Thanks guys.

I have had several pattern flyers coaching / watching me and I fly in all winds since last spring. I can fly round loops and straight lines in most winds (according to them)... when it gets above 20kph I struggle. I spent about 100 flight last spring just going back and forth doing lines in the wind - like every day.

There are no IMAC flyers near me - I mean none within 10 hrs - there are a about 5 pattern flyers and they are grudgingly helping me (they want me to fly pattern but I have an allergy to glow fuel... electric is too expensive due to battery cost .... so I fly gas... and I like the big scale aerobats a LOT better.) The fellow who gave me my wings tests for pilot and instructor is an old-time pattern flyer. He is helping me but he is the one who said I should fly advanced right off the bat... it will take some convincing to get him to accept me doing Sportsman.

Maybe I'd be better off to build a pattern plane and do that at the local contests for a few years. The problem is making a 10lb gasser ... I am very allergic to glow oil now and I don't want to invest thousands of $$$ in short life span LiPo's. I'm not sponsored for batteries... and 5 or 6 10c packs is huge $$$.

I will practice Sportsman and fly that at the Nats this year. If I don't do well that's okay. Basic is really, really, really boring. I'll take the advice to start lower down but Sportsman is where I want to start. I will definately fly a higher class in pattern though as the pattern sequences are easier than the IMAC ones.

The Kelowna contest is close to the nats time-wise... so I decided to go to the nats where I will see some really great pilots and get to pick their brains.

I was willing to host an IMAC contest in Edmonton but I have not got much support and so far all the fields have said they don't want to host an event. Finding judges is a big issue...

The reality is due to my location competing is just plain hard. So I will make a trip this year and see how it goes. There is nothing stopping me just practicing what I want to I really want to get rollers happening this summer.