IMAC Freestyle or not " POLL"

[dmichael]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Wayne
	Never works that way.

Wayne's right.

I estimate I have been to probably 50-60 contests over the years and have CD'd probably a half dozen more. It's more like:

Even with only around 30 contestants, unknowns not finished til closer to noon. Second round done around 2-3 o'clock if you're lucky. Final calculations, awards and wrap-up take maybe another hour.

You're on the road by about 3-4 o'clock.

Sorry to de-rail the conversation but I'd like to take this opportunity to talk about what contestants can do to help speed things up and keep things running smoothly- saving time and perhaps making it possible for freestyle and/or an additional round:

1) Go to a judging clinic, be prepared to judge and don't make the CD's come begging you to do it (believe me, it feels like you're begging). I live for the day when the majority of contestants can judge and are pro-active about volunteering. It is the biggest hassle a CD deals with- who can judge, what class are they "comfortable" judging, scheduling so that a judge doesn't have a conflict with his flying/holding up a contest, being asked if they can pass on judging so they can call for their buddy, trying not to overwork the few quality and trained judges you have at a contest so you don't burn them out or be unfair to them.... I could go on but I won't.

2) Go to a judging clinic
3) Go to a judging clinic
4) Know the flight order and be ready to fly when your turn comes
5) Go to a judging clinic

[!Spike!]

I second that. Even small contests I have been to never wrap up before 3:00pm.
I have always pushed for freestyles in the SW reigon but have always met with the same lame answer of "We don't have time" what they all mean is they are unwilling to make time. Making time for freestyles can only help to make our attendance grow and encourage pilots to move up in class to qualify for the freestyles.

Come on SW. lets do it!!!

[BR289]

	Quote: Originally Posted by dmichael
	Wayne's right. I estimate I have been to probably 50-60 contests over the years and have CD'd probably a half dozen more. It's more like: Even with only around 30 contestants, unknowns not finished til closer to noon. Second round done around 2-3 o'clock if you're lucky. Final calculations, awards and wrap-up take maybe another hour. You're on the road by about 3-4 o'clock. Sorry to de-rail the conversation but I'd like to take this opportunity to talk about what contestants can do to help speed things up and keep things running smoothly- saving time and perhaps making it possible for freestyle and/or an additional round: 1) Go to a judging clinic, be prepared to judge and don't make the CD's come begging you to do it (believe me, it feels like you're begging). I live for the day when the majority of contestants can judge and are pro-active about volunteering. It is the biggest hassle a CD deals with- who can judge, what class are they "comfortable" judging, scheduling so that a judge doesn't have a conflict with his flying/holding up a contest, being asked if they can pass on judging so they can call for their buddy, trying not to overwork the few quality and trained judges you have at a contest so you don't burn them out or be unfair to them.... I could go on but I won't. 2) Go to a judging clinic 3) Go to a judging clinic 4) Know the flight order and be ready to fly when your turn comes 5) Go to a judging clinic

I totally agree with dave....I have only run one IMAC event and tried my best to make it run smoothly.
Most of the participants were fairly close "Homewise" yet only two or three really wanted to do a "Freestyle". Alot of these guys are the same at each event and the freestyle ends up being the same thing...actually trying to convince more people to participate.
Maybe the idea of doing it on a Sautrday night might help....Maybe leaving it up to a vote Friday or Saturday morning would be the thing to do.
Blair

[Wayne]

Dave,

Something we did at our Regionals last year that seemed to help with Judging assignments...

I brought a dry erase board and during Saturday morning registration I assigned people their judging assignments for the entire day (3 rounds)
During the pilot meeting we made everyone aware of the board and their assigments.
Some people needed to be moved around due to frequency conflicts (go 2.4 people!) and such but, for the most part all we had to do was remind people during the day of their assignments.
The board was in view the entire weekend.

Same thing was done Sunday morning for that day.
Worked well.

[Jim Woodward]

Freestyle on Saturday night sounds interesting. My vote would be to drop it all together. However, if you put it to a vote, I think the the majority of pilots would rather try to squeek in more known rounds, than watch the the 1-4 guys do a not-very-much practiced freestyle flight. Freestyle is OK to watch, bad freestyle, is not fun to watch.
Jim

[DKnippen]

Wayne,
The judging assignment board worked well. As a matter of fact I was going to steal that idea for my contest.............

[DKnippen]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Jim Woodward
	Freestyle on Saturday night sounds interesting. My vote would be to drop it all together. However, if you put it to a vote, I think the the majority of pilots would rather try to squeek in more known rounds, than watch the the 1-4 guys do a not-very-much practiced freestyle flight. Freestyle is OK to watch, bad freestyle, is not fun to watch. Jim

Jim, You forgot to mention Dangerous Freestyle. We've all experienced it.

[Wayne]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Jim Woodward
	Freestyle on Saturday night sounds interesting. My vote would be to drop it all together. However, if you put it to a vote, I think the the majority of pilots would rather try to squeek in more known rounds, than watch the the 1-4 guys do a not-very-much practiced freestyle flight. Freestyle is OK to watch, bad freestyle, is not fun to watch. Jim

I enjoy watching our guys in NC fly Freestyle. Mainly because they are the younger guys we fly with and are fun to watch.

I'd rather watch bad Precision than bad Freestyle...

[Lance J.]

the free style got me interested, but the percision got me hooked, I'd hate to see it go away completely, i'd vote for sat. nite, then you could watch or go eat or go to the vu.

[Wayne]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Lance J.
	then you could watch or go eat or go to the vu.

Ah... the vu.

[Radioactive]

Saturday night sounds like a great idea provided you can get the rounds in, i personally think wheels up at 8am makes a huge difference, and folks are coming from far, and close, so get the show on the road first thing! The Boca Raton contest is going to be wheels up 8am, with registration closed friday night, so you'll will have had to get that done prior. This allows me friday night to get everything worked out, including judging grid... So freestyle saturday night is a very real possibility
Yes, i know already.... here's the answer to your question...Step-up, run a contest, and make it the very best it can be!!!!!!!!!

[sweetpea]

	Quote: Originally Posted by !Spike!
	I second that. Even small contests I have been to never wrap up before 3:00pm. I have always pushed for freestyles in the SW reigon but have always met with the same lame answer of "We don't have time" what they all mean is they are unwilling to make time. Making time for freestyles can only help to make our attendance grow and encourage pilots to move up in class to qualify for the freestyles. Come on SW. lets do it!!!

Actually Spike you are incorrect.

I ran around with my head cut-off at the Vegas contest just trying to get folks to fly/scribe/judge for IMAC. Now you want to throw in trying to get freestyle in as well? I did not have time to organize nor put on a freestyle event. I went home on Sunday at 6pm totally drained and just slept till monday afternoon.

My next problems.....

Freestyle requires a plane. Most people only have one plane. Now you have an event that may push someone and they crash. No big deal except they don't get to finish the IMAC and the IMAC contest can suffer with less competition and maybe that person decides to just go home now that they can't fly......that means more work for judges/scribes finding.

Who gets to fly freestyle? Do you want to be the CD that tells someone you are totally unsafe and are not allowed to fly Freestyle?

If I were to ever CD an event like that I'd do something similar to the shootout. First you would have to be in one of the upper classes and next you would have to send in a demo so I could see you can actually "hang".

Remember as the CD I have to look out for the judges who sit on the flight line, the pilots and their planes on the flight line, the spectators and for me the city that owns the park. IMAC is truly enough to worry about. Of course this is because the SW has a strong IMAC crowd that averages over 45 pilots a contest.