I just got my copy today.
Those guys are definately taking it to a new level.

Nice job to everyone that was invited.


(Leyland, you rock!)

Dang, I need to get that one, get it from SKS?

Yes.

Propwash has it too! Got mine a couple of weeks ago. Good stuff...

Last years judging sucked didn't it !!, Matt Stetlachick only come 3rd with some of the best flying , hardest manourves and totally in time with the music, i hate it when more well known (probably buddies too) win when they shouldn't have . It was even worse in helicopters Clive Ceeney come fith !!, i'm not even going to get into that one. I hope this years was not so ridiculously judged.

Quote- "Last years judging sucked didn't it !"

I think that is a personal opinion, I only saw it on video, but agreed with the judges top 3 decisions.
Steklachicks (sorry if I butchered the spelling) flight was good, but in my opinion Garret Morrisson and Chip Hydes were better.

Even though you may hate or love someones music, you must'nt let it influence your decision, only how well they use the music.
Music can really make an atmosphere in a freestyle routine though, ie TOC 2000 CPLR's flight, no doubt who won that round.

Just my personal opinion.

Also, remember that if you are seeing it on tape your only getting a small slice of the whole competition.
The judges were not making descisions only on what ended up on the tape.
If you saw the whole competition in person and dont agree with the judges well than that is your opinion.

FAIR CRACK, i suppose it also depends on what you personally can do, or more importantly what you can't do, both can impress you for different reasons. I think knife edging is a sinch so the winners routine containing a lot of this didn't do it for me. Matts falling torque roll however is so incredibly difficult to keep the plane so vertical as he did, and stop it so precisely to the floor !this did it for me. Guess everyone will judge differently,i guess the judges didn't all agree either. Yes music is influencial as it changes your emotions, the top pilots are aware of this i'm sure as they all pick vibrant uplifting dramatic tunes which makes their flight seem the same (which it usually is !) Don't cry for me argentina !

Kunte,

You are right. What catches your eye may or may not catch the next guys.. Or the judges.

I have talked to a few guys who competed this year and they all empahsized that the compulsory maneuvers played a big part in judging. Some who had exciting 3D were a little lacking in the compulsory stuff and it hurt their scores.

One thing I liked about Jon Leylands flying was his rolling point circle. Each snap that he did was to a different direction and to a different point. Some were 1/2 snaps, some were 1-1/4 snaps and he was chaging the direction of the snaps and the rolls as he was going through the circle. VERY NICE!
Most people go around the circle, rolling. Then they'll put a snap at every 90 but its always a snap to the same direction and ends at the same point.
He also does something I havent seen anyone else do and that is a High Alpha rolling reversal where the plane seems to flip direction at every half roll.

johnvh,
extreme cool prop movies...really enjoyed the sukuoi to tunes
chris

Thanks man, I appreciate it!

This post really amuses and dismays me. (Does that make me schizophrenic?)

The judges at both XFC's had a very well defined and finite set of criteria to work from. This criteria has been used at the last 3 IMAC Nat's, the last 2 JR Challenges, the 2002 Tournament of Champions and will be used at the 2003 Don Lowe Masters.

Based on this criteria, Matt placed exactly where he should have. I can also say with the upmost confidence that the #1 and #2 finishers were exactly where they should have been.

I offer this challenge to you...read the criteria (in its entirety) at
http://www.mini-iac.com/pages/rules/4minutefree.pdf and then get back on here and tell me that Matt should have won last year.

By the way, Matt is a buddy of mine, as is Garrett, Chip and most of the other competitors. Your insinuation that the judges chose the winners based on friendship is utterly disgusting. Before you issue insults such as these I suggest you sit a judges chair for several years as most of these judges have.

Thanks,
Mark Jorgenson
(sucking) XFC Judge - 2002, 2003
World Aerobatic Freestyle Championship Judge - 2003
JR Challenge Judge - 2002, 2003
TOC Judge - 2002
Don Lowe Masters Judge - 2000, 2003
IMAC Judge - 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003

Thank you Mark! I get tired of posts complaining that "this guy should have won" or "that guy should have won" based on a video tape of some snippets of a contest. It is all about CRITERIA and judging to it. Glad you chimed in here. See you at the Masters!

Ken McGuire

Bravo Mark! Thanks for setting the record straight.

EXTREME FLIGHT---FREESTYLE--- i thought the idea was to do a unique/original flight containing as many hard 3d manourvers as poss!!!!!! The commentry at the beginning by Frank never mentioned anything about set manourvers to complete. It's only my opinon, and for the record Frank would have 'PROBABLY' won if he'd entered, again just my opinion.

If I remember correctly, it wasn't Frank, but in the 2003 XFCintro, there was another gentleman(judge) that did mention the program, and an unknown or known set of maneuvers was discussed. I've seen this particular gentleman(judge) before at other events. He seemed to be in charge. Look at the beginning of the 03 XFC tape again_bob

That gentleman is Fred Johnson. He served as the Cheif Judge for this and many other aerobatic contests (including the TOC).

He does a good job of explaining the criteria used by both the airplane and helicopter judges.

The reason to use well thought criteria such as we had is to get away from this exact line of reasoning (sic).

Think about it this way. We are going to have a contest and all the judges are going to give scores based on their personal opinion. I like rolling harriers so I will score that well, you like torque rolls so you will score that well and so on. At this point you have reduced the competition to a popularity contest and the golden halo really comes into play.

I think I'll stick to contests where they use good judging criteria...

Mark, i was referring to the 2002 VIDEO, like iv'e already said every one will judge anything different due to ourselves being different. In context of 3D it becomes a mine field to judge as what seems hard and unbelievable to one person seems a piece of cake to someone else. Throw in music, streamers, fireworks and who knows who is going to win. Thats why my (OPINION) was meant unimbiguously not sparingly. Thats why its probaply being brought in this year (2003) ,set manourvers to help judges, to make (+ lets be honest, you may as well toss a coin between the top 3) a decision. Lets not forget though thats the whole beauty about 3D it is so undefined, so varied, so unique, it's art, i could argue there should be no winner, they're all as good as each other !?, Anyone for tennis ? P.S. I have flown inside a tennis court , i wounder what score i got !, only joking , i'm a kunte by name not by nature !

There were known maneuvers both years.