ORIGINAL: NJRCFLYER2
Pattern is only about precision aerobatics. There is a defined aerobatic box and geometric centering of center zone manuevers is one of the judging criteria. You must maneuver the model precisely within the aerobatic box to score well and do not need to be concerned with impression scoring to compensate for the lack of a defined box. Also, the sequences are longer, with roughly twice as many figures per sequence as with IMAC. Unknowns exist only in certain FAI contest venues, typically in the finals for the Nationals or potentially some other large or high stakes event. The K-factor targets for the sequences are achieved through figure selections that do not require a large number of snap rolls to raise the number, i.e. there is a higher emphasis on geometric complexity than adding snap rolls to figures.
Don't forget that unless it has changed this year, the takeoffs and landings are scored in Pattern as well, but not in IMAC
Oh yea, I did not move up to Sportsman at CAPI as Mike can attest to (he was the CD for it). I'm actually glad I didn't as I took first over 11 or 12 (I think we started with 11 but someone did not show up on Sunday) others and that was not feeling very well at all on Saturday and breaking a header during the last maneuver in the "unknowns" on Sunday (basic does not fly "unknowns per se, they usually do one sequence of the knowns they normally fly) so I felt pretty good about myself. I'm heading to Del-WG this weekend.
As another example of how we help each other out. Both myself and whaturi been working with sinergy and aerobat the last two weekends down in DE and have watched these two come around nicely. sinergy claims he's gonna get anywhere from 1st to 3rd. What he does not know is although we helped them, maybe we did not give them all they needed to know
Nah of course we did. I hope they do kick some butt