[airframe]

Mike Clemmens mentioned in the latest MAAC mag a "Zoneless Box". What is it and how does it affect Judging?

Mike Sebastien

[50%300SFlyer]

Mike

the term "zoneless box" refers to the aerobatic box we fly our sequences in. In past years it had 2 end zones, and the centre zone. It will now be "zoneless" with no defining points separating it.

Previously our centre maneuvers had to be flown so that they were centred right in front of the pilot. That is no longer the case. They can be offset one way or the other with no penalty.

The idea is to make the "whole sequence" [from one end to the other]centered in the entire box. I know its a bit hard to visualize, but it is an improvement. This will help reduce the size of our footprint or the space required to fly our sequences.

Hope that explains it ok...

[scaleguy]

Mike,

Nice looking ride in your avitar there... what is it? I take it you are a pattern guy looking to move UP to IMAC!

Come on we don't bite!

[airframe]

So are you saying there is no box? You kind of fly the maneuvers where you feel the safest and most comfortable?

Yep I'm a pattern guy who used to be a IMAC guy and now I'm both. I used to live in Nova Scotia when there was a IMAC circuit going on in the Atlantic provinces. I went to most of the contests and enjoyed it immensely. I moved on to Alberta and got involved in Pattern and had a blast. I ran a IMAC contest out there a couple of years ago and I think I planted the seeds for some other guys to to continue on there.

I'm living in Moncton now and I'm seeing lots of IMAC & Pattern contests in Quebec and Ont, I'm wondering which ones to go to? Love to go to them all but of course getting time is a problem. Of course the Nats is already on my calendar.

Mike Sebastien

[scaleguy]

Man you get around... must be Military or Gov't!

Well now you are right in Jason's backyard. sounds like Quebec contest will be closer for you but hope to meet you at the NATS in Ottawa...

But you still haven't said what the a/c is in your avatar!

There is still a box that you have to stay within but like Mike saif you do not have to fly your manouvers dead centre to the judges. You can fly them were ever as long as they are inside the box.

[50%300SFlyer]

Originally Posted by airframe

So are you saying there is no box? You kind of fly the maneuvers where you feel the safest and most comfortable?

Well...not really. The idea is to centre the entire sequence in the whole box.

As an example... Lets say your first maneuver is at one end of the box, and second maneuver is at the other end with a free pass in the centre.

In the old way of doing it, you would enter the box from the end, and begin your first maneuver right away. You then fly through centre, [ quite a distance without anything happening,] and then begin your second maneuver once you reach the beginning of the other end box zone.

In the new way, you would delay the start of your first maneuver a bit, so that it is complete just before centre. The second maneuver would then start just after centre. As you can imagine this takes up a whole lot less space. If you have to have 3 maneuvers to do, it just pushes the other two outward slightly, just enough to get all three in.

Also, some maneuvers take up a whole lot more room than others. A hammerhead takes up very little, where as an 8 point roll takes up allot more. If you can imagine, try to take those two maneuvers as a pair together, and position the two of them as a pair in the box. I hope you can see what Im getting at.

Glad your coming to the Nats! It should be a great event!

[airframe]

The aircraft in the Avatar is a Olympic Medal, it is a Henry Piorun kit. I did quite well last year in Pattern with it.

I'm recently retired from the Military.

Why did IMAC go with a Zoneless Box? I'm still not getting the concept of a Zoneless box, I suppose I'll figure it out at my next IMAC contest.

Mike Sebastien

[50%300SFlyer]

Have a look here Mike. Perhaps this will help.

http://www.mini-iac.com/pages/rules/proposals.asp

Thanks

[Bob Hudson]

Pilots and CDs

Many of you have been asking "What's the 'Zonless Box' all about?"

First, you need to be fully intimate with the current "Zoned Box" and all of it's attendant rules, as the "Zoned Box" is STILL officially current for 2004.

http://www.mini-iac.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=90

The Rules Change Proposals, which presumably, will take effect in 2005 are now posted on the IMAC website http://www.mini-iac.com in the "Rules / Proposed Rules Changes" section.

http://www.mini-iac.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=92

Now, although the 2004 rules are still current, the IMAC Board is requesting that as many contests as possible adopt the proposed changes for THIS flying year ( 2004) as it is fully expected they will take effect in 2005.

I see, by visiting the AMA website ( remember, the IMAC rules are goverened and passed by the AMA Contest Board ) that the changes have already passed the first vote and are now on the table for final acceptance.

So, in review, KNOW the current ( 2004) Flying ang Judging manual WELL, then study the changes.

In a nutshell the changes throw out the "three zoned box" so we will essentially have "just" an "aerobatic box", and also throw out ALL criteria for the centering of figures themselves, and the centering of figures within the box..

Instead of being judged on "perfect centering" ( remember, "perfect centering" is no longer a judged criteria) we will now be given a "positioning" score.

Any questions - just ask -