[LEE]

I thought I would re-post this and use this thread for some forward thinking on the subject.

Well its official. The former Scale Aerobatics Chairperson, Isabel Deslauriers has stepped down for personal reasons and I being the former one am now serving as your interim Chairperson.
First I want to thank Isabel for her incredible work in promoting IMAC, hosting a dedicated internet forum (Penelope RC), collaborating on the World IMAC team selection and being a contest director. It is a formidable task and I applaud her (and her husband Ray who is also instrumental) in helping promote this. I wish them all the best and hope we see them on the contest circuit and the world cup team next year.

I have decided to run for the chief position for the upcoming year if you will have me. I believe that this is a time for a major shift in direction for scale aerobatics in Canada and some of my ideas I have previously stated here on this thread.
I continue of course to support IMAC in Canada and believe it to be the best aerobatic competition format in the world and I will continue to participate in it, but for the majority of people who fly RC, they will never have any intention to fly competitively for various reasons.

However I think that almost everyone wants to improve their flying and perhaps try some aerobatics that look like what they are seeing at competitions As well the majority would like to learn more about what their radios can do to improve their flying, as well as properly trimming their planes to fly in a manner that reduces workload. Perhaps some want to even learn how to read Aresti. Many want to entertain one day events. Finally there are those on the fence thinking about entering an actual IMAC contest but dont know where to start. To me this is what the Scale Aerobatics committee should work on and this will be my focus if people feel I am on the right track. Feel free to share your thoughts here!

Lee Prevost
Interim Scale Aerobatics Chairman

[LEE]

Continuing on this idea, I would love to involve all MAAC members who serve on the Scale Aerobatics committee to be directly involved in teaching and promoting the development of scale aerobatics in all of their respective zones.
More to come

[Billpilotca]

Just to clarify:

I still see the SA committee having a major role in overseeing and guiding IMAC related activities in Canada so I hope that we are not trying to divorce the involvement of the SA committee from IMAC etc. Especially with the Worlds coming up next year it would seem that the SA committee needs to play several roles in team selection, coordination, organization etc.

Agree re promotion of scale aerobatics in our zones across Canada.

Teaching, well to a point, maybe coaching, providing information and guidance etc. Not all have the time or venues to organize seminars but can certainly promote and assist where possible and participate in events.

Next point will likely hit a nerve but I will express it as a personal opinion anyway. I cannot see myself spending a lot of time promoting scale aerobatics to folks who had no interest or desire to fly in competition or give IMAC a go.

I am more than happy to help with seminars or one day events but I see that targeted more towards pilots who are interested in IMAC and are wanting help to get off the fence. I am always more than happy to provide coaching and information to pilots who are thinking of trying IMAC and just need a little help to get started. Just a question of how to best spend my own time

As always, comments are respectfully submitted with the understanding that discussion of differing perspectives is generally a good constructive thing.

[LEE]

Indeed I am proposing that the SA Committe split from IMAC and that IMAC becomes a special interest group within Canada. Think of it this way. What has the SA group done to change IMAC in Canada? Have promotions worked to get people involved in competition? Do more people who are not flying IMAC attend seminars? How many people are praising the concept of two day contests or excited about the upcoming Worlds?

I am asking for a paradigm shift. I want to establish a series of one day teach and fly "aerobatic fun days" that encourages anyone who want to improve their skills and learn a few new maneuvers to come out.
I would like to have committee members in each zone hold some simple aerobatic seminars and run or help run these fun days every other week.
We could make a different set of routines for every week of the summer for groups to try out. These would consist of four or five simple linked routines complete with a written or graphic description and simple judging criteria to add to the fun.
The ultimate goal is of course to encourage people to fly in an IMAC competition, but even if they dont, we will hopefully help to improve the skill set of everyone who tries it.

[LEE]

So continuing on this thread, what happens to IMAC in Canada? Well there are many excellent pilots, contest directors and even IMAC zone representatives who will need to get together and get organized. This is a mostly competitive interest group and priorities are to set seminars, contests and now select and train a World class team.

[midi0101]

Well, wouldn't splitting the SA Committee from IMAC and making IMAC a special interest group just make more work and muddy the waters...I am with Bill on this one....The SA committee should oversee and guide IMAC in Canada. To this end, I think that there should be more IMAC members part of the SA committee to help steer this in the direction it should go to further scale aerobatics and IMAC.

Michael

[bullen]

Lee,

I do not see value in splitting IMAC out as it is the natural growth path for pilots who not only want to better their flying skills but to challenge themselves. Most pilots are intimidated by IMAC and the two day events. We are getting around this by hosting other IMAC style related events and 1 day events.

What you speak of with seminars, boot camps, one day events have been going on in Alberta for the past 4 years. We have also had several mini IMAC style one day events to expose pilots to more precision flying.

The problem I see is a lack of a Canada wide initiative from the committee. As an example the Great Hobbies challenge is viewed as an Eastern Canada promotion.

I am not trying to debate, but as an avid IMAC competitor and modeller for over 40 years I was not happy with the some of the SA Chair's comments on Western Canada involvement in IMAC as it relates to MAAC. So to be productive I have put my name forth for the SA Committee as an Alberta representative as its better to be part of a solution, and on that note I look forward to working with you on your initiatives in 2104.

Best Regards,

Brent

[LEE]

Originally Posted by midi0101

Well, wouldn't splitting the SA Committee from IMAC and making IMAC a special interest group just make more work and muddy the waters...I am with Bill on this one....The SA committee should oversee and guide IMAC in Canada. To this end, I think that there should be more IMAC members part of the SA committee to help steer this in the direction it should go to further scale aerobatics and IMAC.

Michael

The SA committee does nothing to alter IMAC in Canada. We fly to their rules using their routines and unknowns and use the exact same format. That's why you can fly IMAC anywhere in the world and be on equal turf. That's the beauty of IMAC and it works because they go to great lengths to develop and improve every year. We are very fortunate to be closely related to them and have several Canadian members who work with them in these developments.
The best way to further IMAC in Canada is to promote the development of pilots at the grassroots level and to wake their eyes up to the joy of flying aerobatic routines and perhaps give IMAC a try once they have the basic skill set to do so.

[Bdegan]

Originally Posted by LEE

The SA committee does nothing to alter IMAC in Canada.

Lee, I don't understand that statement

Originally Posted by LEE

We fly to their rules using their routines and unknowns and use the exact same format. That's why you can fly IMAC anywhere in the world and be on equal turf. That's the beauty of IMAC and it works because they go to great lengths to develop and improve every year. We are very fortunate to be closely related to them and have several Canadian members who work with them in these developments.
The best way to further IMAC in Canada is to promote the development of pilots at the grassroots level and to wake their eyes up to the joy of flying aerobatic routines and perhaps give IMAC a try once they have the basic skill set to do so.

So why break away ? Take the same approach as Brent. He is getting involved to help make the changes you are looking for. You are the interim chair. Become the permanent chair again, and build a SA committee that will do what you are looking for. Brent is signing on for Alberta.
A few zones are done their AZM's already. But a vast majority of zone AZM's are on the 19th.You have a week to talk people into accepting nominations for the SA committee.
Just kicking the can around



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[BMG]

Maybe the S.A. committee needs a new name like just "Aerobatics". This would encompass radio set-up, straight line flying, mixing, a perfect loop, how to do a roll. etc. All of which will develop skills but not mention "IMAC" as the goal. That seems to be a taboo acronym anyway. I'm not really sure how we did it but we really are not well liked in general by those who don't fly IMAC and changing that perception within MAAC may not be possible.

IMAC runs itself (actually the contest directors do the vast majority and hats off to you all) but to IMAC standards. They list their contests, market them, run them, apply for the unknowns, send the money and results to IMAC and voila, the season is done. So why be tied to MAAC if we don't need to be? We may need one individual to liaise with MAAC and the contest directors have been and will continue to do the rest. Maybe the contest directors should be the committee .......... which we really don't need anyway since IMAC does all the background work for us.

Brendan