Ok. Contest #1 done. I probably should not write this now, but I want to get it done before I lose some of the details.


#1 - Performance. I would say I flew at 75% of my best and based on my judging of other competitors, I flew the 5th best.


#2 - Fun. I now remember why I only flew 1 contest last year and 2 total. 12 hours per day, for 2 days (24 hr's total). Of that 24 hours, less than 30 minutes was spent flying. But, I expect, as usual, in 2 or 3 days I will be crunching my scores and working on a plan for practice to address my poor maneuvers and planning for the next one


#3 - Value. Had fun overall and brought home all my gear in as good of shape as it was when I arrived.


#4 - Judging. I want to include this for each contest as I see it as a major component of the overall experience. In general, I am ok in just knowing where I finished regardless of the actual scores and pieces of wood. I also know that my "feeling" of where I placed in comparison to others is super subjective. As an example, I may think someone else flies too steep 45's, or not vertical verticals or is coming out, etc... but they may consistently get 9's and I am consistently getting 7's. Might say that what I think is right is wrong so I may think I was best when I was really worst because I don't truly know what is correct. I am attending the National Judging school next week and I hope that will help make sure my "idea" of how I flew compared to others is accurate. At that point I can make a judgement call as to how I performed compared to the other pilots. With that said, I can explain my perception of the judging at this event as it pertained to my class. I flew a very good 1st rd (2 sequences) but finished in the bottom 1/2 when the scores came out. I watched every pilot before and after me and I was predicting that I would be 3rd or 4th and was actually 9th. My 2nd round very very bad. In that round I placed myself at about 8th to 10th and my scores had me in 4th or 5th. When the actual scores are posted on the IMAC site I can better determine exactly how the scores played out. So after day 1 I was in 8th place and thought I should have been in 6th. Today we flew an Unknown (1 seq) and a Known (1 seq) and I flew them both very well. I had my Unknown at about 4th and I think that is exactly where my scores put me and my known I had me in 3rd and I was closer to 5th with the actual scores. So at the end of the day, I thought I should have been in 5th and was actually in 6th. Not too far off, but was frustrating the 1st day. When I mention my scores I am talking about RAW and not equalized. I am fearful that all the judging school will do is make me a better judge and in turn make my dissatisfaction with judging greater. But I guess the idea is that over time the more people that know more about judging the better and more accurate the judging will be. I am also hopeful that the school will shed some light on a few elements I must be confused on. As an example, all 5 laydown humpty's I did were very very good in my opinion. I flew them exactly how I expected to, with almost no corrections needed. I made what I thought were constant radius, centered rolls, perfect 45's and all 5 were scored between 5.5 and 6.5... that tells me that something I was doing is wrong because they are so consistent.


Anyway, sorry about that huge run-on paragraph, but I wanted to keep all that in the "judging" section.


I am also contemplating moving to Intermediate It seemed as those there were 4 intermediate pilots in my class at this event - and if I am going to fly against them, I should at least be in that class Actually, I may have done better. In some events there are only 3 or 4 intermediate pilots. So, last in intermediate may be a better finish that in the top 1/4 of sportsman

With the worlds qualification this year, I was expecting to see some people that normally would have moved up to stay put and go fly at worlds. As I stated above, as long as I am "ok" with which pilots in my class are really "sportsman" pilots and how my flying compared to them - I will have fun this season.


Another dilemma is that with judging school both days this coming weekend, there will be no time to practice before the Florence event


More to come - thanks to all of those who have helped so far and for all the tips I got this weekend. It was also nice to put more faces to the names I have been seeing on here. Also, I hope no one takes any of my comments the wrong way. I don't want the judges that judged me to think I think they did a bad job and I don't want the top Sportsman pilots to think I don't think they deserve the places they finished. I'm just on here putting my thoughts out there and hoping to have some fun, make friends, and not offend anyone.


If I can get some mid-week practice in I will update this blog, if not I will update with my thoughts on the judging school.

See you at school.

After attending the judging school you may discover why there is such a great difference between your preceived flying scores and the scores you received from the judges who knew the criteria with which to judge your maneuvors! This is normal so don't get discouraged. My guess is that after you attend the judging school your scores will really improve!

BTW, have you looked at the online judging program located on the IMAC website?

Bobby aka TDD

Originally Posted by The Dirt Doctor

After attending the judging school you may discover why there is such a great difference between your preceived flying scores and the scores you received from the judges who knew the criteria with which to judge your maneuvors! This is normal so don't get discouraged. My guess is that after you attend the judging school your scores will really improve!

BTW, have you looked at the online judging program located on the IMAC website?

Bobby aka TDD

Yeah, I have been through the school a couple times.

My other fear is that it will make no difference. If I look at my scores, sometimes I was sccored exactly how I would have scored myself and other times lower. So, if I find out what I am doing to get low scores (no flying a 45 as an example) and start flying a correct 45 - that jusge that gave me a 9 like I though I should have got before is now going to think the 45 is off (too steep or too shallow) and that 9 will go to a 7 and the 7 went to a 9

I know it's all subjective and in the end I am seeing it usually pans out after a full season..

Originally Posted by mtndewdewd

Yeah, I have been through the school a couple times.

My other fear is that it will make no difference. If I look at my scores, sometimes I was sccored exactly how I would have scored myself and other times lower. So, if I find out what I am doing to get low scores (no flying a 45 as an example) and start flying a correct 45 - that jusge that gave me a 9 like I though I should have got before is now going to think the 45 is off (too steep or too shallow) and that 9 will go to a 7 and the 7 went to a 9

I know it's all subjective and in the end I am seeing it usually pans out after a full season..

I have found over my 14 years of trying to fly IMAC that it is almost impossible to judge yourself while flying!! So hang in there and try to practice with a knowledgable buddy to judge your flying.

Well John, you must admit you had one of the best looking planes at the contest.

Originally Posted by plane

Well John, you must admit you had one of the best looking planes at the contest.

True

Originally Posted by plane

Well John, you must admit you had one of the best looking planes at the contest.

Originally Posted by murry

True

John,
I think you flew very well for your first contest in Sportsman. There were a couple of sand baggers in your class (that will always exist in every class with the exception of Unlimited of course) but there are a couple that fly Sportsman well but really aren't ready to move up to Intermediate. These guys are getting better for sure with practice and good coaching. I promise that by the end of the year with your dedication to getting some quality practice in with a good coach you will find that you will be the one that the guys not doing so well are talking about. I'm looking forward to helping you with that. BTW you plane is one of the best looking ones out there.

P.s....If look you back at 2009 when I flew my first Sportsman contest at EVA I think I got 8th or 9th out of 20....I ended the year by winning the Regional Championship which was held at EVA also. You can do it John!

Originally Posted by mbacosa

P.s....If look you back at 2009 when I flew my first Sportsman contest at EVA I think I got 8th or 9th out of 20....I ended the year by winning the Regional Championship which was held at EVA also. You can do it John!

I also believe that John can do it too!! He asks a lot of questions and he searches for the correct answers!

THAT makes a BIG difference. See you in a few days.
Wayne

Originally Posted by wmat7039

I also believe that John can do it too!! He asks a lot of questions and he searches for the correct answers!

THAT makes a BIG difference. See you in a few days.
Wayne

John, I didn't get to watch you fly this past weekend but everyone's advice is great. Stay focus and burn lots of gas with a competent tutor. I totally agree with Mike, the first contest of the year really shows where we need to improve, but isn't the out come of the year. Don't focus on sand baggers (we all have at one time) it's a waste of energy. Practice and fly so well that the judges can't find anything to ding you for. At the end of the contest be happy or disappointed on how you flew for yourself, not the score or the wood and improve each time. Every time you move to the higher class it gets much tougher, trust us. Hone your skill and perfect sportsman and the transition to Intermediate will be much more fulfilling. Just my 2 cents!

Originally Posted by rad951

John, I didn't get to watch you fly this past weekend but everyone's advice is great. Stay focus and burn lots of gas with a competent tutor. I totally agree with Mike, the first contest of the year really shows where we need to improve, but isn't the out come of the year. Don't focus on sand baggers (we all have at one time) it's a waste of energy. Practice and fly so well that the judges can't find anything to ding you for. At the end of the contest be happy or disappointed on how you flew for yourself, not the score or the wood and improve each time. Every time you move to the higher class it gets much tougher, trust us. Hone your skill and perfect sportsman and the transition to Intermediate will be much more fulfilling. Just my 2 cents!

Excellent, Excellent advice, nicely said.
Bill

Originally Posted by Badams

Excellent, Excellent advice, nicely said.
Bill

Great flying last weekend Bill!

Originally Posted by mbacosa

John,
I think you flew very well for your first contest in Sportsman. There were a couple of sand baggers in your class (that will always exist in every class with the exception of Unlimited of course) but there are a couple that fly Sportsman well but really aren't ready to move up to Intermediate. These guys are getting better for sure with practice and good coaching. I promise that by the end of the year with your dedication to getting some quality practice in with a good coach you will find that you will be the one that the guys not doing so well are talking about. I'm looking forward to helping you with that. BTW you plane is one of the best looking ones out there.

P.s....If look you back at 2009 when I flew my first Sportsman contest at EVA I think I got 8th or 9th out of 20....I ended the year by winning the Regional Championship which was held at EVA also. You can do it John!

Are you talking about me??