ORIGINAL: Richardfast
I have written an e-mail to our new IMAC North Central Division director, Ken McGuire, asking him to read this thread, and proposing that the NC division take the lead in promoting mini-IMAC using a new rule of a 20" propeller limit, vice a .60 CI engine limit. Also, our club in Jackson, MI (JRCC), which hosts an IMAC contest in June this year will hopefully incorporate mini-IMAC using the 20" rule into our contest (if we can get permission). I am the club president, so hopefully I can do some arm twisting. Thank you everyone for your participation in this thread. If any of you know Ken, or CD's in your area, please talk to them about this.
Thanks,
Richard Fast
OK, all this aside, there is only one way to do this. You must write a Rules Change Proposal (RCP) and submit it to the AMA. The NC Region is not authorized to change the rules on their own.
You could offer it as a provisional class with unofficial standing on a test basis, but it cannot be used as any kind of official class until the rules are changed. And the only way to change the ruels is to submit an RCP, have the aerobatics contest board approve it, and then wait for it to come into effect. The next rules change cycle starts January 1 for rules that will take effect on January 1, 2007. That is the simple fact of how the rules are handled.
So, take the lead in your region. Get CDs to offer this as a provisional class and see if it works. If it does, then perhaps it can be made part of the rules. But answer me this. If so many people cannot afford big planes and/or are scared to fly them, why hasn't mini-mac caught on?? What's magic about the slightly bigger size you propose?? Why will that work where mini-mac has failed? I think it is because those that choose to compete understand what the requirements are and once committed to competition they acquire the equipment they need to be competitive.