enforcing sound limits
Usually, I try not to repond to rants like this, but in this case, I felt compelled. Are you flying in IMAC contests? Have you been flying for more than 1 year? I have noticed a HUGE decrease in noise at IMAC contests in the past year. Two years ago, loud, unmuffled engines were the norm. Now, I rarely go to an event and hear a prop rip. On the big airplanes, exhaust noise has been quieted with the use of cans in most planes. If you show up with a noisy plane, you are a bit of an outcast, and people WILL approach you to talk about quieting the plane.
The whole "get quiet" issue started when a pattern flier (who shall remain nameless here) submitted an Urgent Rules Proposal to the AMA forcing IMAC airplanes to abide by the pattern standards. IMAC spent a huge amount of time and effort finding an alternative that worked. At some fields, the noise is not much of an issue, so they choose not to enforce the rule. At other fields, noise is a BIG issue, and believe me, the rule is enforced.
Let's keep in mind that the point of the rule is to quiet the planes to save fields. I have noticed a dramatic decrease in noise over the past year. As for IMAA and the TOC. Completely separate issues.
Ken