to have the bigger planes at basic, but you're at a disadvantage.) That said, I'm not sure that the bigger hurdle isn't the amount of travel that'd be necessary to really have any success. I'd guess that's why it's only 17% you had that participated in 5 or more contests. (I know I was listening to the numbers at the NC regional, but didn't do the math off the top of my head to figure out how many contests you'd have to go to to have any chance at doing well for the season).

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RE: 2006 Sequences? - 11/11/2005 3:04:09 PM   
Silent-AV8R



Posts: 1782
Joined: 3/16/2004
From: SOCAL, CA, USA
Status: offline 		The funny thing is that there IS a class for smaller, less expensive planes. It is called Mini-Mac. NOBODY flies it. NOBODY clamors for it. So I take from that while there are certainly a number of people who feel that large planes are required and choose not to spend the money, that most who are interested are willing to jump that hurdle.

One other point. If you are just trying it out, do it with what you have. Scale or not, large or small. In most cases you are at a greater disadvantage due to inexperience and a lack of the necessary skills than you are due to your airplane.

If you decide that you like competing, then you can determine if you want to spend the money and invest the time required to be competitive.

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RE: 2006 Sequences? - 11/12/2005 5:23:33 AM   
dick Hanson



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Joined: 12/12/2001
From: slc, UT, USA
Status: offline 		Mini Mac simply diluted interest at all levels
The idea of having unlimited plus small restricted sizes for all classes did not appeal-and never will
If the classes were size specific - the playing field would be more equal and of more importance - the appearance of a level field would exist.

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RE: 2006 Sequences? - 11/12/2005 2:00:29 PM   
Diablo-RCU


 

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From: Hammond, IN, USA
Status: offline 		If IMAC participation is down, there are more than a few reasons why. Extraordinary gasoline prices last Summer made traveling to a contest very expensive. If you're hauling a trailer for a 40% plane or two, even more expensive. A tank of gas for a 40% plane costs about $2. It's about the same cost as flying something with a Moki 2.10.

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RE: 2006 Sequences? - 11/12/2005 3:53:21 PM   
Desertrat



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From: Boerne, TX, USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Diablo-RCU

If IMAC participation is down, there are more than a few reasons why. Extraordinary gasoline prices last Summer made traveling to a contest very expensive. If you're hauling a trailer for a 40% plane or two, even more expensive. A tank of gas for a 40% plane costs about $2. It's about the same cost as flying something with a Moki 2.10.



The trailering I'll buy into. $2 for a 40% tank of gas - thats an exaggeration. Even worse comparing $2.50-$3.00/gal pump gas to $10.00-$18.00/gal alcohol/nitro. C'mon man, when you exaggerate that bad you lose credibility.

Now to your point: IMAC participation was not down. However, most people just went to one contest. I personally only made 3 last year, biggest reason I didnt make more is the time factor involved. It hurts to leave work on friday, hook up and drive all night, get up early to fly on Saturday, have a small amount of fun while sweating and studying unknowns sat night, fly a little on sunday, smile and clap then haul butt home so you can be dog dead tired at work monday morning, wondering how bad your wife is going to yell at you about not mowing the grass! And this is when it goes smooth. I know there are folks here who have gotten up to really bad weather on saturday after driving all night and asked yourself the question - "Is it really worth it?"

Size matters. Nobody can truely argue that small airplanes are competetive. If you are serious about IMAC, you will have to get a big airplane eventually if you want to be competetive. Dick I agree with everything you say, but the reality is the general majority of the membership really does not want to change the format. And I understand to a degree because IMAC was founded on that principle that there would be no restrictions on the aircraft size. As long as folks continue to show up to enough contests, there will be no format change. Here in South Central, the trend has been more and bigger contests. The good news is Pattern offers a format with size restrictions - Interestingly, the cost is very similar when you get to the upper more competetive classes - hmm.


Roger

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RE: 2006 Sequences? - 11/12/2005 5:16:30 PM   
Dean Bird



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From: Scottsdale, AZ, USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Desertrat

Now to your point: IMAC participation was not down.



That's the part that keeps confusing me. Participation isn't down. It was up this year compared to last year. More people are involved as CD's, more people are trained and involved as judges, and more pilots flying contests. Sounds like a great trend. Anna Wood is the Arizona assistant in the Southwest. She told about some more things that are being planned to encourage the new pilots coming in. It all sounds like good trends and a good focus on the new pilots coming in.

Participation in two of our Southwest states are down. That means that the participation in the remaining four states went up even more than those states lost to have an overall increase for the Southwest Region. I can't speak for the Utah pilots and their interest, but Dick is a consistent buzzkill on most of his posts in the IMAC forum. Representatives and pilots from the other states are promoting their contests, poking fun about who has to fly against who, talking up the great contest sponsors, and giving reports after the contest about the good time it was to meet everyone and hang out. Dick's posts are just consistently about how bad it is and how wrong it is. Dick, your heart may be in the right place, but it's got to be a total buzzkill for any Utah guys that may look up to you. What's ironic is that for all the opinions you have about the problems in this segment of the hobby, I don't see your name anywhere on the list of 2005 participants:

http://www.mini-iac.com/EditModule.aspx?tabid=191&mid=502&def=News%20Article%20View&ItemId=191

Tons of us are flying in the Southwest, the contests are being run better, we're meeting new people at every contest we go to, the contest sponsorship is fantastic, and we're having a blast!! The people with the positive attitudes and the fun spirits are already talking about how much fun it is to be practicing next years sequences, thanking IMAC again and again for getting next year's Knowns out so fast, and giving each other a hard time about what class they're going to be in. So many positive things going on!!!

Dean Bird
2005 Tucson Shootout Intermediate Class Champion
2005 IMAC Southwest Region Intermediate Class Champion

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(in reply to Desertrat)
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RE: 2006 Sequences? - 11/12/2005 5:17:14 PM   
Flip and Fly



Posts: 652
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From: Gatineau, QC, CANADA
Status: offline 		Hi all,

I have never flown in a IMAC competition, but plan to give it a go next year. After reading all this thread I like the idea of size restrictions to classes, as Dick stated. I will be flying a 34% type setup because I don't want to be too disadvantaged. Lets face it, if you are going to compete its nice to be competitive. Also its about the most I am willing to spend. Its a huge jump from 33% to 40%!

If the weight was the parameter that determined the various classes, the competition would then be shifted to getting the best flying setup for that weight. That would be interesting, and not only money and size would rule, next to pilot skill!

And please don't tell me that size don't matter in the smaller classes, Like I have heard from others. I have a 28% Extra, and a 37% Ultimate, no contest! Ultimate is far more stable, and the Ultimate is not the best setup for IMAC.

< Message edited by Flip and Fly -- 11/12/2005 5:23:07 PM >

(in reply to Desertrat)
       Post #: 63

RE: 2006 Sequences? - 11/12/2005 5:26:26 PM