A competitors standpoint IMO. The first time I had to fly with the 25 feet rule was at the XFC this year. This distance may sound like it is quite a ways out. When your up there in the pilots box it is not very far out there at all. I admit it would be fairly easy to get to close with a crosswind blowing you in. On the judging of the different criteria Doug and Mark spoke about. There are several pilots out there that can put on a very entertaining air-show performance. When you throw them in to fitting the criteria it brings them back to novice level. From behind the scenes it looks easy but it the most challenging thing I have ever done. Being that this criteria is still fairly new,the pilots are just now getting the experience it takes to really fly to the criteria. Until people understand there is a lot more to freestyle now than wowing the crowd you will always have guys say the winner wasn't the best. I've flown with Q.Q. at fun events where you just have at it. He is one of the most daring pilots around. But when it comes time to fly in front of the judges the only people he cares about impressing is the JUDGES. Daring doesn't help your score at all. The judges tell you this before the contest begins. Also any repetition will degrade your score. You do a blender at the start and end of your flight and the crowd goes nuts. Well the judges just downgraded you for showing the same maneuver to them twice!! Bang your rudder on the ground torque rolling for 1 minute.Or do a nice controlled torque roll at 20 ft for 30 seconds. The one at 20 ft will score twice as well because you didn't waste anytime will repetition and the execution will be higher becuase it was always in a controlled condition. Roland Matt proves this over and over with his freestyle from the 02 TOC. He never got below 20 ft. But his routine fit the criteria right on the money. And he won the freestyle rounds several times. More importantly he won on Sunday when the checks were being cut. A competition in the caliber of the WAC/ XFC/ TOC/ Masters/ Tucson Shootout etc. etc. all the pilots are skilled enough to win the freestyle. Its just the ones that burn the most fuel, have the perfect music burned into there head, a routine that makes the plane part of the music and are on top of there game that day will be at the top. I know for sure I'm ready to start flying IMAC again. At least there you know what the maneuvers are and how there suppose to be flown. With freestyle you have to make it all up yourself. And there is no fly it as you go anymore. The Judges can tell if its planned no matter how well you hide your mishaps. I hope this sheds some light on why the competition freestyles and a just for fun air-show are so different. Jason Danhakl
Team Futaba