NW IMAC Competition Thread

[USN_POPS]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Flyfalcons
	Yeah I know about the 40 dollar thing, I talked with B-Dub about it at length, just a couple years ago it was 20 bucks with IMAC membership, and most fun flys in the area are still 5-10 bucks. Tough to attract new guys to the sport when entry fees for several contests approach club membership for a year.

No Doubt you are right. It would be nice if we could just hold an event and not charge anything. But the reality of it is that in the past few years, the cost of running any event has gone up drastically. Right along with everything else in our lives. 2 years ago gas was $2.29.

As the treasurer of the RAMs, I keep my fingers to the pulse of the requirements financially to hold even the most simple event, and trust me - it's expensive. And always a crap shoot wether you'll break even, or go in the dumper.

And especialy where the club has to pay a lease or whatever for their flying field. I hate it as well. I remember back in the 70's when event fees of $2 to $5 were high and we complained.

AH! those were the good old days.

[harv]

thats 35 canadian right?


harv

[Flyfalcons]

Harv it better not be, that would be even more expensive

Richard perhaps for next year we should take Dave's suggestion(s) to heart. There are plenty of ways to make a contest more affordable for the participants. If Mike is estimating 40+ pilots at Polar Bear then that's over 1200 dollars to run the contest.

[flynz4me]

Dolla Dolla bills ya'll, $35 is OK, I know no different, seeing as this will be my first... Maybe I could mow the lawn for some entry fee??!!! :-)

[rtishchuk]

Like this?


Thanks,
Hot Rod

	Quote: Originally Posted by RichardCorby
	This is the one we used to have for the Polar Bear. Just have to blank out the 50th, or replace it with 51st. And Mike I agree with you about dedicating this one to the guys out saving our bacon. Good thought!!

[Bdub]

$35 bucks! Dang. Do i have to protest the polor bear AGAIN! I really wanted to fly this time. Well i'll have fun camping and practicing, and being with you guys anyway.

[Rainman]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Bdub
	$35 bucks! Dang. Do i have to protest the polor bear AGAIN! I really wanted to fly this time. Well i'll have fun camping and practicing, and being with you guys anyway.

Awesome Brian, Since I am moving up to Intermediate, I am so glad you will protest and not fly. It certainly improves my chances of winning something! Heck, if I would have known charging about the same fee as everyone else would keep you at bay, then heck, I would have gone 40.00! Ha! Maybe you could bring a sign too. This is a FREE country.... Of course, it'll be my luck you change your mind and I'll just get smashed at the last moment anyway. What we do need is your sense of humor though as you are a funny guy. Hey, at least we can have some viddles together. Or, you could bring your shaved ice machine and I'll buy one from you for 5 dollars and maybe that'll help so you can afford to fly? We love you man...

[dqman40rock]

Bbub will fly. We will make it happen. We are having a car wash here in BL in his name.
Ya come get your car washed. Never mind that it will fricken snow the next day in spring and your car will be filthy.
Maybe you wont be flying Brian....

[chevydad008]

What a bunch of whiners!!!!!!!!!!!! $35 is nothin considering everything that all the VOLUNTEERS have to do to put one of these events on for all of us to go and enjoy. Not to mention all the effort that goes into making IMAC events uniform and fair so that you can go to one any where in any region and expect to have them all reasonably consistant. In order for us to even have an event like this on the schedule and available for us to attend, A) a hosting club has to give up a weekend of open flying. B) a CD has to schedule, organize, promote and run the event as a volunteer. C) Trophies purchased. D) Behind the scenes volunteers. E) food made available so nobody complains about being hungry. ETC., ETC. I say - show up, pay, and fly. And don't forget to thank everyone who worked so hard to give us all the opportunity to do so.

[Flyfalcons]

I don't think anyone's complaining about paying an entry fee here. However, the cost of everything you mentioned has not DOUBLED in the last two years. Maybe we need to change the status of NW IMAC from non-profit to something else?

[JohnVH]

Food (that isnt included) and trophys must be getting really expensive, and you said it, VOLUNTEERS.. they do it because they love it, right? Where does the rest of the money go.. And good point on the non profit, or is it...

If you want to make more money, charge for rv parking, advertise the event to the public, charge them for shirts, food, etc....

[Bruce]

Well guys, in most cases “they” don’t do it because they love it. In most clubs there are usually only a few guys that are into IMAC. The RAMS may be an exception to this, but generally it is true. So, in general, “they” do it to raise money for the club. This is usually the reason that the membership gives up flying for a weekend and in many cases, the volunteers from the host club that assist the CD are not into IMAC. In the case of Richland, none of their members are into IMAC. They rent us the field. We also have to pay for the field when we use Snohomish. In the case of the RAMS they have a hefty lease payment to sustain so fund raising is a critical issue. Beyond the field there are costs that may or may not apply: trophies (yes they have gotten more expensive along with everything else), Porta Potties ($140 for one for the weekend), duplication costs, food cost (may not sell it all...), equipment rentals ( sound system, generator, etc...). Committing to a contest by a club means accepting the financial risk for all of this in the hope that they can put a couple of hundred bucks into the treasury

I believe that most of the CD’s that we have in the region are very sensitive to the reg fee issue and overall I think that they do a good job and offer value to us for the effort and financial risk involved in running our contests. Most reg fees are still 25 or 30 bucks and I know that most of the CD’s are striving to keep them there if at all possible. Its unfortunate if someone is kept out of the sport because of amount of the reg fee. If you know of someone like that, let us know and we can work the problem with them.