Originally Posted by
ratshooter
Hi Bob. I don't know if you remember Johhny Cashburn. He made some of the first sorta prebuilt plane kits you could buy back in the 1980s and before. His shop was about 2 miles from my house. I bought my first radio, a Kraft KP-4A from him. He always made the point that little airplanes flit. Big airplanes fly..
While I doubt I will ever have a really large airplane again I don't think I will ever have one of those little bird sized models some fly at the field.
One thing I have noticed about the guys that fly the very large IMAC planes is that everyone of them are excellent pilots. I feel safer with them in the air than some of the guys with the super small planes that just seem to buzz around over the end of the runway.
I don't know Johnny Cashburn but I do understand his point of view that little airplanes flit. Big airplanes fly. That is so true...
Most guys that fly IMAC, especially in the upper classes spend thousands of dollars each year on their aircraft, equipment, gas, food, lodging, and countless hours burning gas while practicing something as structured as the aresti pattern in their class. That said you can rest assured that in most all cases when these guys fly, you as a bystander are much safer than a wildcard rebel pilot banging the sticks around. As I stated in this thread earlier I don't compete in IMAC, but what I didn't say was I have sponsored IMAC pilots and events over the years, I have also practiced the patterns along with XA and 3D style flying for the last nearly 20 years. So I see myself today as a seasoned sport pilot that enjoys all types and sizes of airplanes, and nothing more.
Bob