I am entering my first IMAC contest tomorrow and would appreciate suggestions from experienced pilots. I have been practicing the beginner sequence but what I think correct and what is being flown by the competitors may be different. I am sure I will understand better after experiencing this contest but a heads up would be nice.

Mike

Hi, Mike.

The most common mistake that I see guys do is snaproll into the spin and not stall the airplane before the spin. Make sure the airplane stalls. Also make sure that the immelman before the spin is big enough to give you enough altitude. I've seen guys rush the spin or even do a one turn spin instead of two because they were not high enough. Make sure you draw a line after the spin as well. I've never met anyone at a contest that wasn't willing to help. Have fun and good luck!!!!!!!!!

Albert Santiago

Mike,

The best advice I can give you is to have a good time. When I flew in my first IMAC contest, I flew Basic with a Goldberg Ultimate. Lucky me - I got drawn to fly FIRST. So I didn't get the chance to see anyone else fly. When I think back on what my caller must have been thinking (he was an Advanced pilot), I must have scared the crap out of him flying full throttle right down the runway! But I had a great time. Watch the other guys, talk to them, ask questions. Most of the guys there will be falling over backwards trying to help you. You will probably leave the contest with lots of energy to get back home and practice what you learned.

As for flying - try to take your time between manuevers, relax, keep the throttle off the firewall (that is a hard thing to do when you are nervous), and LEARN.

Hope you have a great time,
Ken

Mike,

The best advise I can give you is Have Fun...
Make every thing large..
Give your self plenty of Altitude to complete the manuvers..
Reduce the throttle on the downlines...

I flew my 1st IMAC event in Basic this month with a Extreme Stick 40 in 25mph winds..

Have fun

Toyse

Another suggestion, get someone who has lots of experience to be your caller for your first few times. First time I flew I had a guy who knew quite a bit, and he walked me through it and made things alot easier. Also, don't be afraid to ask any of the guys at the meet for help. IMAC guys are usually pretty nice and, if you get the right one, will give you quite a bit of help getting started.

Mike,
Are you going to Riverside? I'll be there tomarrow also flying my first IMAC. I barely have my plane trimmed out so I'm not expecting to much. I had the same plane dialed in before a midair two weeks ago and radio problems just got cleared up today. I'll be wearing an RCU hat, look me up.

Richard Dragin

Yo Mike I'll be there too! Me and Richard have been working hard at learning all we can about this sequence. I'm just really excited and want to have fun. I also want to see others doing this and learn from them. The other classes will be fun to watch for sure!
Look me up too. I'm a dork, you can't miss me! haaha,

Joe

There will be plenty of expereinced people at the Riverside contest who will be more than willing to help.

Make sure that the CD (Jeff Szueber) knows you are a first timer and he'll hook you up.

Ask questioons in the pilots meeting as well.

And most of all, don't sweat it, just watch, learn, and have fun.

Bill Malvey

SO how did you do in the contest?

Yeah Knuclhead!!!

Haven't heard from you!! Begening to think that you crashed my plane!! :-) How'd you do!!! You better have beaten Ken!!

I most definetely had fun!
I was in sixth place at the end of the first day without any zeros on any one manuver. The second day first round I did well through most of the routine but got zeroed on my two turn spin. The third round was my worst. Just before I started I was calling for Ken and a 38% plane flew right into us and pulled up just before clearing us and the judges out. My nerves were shot! I had my worst round but two scored rounds will be zeroed so I'm sure it will be those. We didn't get our results becouse of a CPU drive failure so we are chomping at the bit to see results.
Thanks to everyone for the advice.
Thanks to Stephan for the plane, it is coming back to you in better shape than you gave it to me and started first flip all but once. I don't think I beat Ken though.[:@]
I can't wait to go to my second.

Yeah, I was one of the judges that was almost decapitated by that Airwild Edge. That was so close, I could've sworn I felt the heat of the exhaust. Jeff sent the final results in email, let me know if you want a copy and I'll email it to you.

Meyrick

The results are posted on the SCAT web site. Just scroll down to the link to the Riverside IMAC event.

And BasinBum and Gokeli both chickened out for Sunday. (Anyone found a fryer lurking around?)


Barry Wegman

http://www.scaleraerobatics.org

Barry,
Turns out my deadstick was caused by a missing magnet from the thrust washer, it would have been hard to fly without it and I doubt you or Angelo had one to lend me. I called yesterday and got no answer so I'll try again today so I can return the receiver and servo's you were gratious enough to lend me for the competition. Joe needs to get his bigger plane flying because his Staudacher was getting tossed around pretty good in the wind. It was a good learning experience but hard to compete with only two very short trim flights on a new plane and not having practiced since the mid air. We'll get are ducks in a row and hopefully be ready for Prado.

I want to learn to fly my model airplane in the imac contest. I will try to stay 2 days next time. !~)

Regards,

Chicken

Oops! That was me with the Edge! First of all, I apologize, for the close call. Nothing like a new plane, a lot of corsswind, short runway (felt short to me anyway!), and dumb thumbs on the sticks. Heheh! I am extremely happy I could pull up in time. I only wish I could have tracked down anybody it came close to at the time and apologize in person. Again, my apologies.

TJ

Just a general editorial comment here.

All pilots, but especially Basic pilots, should be ready to abandon any approach that is not looking good. Dead sticks are of course different. But if the engine is running there is no reason to keep flying a poor approach. As soon as it looks like things are going poorly, GO AROUND!!!!

I cannot tell you how many close calls I have seen because a pilot will not go around but insists on flying a crappy approach until the plane somehow stumbles to the ground.


Bill

Thanks for that Bill. I had a few of the worst landings there because I just though I should get the plane on the ground and was nervous. I didn't want to distract the other pilots and brought my plane in on approaches that I would never have taken at my home field. Thanks for bringing that up.
TJ, I was not there but I hope you are enjoying your new plane. !~)

joe