RE: Difference between IMAC and Pattern
I really cannot help much with Pattern beyond what has already been offered. I fly IMAC in the lower classes, Basic to me more accurate. I started flying a GP Cap232 with a DA50 and took 6th in my first contest out of nine. The judges were very helpful in pointing out what I needed to work on and I did just that. the very next contest and most everyone in that contest I flew against in the previous one and I was also judged by the same people as well. I took second place flying a C-Arf 2.3M Extra. The next two I took first so I achived my goal so it's time I move up.
I'm heading to Bowie MD in a few hours and will be flying Sportsman there at CAPI. I'm lucky enough to have a few good Unlimited and Advanced pilots to watch me as well as lower class pilots that have been to the judging schools and all wonder why I did not move up sooner.
As to getting help, it's like at most clubs I have been a member of or have visited. Most everyone is willing to lend a hand. As an example. At my second contest I had a JR8611A servo on my rudder start twitching. Afte rthe round was over, one of the other pilots walked up to me with a brand new in the package 8611a and told me to go ahead and use it. Here was a person I had never met before that offered me that servo. It actually floored me. I actually did borrow the servo and when I tried to give it back at the end of the contest he would not hear of it. I later found out his address and such and sent him a money order to cover the cost which he promptly sent it back explaining that he was glad I was there competing and most pilots want the competition so it's not uncommon to do stuff like that.
Since then I have offered many a pilot to hold the plane during startup, call if needed and just about anything else I can.
I've been to pattern meets where I see the same thing, pilots out having a good time and helping out where needed.
To sit and actually watch a contest can be a bit boring unless you know exactly what is going on but I always tell everyone to ask the contest director if they need scribes for the judges and volunteer to help. What a scribe does is write down the scores as the judges call it to them, run the score sheets to the scorekeeper, grab the judges a drink or whatever. You'll be surpised just what you will learn.
All I'm saying is go to one, offer to help out, ask questions and be completely honest in any summary of your skills when asked. No one is going to put you down, in fact just the opposite, the next thing you will know is you will have someone helping you to setup your plane, talk you through the maneuvers and give you so much info you possbly cannot absorb it all at once.
And most of all, have a load of fun, that's what both types are all about