Bill (Aresti2004) is absolutely right. Don't start knocking Basic please, until you've competed, seen how you are able to fly the sequence, and see how absolutely gorgeous it can be flown by a more experienced pilot. Competing in IMAC is a bigger eye opener than you can ever imagine. There is very, very much to learn about setting your plane and radio up right. You will find that you'll need mixes you never thought of, you will use rates so low you didn't think the plane could be flown like that, and you'll be using so much expo on these low, low rates, you never thought of flying this way. To make your plane be in the sky exactly where you mean for it to be, at the correct attitude and velocity, is way harder than any on-the-deck-3D. I will spend my first year in Basic, no need to get your behind spanked without a doubt in the higher classes, when you can perhaps get away with a little spanking of your own in Basic.
DKjens