IMAC WHAT IT IS TRULY ALL ABOUT

[Dangerous Dan]

I first became interested in IMAC honestly because the planes were just too cool. Our club had hosted a contest for several years, and the Contest Director wasn't able to do it the following year. Not wanting the tradition to stop, I applied for my Contest Director Certification, and Santioned the next contest. I had never flown IMAC so I memorized the F&J manual, and even drove down to another contest just to see how it ran and volunteer to help so I could learn. Well the first Contest I CD'd came and went and was a success, Now I have CD'd 6 contests, 7th-10th Annual Texoma Imac Challenge, Powerflight IMAC Challenge, and 2005 SC Regional Championships.

Having CD'd for severial years but not flown I was accused of having basic thumbs and an unlimited brain, Finally Last year I started competing in Basic, The bug instantly hit me, to be able to hang out and fly with all the great pilots I had met over the years while CDing contests was awsome.




Well this year I moved up to Sportsman and flew my first contest as Sportsman in Little Rock Arkansas. It was this weekend that I truly learned what IMAC was all about.

Having practiced some and done well last year I was verry anxious/nervous about flying sportsman.

Round 1 I lost my Dalton in the sun and exited the sun over the deadline, I could not stop my knees from shaking the rest of the round, even managed to earn myself 2 zeros on high K manuevers.

Round 2 3rd manuever in the first sequence My engine looses power and really sounds odd, I dead stick and earn 7 zeros on my first sequence of round 2.

My Caller/Travling Partener/and fellow Sportsman flyer Scott and I noticed one of the cans were loose. We instantly grabed tools and started removing the cowell so I could tighten the header back to the motor. To much dissapointment the header was broken at the flange.

Without a second Thought Scott handed me the transmitter to his new Wildhare Sukhoi and started pushing his plane to the flightline. I flew Scotts plane the rest of the day.

Later that day John Red Master Craftsman, designer, welder, and Intermediate pilot, asked to see my header. Instead of hanging out and socalizing with all his friends and other pilots, he left the contest right after flying his last round, drove home and spent a .lot of tome repairing my header.

The pilots meeting was not until 9:00 am on Sunday, I arrived at the field around 7:00am. At 7:20 John walkes up and hands me my header and a new gasket. The welding was perfect.

Scott and I went hard to work re-asembling the plane, I was reinstalling the header and scott was cleaning out my carb due to flying in some dirty fields prior to the contest.

The plane flew great after the fix and even earned me second place in the unknown round(6th in the contest).


Like I said after all these years I learned what this Sport is really all about. John went a way out of his way to repair my header. Even though I was flying aganst Scott in sportsman, He let me use his plane and worked hard to help get my plane back together. Just about every pilot asked if they could help or walked over to see if there is anything they could do.

So that is what its really all about, friends, having fun, helping others, the IMAC Community has always been and always will be a GREAT group of people!

Here are some Pics of John Red(Master Craftsman) and Scott aka Laser200(Friend and Competator) and myself working hard on my plane.

[JimC-MD]

Cool story, thanks for sharing that.

I had the chance to meet some of those types of pilots this past week. I could see that kind of spirit everywhere I looked. Very cool.

I think I have to give this IMAC thing a try

[Huckeneer]

Wow, that story made my day. Hats off to John and Scott and everyone that was there to help. That could have ruined the weekend for you not being able to fly.

I am going to be doing IMAC this year in Basic. I was skeptical at first but this really shows what IMAC is all about.

It is good to have those kind of friends.

GREAT ARTICLE!!!

[Andy540T]

That is exactly the way it is with IMAC. I have never before been a part of a group of people that would give you the shirt off their backs to help a fellow pilot/competitor. I have had a great couple of years and this year I have had a very rocky start, and it is my fellow IMAC pilots that have jumped in and helped to get me back in the air.

[Dangerous Dan]

Thanks guys for the positive feedback. I have seen this group openly accept and encourage new flyers and bend over backwards to help old friends and new pilots alike. I had some good examples and wanted to write this story so any pilot that is on the wire about trying IMAC, gets an example of what its really all about. I have practiced a decent amount and this was my first time competing as sportsman. I finished 6th, and I am totally satisfied with the results. Each contest I learn a lot of lessions and gain new friendships. Can't wait until the next contest.

[sweetpea]

My first contest...........I lost my 35% Edge (partially) due to the prop exploding in flight 1 week prior to the contest. I sat out that contest bummed. I then finished up a 32% Su-26 composite and started my test flights for my next contest. The design of the plane was not stellar and it appears the servo bays pulled apart in flight.....this plane was totalled.

A local flyer offered up his 36% Katana. I got 7th out of 15 that contest. Since then I've never seen such generous folks. From lending planes to parts to coaching, calling....(everything except judging large basic classes.....seems no one wants to do that, go figure?).

I finally got the chance to repay someone....a fellow competitor in sportsman broke his mufflers in practice the day of the contest. He borrowed someones plane and was flying good. Me and him were neck and neck. Well the person he borrowed the plane from tore the landing gear out, so I offered up my plane to this guy who was in my class ..........and he beat me that round with my own plane!

Now that is what IMAC is about.

[laser200]

I love this Hobby. Enough said..:-)

Scott S.

[exeter_acres]

Great stuff....

You all have posted the exact reasons I love IMAC and the people involved

[3ddd]

all you have to say is these are the best bunch of knuckleheads there are or will ever be

[castlebravo]

All of your glowing endorsments just prompted me to join. I'm still doing some very basic stuff with my GP Ultimate but really wanted something that would advance my skills. Nothing does that like a little competition. Looking forward to checking out the contest in Molalla, OR in July. Dont know if I'll be ready to compete but I think we'll go just to check it out. A day spent watching airplanes fly is better than just about any other day.

[Richo]

It seems the IMAC theme is a world wide thing! I have been to comps all over Australia, and every time I have had a blast. Antime I have had a problem, there was always a model offered so I could continue. Never meet a better bunch of like minded souls, than the world wide IMAC community.

[hillmanr2]

	Quote: Originally Posted by castlebravo
	All of your glowing endorsments just prompted me to join. I'm still doing some very basic stuff with my GP Ultimate but really wanted something that would advance my skills. Nothing does that like a little competition. Looking forward to checking out the contest in Molalla, OR in July. Dont know if I'll be ready to compete but I think we'll go just to check it out. A day spent watching airplanes fly is better than just about any other day.

Bring a plane and fly, any plane, doesn't matter. As the story above illistrates it is the actual competition that makes it fun. I think the hardest thing for the new guys is in their own heads. Don't think you are not good enough, the guys you will be flying with are not TOC level guys, just beginners at IMAC like yourself, probably not to much better or worse.
Tis better to try and not succeed than to not try at all, the winning is in the trying.