“Time waits for no one”.

We have already passed the halfway mark of the 2011 season and all of the six regions are entrenched in competition. The next six months will see a flurry of activity throughout the USA. If you have not been involved in a contest this year, dust off your “steed” & fire her up! Listed below are the remaining 2011 contests for each region:

North West – 11 North Central – 11 North East – 11
South West – 9 South Central – 6 South East – 8

   The above figures show a healthy season still ahead for IMAC competition. In addition, qualification for the Tucson Shootout is around the corner and pilots who wish to attend this event, as a competitor, need to follow a “prescribed route”. So, get those IMAC contests in and please remember to fill in your “intent” form on-line using the Desert Aircraft website. This “intent form” will have a closing date of August 3^rd, 2011. It is also important to download and complete your registration form and pilot’s worksheet. These MUST be at Desert Aircraft’s doorstep by the latest August 10^th, 2011. If you are running late in filling out the forms it may be best to use Express Mail. I do hope to see many of you there.

The 2011 Scale Aerobatics NATS concluded on Thursday June 30, 2011 in Muncie IN. Although the attendance was lower than normal, the participants displayed a high caliber of flying skills and the competition was fierce to the very end. A very BIG THANK YOU must be expressed to Gil Major (Event Director) and his entire team for a superb job in conducting such a smooth event. Members of the team included: Phil Vance (Co-Director), Curtis Cozier (Chief Judge), Dave Langridge (Head Score-keeper) Frank Ford (Line Boss), Randy Foster (Line Boss). Adding to the team, we had Bill James (Judge NE), Tim Attaway (Judge SW), Dr. Ray Fulks (Judge SW), Mark Jorgenson (Judge NC), Terri Foster (Asst. Score-keeper), Rhonda Vance (score auditor) and the man who kept us all informed on-line with his excellent reporting and photographs, none other than Chris Hockaday. I would also like to thank Kent Porter and Marian Berninger for pitching in when the going got tough!

There is a group of the “younger generation” coming up with “fire in their eyes” as was seen at the NATS and I can honestly say, these guys are going to be the ones to take IMAC further along the road. Phil had arranged to have the banquet at the AMA Headquarters in the McCullough Education Facility which was beautifully decorated by his wife, Rhonda. This was a welcome change from the downtown Horizon Center both in cost and accessibility. We have to thank the AMA for preparing both flying sites for our event and providing certain logistics which added to the smooth operation of the Scale Aerobatics NATS.

For more information and results please see the website section of the 2011 NATS. The winner of the Bennett cup for 2011 is Kurt Koelling. Kurt now has the honor of winning this cup three times. At the banquet, two individuals who have given a tremendous amount of their time and commitment to IMAC received the prestigious Presidents Award. They are Marian Berninger and Ty Lyman. Congratulations to both of you and thank you for all that you have done for our organization.

2012 Clover Creek Invitational Qualifiers Contest Director for the 2012 Clover Creek Invitational, Joe Cutright,, has advised me that the qualifications for the event is going smoothly. There are four (4) IMAC pilots who have already stepped up to the plate and have made it into the invitational event. They are: Dan Rathbun, Rick Byrd, Ty Lyman and Brian Sanik. Five (5) qualification contests remain for pilots who think they can make it. There is a $50,000.00 purse at stake and the first place winner takes home $20,000.00 in the pocket. To view which competitions in the various regions remain to be contested, please use the above link & scroll to the bottom of the page. Good Luck to the competitors and looking forward to seeing you in Toone TN in 2012.

IMAC Sequence Committee: The sequence committee has been the well oiled entity it usually is by supplying all the needed Unknowns for the IMAC contests, not only within the USA but also to the various countries that sends in their requests. Having completed the 20 Unknowns for the NATS, the committee has now embarked on the uphill task of constructing the 2012 Known sequences. There is a lot of work ahead over the next 3-4 months to test and fine tune the new sequences, while at the same time still supplying the “troops” with Unknowns for the rest of the year. Thanks to all members of the committee for your dedication and spirit of volunteerism. We are projecting to have the 2012 Known sequences finalized and approved by the BOD in October.

IMAC Rules Committee: Our committee Chairman, Pete Castine is now in Paris, France. He and his family have been relocated by his company for three years in Europe. The wonders of the internet & technology will still allow Pete to continue to steer the committee from his new “perch”. New Rules Change Proposals (RCP) have already been uploaded for review. Please take some time to give them some in-depth thought. They are located in the Members Only section of the IMAC website and your input will help the BOD in refining the documents prior to them being sent in to the AMA for the 2013 rules cycle.

AMA 75^th Anniversary Celebrations: The AMA is hosting a special 75^th Anniversary extravaganza on the grounds of the Headquarters in Muncie Indiana on July 14-17, 2011. Brian Sanik, our N. Central Regional Director will be representing IMAC as the SIG for Scale Aerobatics. Brian is mustering a group of volunteers from his region to promote our organization at this event. Thanks Brian for grabbing the bull by the horns and taking charge.

Well…. I’ve got to get some more practice….so I’m off to the field.
Safe flying,

Wayne