This is exactly the result of treating basic as second class. Each class has a set of skills to master, including basic. I can always tell the pilots that skipped basic, they can snap, they can do rollers, they can do it all, except fly a straight line. Essentially, basic is designed to teach the very basic skill of flying a straight line and round loops. When I was in basic, I though a 45 degree line with nothing on it was stupid. Now I appreciate that this taught drawing a straight line. You should stay in basic until you are getting 7s on your lines. Then you are ready to move up.

If your local CDs are giving you short shrift in basic, you should complain, and loudly. You should not feel as though you have to move up to join the fun. You should be having the fun.

Bill gave you our SCAT secret - sequence construction and keeping it moving. Currently, the IMAC basic sequence has 4 passes in it. If it takes 10 seconds to make a pass and you fly 7 sequences in a contest with 20 basic pilots, those passes cost the event over 1.5 hours. Then you have the passes in the other classes. I understand the intent with the IMAC sequence design, but they are clearly designed to promote an agenda, not to help contests run smoothly and efficiently.