IMAC was started in Sweden in 2006 as a trial-class. We already had a class for scale-aerobatics but it was declining due to much focus on the “scale” part e.g. the airplanes were also scored for accuracy as in FAI F4C. But most pilots wanted to build all the cool ARFs available on the market and fly them. Also with an emphasis on the flying part were practice and skill counted instead of building abilities. This was the perfect time and opportunity to finally get IMAC going in Sweden since it was focusing on the fun stuff – flying!

Well, the development of IMAC in Sweden has been way beyond our hopes and beliefs.

Today – five seasons later, people are building large scale aerobatic planes in almost every corner. We have gone from a bulk of small electrics and glow powered planes in 2006, to where the “standard-size” now is a 100cc plane (33-35%). The 40% planes are also slowly growing in numbers and for the 2011 season there will be a few 50cc, the bulk of 33-35% and 5-10 40% planes.

Sweden is a small country in terms of inhabitants, around 10 million. Our guesstimate would be that there are 200-300 pilots who has built and flies aerobatic gas planes. These are mostly in the 30-50cc range but more and more 100cc as well. Our challenge is to make them discover the fun and challenge of IMAC and to get them “addicted”!

The first year (2006) we only had two contest, three in 2007, six in 2008, seven + Nordic Championship (NC) in 2009 and six + the NC in 2010.

We have since the beginning ran the contests in a series to get the overall winners at the end of the season in each class. These winners are the Swedish champions in each class. This is also the method to select the three best in each class for the national team the following year. So if your final placement in the series is 1-3 in your class, you get selected for the national team to compete in this class the season after. The 4^th placed pilot in each class is the 1^st runner up for the team and so on. We have found this to be a straight forward and fair system supported by all pilots. In the annual Nordic Championships we compete against the other Nordic countries, so far it’s Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

We started the 2010 season with a judging school held by Rolf Meum from Norway. It was very appreciated and 17 pilots/judges took part.

Sweden hosted the Nordic Championships in the beginning of June and we had some really great days with a lot of flying, great weather, great organizers and great people.

This was also the best NC for team Sweden so far with a 1^st place in basic, 1^st and 2^nd place in sportsman, 1^st and 2^nd place in intermediate and 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place in freestyle!

We were very unfortunate with bad weather for almost every contest (except the NC) but did anyhow have the same number of pilots as in 2009.

A total of 45 different pilots competed this year with an average of about 23 per contest. The split between classes for 2010 was around 10 in basic, 5 in sportsman and 8 in intermediate. Usually 2-4 pilots also entered the freestyle class.

For 2011 we are looking forward to another Judging School with Mr. Meum, 6-7 national contests and also the NC in Denmark. Discussions are ongoing if we should go on with starting up the advanced class but we think perhaps we will run short of judges…still our goal is to start competing in advanced during 2011.

IMAC Sweden and all our participants would like to take this opportunity to extend our gratitude and thanks to the IMAC BOD and other staff for all your support with rules, sequences and more!

With hope for another fantastic year 2011 J

Sincere greetings

Peter Schmidt

IMAC Sweden