122 MODEL AVIATION
New qualifying procedures for, and results from, the Tucson Aerobatic Shootout
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Scale Aerobatics Mike Hurley
Kyle Woyshnis was one of only two pilots outside of the invitational ranks to fly in the
TAS Freestyle class. Kyle flies in the Advanced class in IMAC.
Unlimited Invitational and Freestyle champ
Mark Leseberg Jr. has won many national
titles, but to win both categories at the
TAS is a remarkable accomplishment.
THE MAJOR Scale Aerobatics (SA)
contests of international importance seem
to be continually growing and changing to
keep up with the needs of the enthusiasts
and contestants. Many changes were made
to the October 2005 Tucson Aerobatic
Shootout (TAS), and as a result of the
findings from this year I’m sure the contest
will continue to evolve.
In the past the Shootout was run
strictly as an International Miniature
Aerobatic Club (IMAC) contest, with the
exception that there was no Basic class.
The event had been gaining popularity and
prestige among IMAC competitors, and the
number of pilots was beginning to make
the contest a logistical nightmare. The
classes were getting so big that a single
round from a single class often took six or
seven hours to complete!
These big rounds are not only difficult
for the contestants who have to sit around
all day waiting for their turn to fly, but
they are taxing on the judges who have to
concentrate diligently for maneuver after
maneuver for seven hours straight! You
can see where, at some point, the judging
might suffer and some unlucky flier is
going to be in front of those judges when
they aren’t exactly fresh.
On top of that, the Unlimited class was
not only getting huge, but there was a
distinct separation between what I call the
“professional” fliers and the top-level
“amateurs.” Okay, there aren’t really pros
or amateurs in RC Aerobatics, but the
terminology helps you understand their
respective places at the top of our sport.
To help with both of those challenges
the people who manage the TAS decided
to make some adjustments and came up
with interesting and innovative ways to
ensure that the event remains designed to
challenge the best pilots in every class at
every skill level. The Unlimited class was
divided into two categories: an Invitational
class for the “pros” and a standard
Unlimited IMAC class for the top-level
“amateurs.”
The Invitational class is for pilots who
can not only compete with the best pilots
in the world, but who have proven
themselves to be of that caliber with wins
and top placings at international
competitions. The Shootout management
selected the 20 pilots who would be invited
to fly in the top class.
The rest of the prospective pilots were
required to submit résumés of their SA
experience and competition records. Based
on those, 10 pilots were chosen in each
class by a board of experienced SA
enthusiasts and experts. The board
members were given each pilot’s résumé
as well as references and historical records
of past contests, including points
standings, regionals, and nationals.
A great deal of thought went into
deciding who sat on this board to choose
pilots. Board representatives were chosen
from each region so there would be
knowledge of pilots from across North
America. The 10 pilots were selected in
each of the four qualifying classes, for a
total of 60 including the 20 Invitational
competitors.
In many ways this is the closest we’ve
ever come to crowning national and world
individual-class champions. Unlike most
other SA contests, the TAS is no longer
open to everyone; you have to qualify to
fly in this competition. So pilots truly are
flying with the best in their respective
classes. When you read the names of the
top finishers later in this column, do so
with reverence because these boys can fly!
The Invitational class was given
sequences prepared especially for the
contest. Sportsman through Unlimited flew
the IMAC sequences, and all classes flew
by IMAC rules. Unknowns were flown in
all classes. There were three judges for
each round and two models in the air at all
times.
I talked with a couple pilots in
Sportsman, Intermediate, and Unlimited
and asked them how they felt about having
to submit a résumé and not knowing if
they were going to get to compete. In
every case the pilots were glad there was a
qualification system because they felt that
they would be able to truly test their skills
against the best pilots in the country. The
124 MODEL AVIATION
John Glezellis’s Extra has beautiful colors. He put in a superb Freestyle performance,
finishing in second place—a personal best for John at the TAS.
Quique Somenzini’s beautiful 40% Yak-54 is one of the most coveted SA aircraft. The big
news at the TAS was that after a longstanding relationship with 3W engines, he now flies
for Desert Aircraft.
Quique dominates year after year, pushing
all who fly against him to attain new levels of
skill or stand in his shadow. Every time he
flies we wonder what he will show us next.
Chip Hyde shows a professional attitude,
smiling while walking off the flightline after a
dead-stick cut his Freestyle short. He flew
well but had to endure some rough breaks.
general view of the qualifying system was
positive.
Freestyle was open to all pilots from
any class, but I believe only two fliers—
Kyle Woyshnis flying in Advanced and
Joe McBride flying in Unlimited—came
from outside the Invitational class.
The exciting final results show that a
pilot who has long been referred to as one
of the “young guns” has secured his place
as one of the best in the sport, and for this
year he is the best: the Champion. Mark
Leseberg Jr. won the Invitational class and
the Freestyle competition, upsetting some
of the biggest names in RC. Mark has won
some big contests, but in this one he was
flying against many of the world’s best
pilots.
As usual for an RC contest of this
magnitude, there were cash prizes for the
Freestyle and Invitational classes. The
IMAC categories were able to split
sponsor-provided prizes valued at nearly
$80,000! Some of the prizes were
significant, valued at up to $1,500 or more.
Nobody went home empty-handed.
The TAS continues to grow and create its
niche as one of the premier contests in the
country. As pilots begin to value the prestige
that goes along with winning a competition
such as this, the popularity of the event and the
drive to be accepted to fly here will also grow.
Hopefully I’ll be able to do a more
complete coverage of next year’s TAS. But in
case I can’t, you’d better make plans to attend
in person! You’ll be glad you did.
Following are the final standings in all
the classes.
Sportsman
1. Eric Powell
2. Bernie Boland
3. Joe MacGregor
4. Billy Adams
5. Kevin Tran
Intermediate
1. Dean Bird
2. Ryan Gonsoulin
3. Anthony Russo
4. Mark Lattimore
5. Bill Ritchey
Advanced
1. Kyle Woyshnis
2. Steve Hannah
3. Tony Quist
4. Larry Arseneau
5. Tony Holden
Unlimited
1. Jeffery Szueber Jr.
2. Bill Higgins Jr.
3. Will Berninger
4. Adam Bry
5. Joe Mc Bride
Invitational
1. Mark Leseberg Jr.
2. Quique Somenzini
3. Frazer Briggs
4. Chip Hyde
5. Mike McConville
Freestyle
1. Mark Leseberg Jr.
2. John Glezellis
3. Quique Somenzini
4. Bill Hempel
5. Kyle Woyshnis
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/02
Page Numbers: 122,124,126
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/02
Page Numbers: 122,124,126
122 MODEL AVIATION
New qualifying procedures for, and results from, the Tucson Aerobatic Shootout
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Scale Aerobatics Mike Hurley
Kyle Woyshnis was one of only two pilots outside of the invitational ranks to fly in the
TAS Freestyle class. Kyle flies in the Advanced class in IMAC.
Unlimited Invitational and Freestyle champ
Mark Leseberg Jr. has won many national
titles, but to win both categories at the
TAS is a remarkable accomplishment.
THE MAJOR Scale Aerobatics (SA)
contests of international importance seem
to be continually growing and changing to
keep up with the needs of the enthusiasts
and contestants. Many changes were made
to the October 2005 Tucson Aerobatic
Shootout (TAS), and as a result of the
findings from this year I’m sure the contest
will continue to evolve.
In the past the Shootout was run
strictly as an International Miniature
Aerobatic Club (IMAC) contest, with the
exception that there was no Basic class.
The event had been gaining popularity and
prestige among IMAC competitors, and the
number of pilots was beginning to make
the contest a logistical nightmare. The
classes were getting so big that a single
round from a single class often took six or
seven hours to complete!
These big rounds are not only difficult
for the contestants who have to sit around
all day waiting for their turn to fly, but
they are taxing on the judges who have to
concentrate diligently for maneuver after
maneuver for seven hours straight! You
can see where, at some point, the judging
might suffer and some unlucky flier is
going to be in front of those judges when
they aren’t exactly fresh.
On top of that, the Unlimited class was
not only getting huge, but there was a
distinct separation between what I call the
“professional” fliers and the top-level
“amateurs.” Okay, there aren’t really pros
or amateurs in RC Aerobatics, but the
terminology helps you understand their
respective places at the top of our sport.
To help with both of those challenges
the people who manage the TAS decided
to make some adjustments and came up
with interesting and innovative ways to
ensure that the event remains designed to
challenge the best pilots in every class at
every skill level. The Unlimited class was
divided into two categories: an Invitational
class for the “pros” and a standard
Unlimited IMAC class for the top-level
“amateurs.”
The Invitational class is for pilots who
can not only compete with the best pilots
in the world, but who have proven
themselves to be of that caliber with wins
and top placings at international
competitions. The Shootout management
selected the 20 pilots who would be invited
to fly in the top class.
The rest of the prospective pilots were
required to submit résumés of their SA
experience and competition records. Based
on those, 10 pilots were chosen in each
class by a board of experienced SA
enthusiasts and experts. The board
members were given each pilot’s résumé
as well as references and historical records
of past contests, including points
standings, regionals, and nationals.
A great deal of thought went into
deciding who sat on this board to choose
pilots. Board representatives were chosen
from each region so there would be
knowledge of pilots from across North
America. The 10 pilots were selected in
each of the four qualifying classes, for a
total of 60 including the 20 Invitational
competitors.
In many ways this is the closest we’ve
ever come to crowning national and world
individual-class champions. Unlike most
other SA contests, the TAS is no longer
open to everyone; you have to qualify to
fly in this competition. So pilots truly are
flying with the best in their respective
classes. When you read the names of the
top finishers later in this column, do so
with reverence because these boys can fly!
The Invitational class was given
sequences prepared especially for the
contest. Sportsman through Unlimited flew
the IMAC sequences, and all classes flew
by IMAC rules. Unknowns were flown in
all classes. There were three judges for
each round and two models in the air at all
times.
I talked with a couple pilots in
Sportsman, Intermediate, and Unlimited
and asked them how they felt about having
to submit a résumé and not knowing if
they were going to get to compete. In
every case the pilots were glad there was a
qualification system because they felt that
they would be able to truly test their skills
against the best pilots in the country. The
124 MODEL AVIATION
John Glezellis’s Extra has beautiful colors. He put in a superb Freestyle performance,
finishing in second place—a personal best for John at the TAS.
Quique Somenzini’s beautiful 40% Yak-54 is one of the most coveted SA aircraft. The big
news at the TAS was that after a longstanding relationship with 3W engines, he now flies
for Desert Aircraft.
Quique dominates year after year, pushing
all who fly against him to attain new levels of
skill or stand in his shadow. Every time he
flies we wonder what he will show us next.
Chip Hyde shows a professional attitude,
smiling while walking off the flightline after a
dead-stick cut his Freestyle short. He flew
well but had to endure some rough breaks.
general view of the qualifying system was
positive.
Freestyle was open to all pilots from
any class, but I believe only two fliers—
Kyle Woyshnis flying in Advanced and
Joe McBride flying in Unlimited—came
from outside the Invitational class.
The exciting final results show that a
pilot who has long been referred to as one
of the “young guns” has secured his place
as one of the best in the sport, and for this
year he is the best: the Champion. Mark
Leseberg Jr. won the Invitational class and
the Freestyle competition, upsetting some
of the biggest names in RC. Mark has won
some big contests, but in this one he was
flying against many of the world’s best
pilots.
As usual for an RC contest of this
magnitude, there were cash prizes for the
Freestyle and Invitational classes. The
IMAC categories were able to split
sponsor-provided prizes valued at nearly
$80,000! Some of the prizes were
significant, valued at up to $1,500 or more.
Nobody went home empty-handed.
The TAS continues to grow and create its
niche as one of the premier contests in the
country. As pilots begin to value the prestige
that goes along with winning a competition
such as this, the popularity of the event and the
drive to be accepted to fly here will also grow.
Hopefully I’ll be able to do a more
complete coverage of next year’s TAS. But in
case I can’t, you’d better make plans to attend
in person! You’ll be glad you did.
Following are the final standings in all
the classes.
Sportsman
1. Eric Powell
2. Bernie Boland
3. Joe MacGregor
4. Billy Adams
5. Kevin Tran
Intermediate
1. Dean Bird
2. Ryan Gonsoulin
3. Anthony Russo
4. Mark Lattimore
5. Bill Ritchey
Advanced
1. Kyle Woyshnis
2. Steve Hannah
3. Tony Quist
4. Larry Arseneau
5. Tony Holden
Unlimited
1. Jeffery Szueber Jr.
2. Bill Higgins Jr.
3. Will Berninger
4. Adam Bry
5. Joe Mc Bride
Invitational
1. Mark Leseberg Jr.
2. Quique Somenzini
3. Frazer Briggs
4. Chip Hyde
5. Mike McConville
Freestyle
1. Mark Leseberg Jr.
2. John Glezellis
3. Quique Somenzini
4. Bill Hempel
5. Kyle Woyshnis
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/02
Page Numbers: 122,124,126
122 MODEL AVIATION
New qualifying procedures for, and results from, the Tucson Aerobatic Shootout
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Scale Aerobatics Mike Hurley
Kyle Woyshnis was one of only two pilots outside of the invitational ranks to fly in the
TAS Freestyle class. Kyle flies in the Advanced class in IMAC.
Unlimited Invitational and Freestyle champ
Mark Leseberg Jr. has won many national
titles, but to win both categories at the
TAS is a remarkable accomplishment.
THE MAJOR Scale Aerobatics (SA)
contests of international importance seem
to be continually growing and changing to
keep up with the needs of the enthusiasts
and contestants. Many changes were made
to the October 2005 Tucson Aerobatic
Shootout (TAS), and as a result of the
findings from this year I’m sure the contest
will continue to evolve.
In the past the Shootout was run
strictly as an International Miniature
Aerobatic Club (IMAC) contest, with the
exception that there was no Basic class.
The event had been gaining popularity and
prestige among IMAC competitors, and the
number of pilots was beginning to make
the contest a logistical nightmare. The
classes were getting so big that a single
round from a single class often took six or
seven hours to complete!
These big rounds are not only difficult
for the contestants who have to sit around
all day waiting for their turn to fly, but
they are taxing on the judges who have to
concentrate diligently for maneuver after
maneuver for seven hours straight! You
can see where, at some point, the judging
might suffer and some unlucky flier is
going to be in front of those judges when
they aren’t exactly fresh.
On top of that, the Unlimited class was
not only getting huge, but there was a
distinct separation between what I call the
“professional” fliers and the top-level
“amateurs.” Okay, there aren’t really pros
or amateurs in RC Aerobatics, but the
terminology helps you understand their
respective places at the top of our sport.
To help with both of those challenges
the people who manage the TAS decided
to make some adjustments and came up
with interesting and innovative ways to
ensure that the event remains designed to
challenge the best pilots in every class at
every skill level. The Unlimited class was
divided into two categories: an Invitational
class for the “pros” and a standard
Unlimited IMAC class for the top-level
“amateurs.”
The Invitational class is for pilots who
can not only compete with the best pilots
in the world, but who have proven
themselves to be of that caliber with wins
and top placings at international
competitions. The Shootout management
selected the 20 pilots who would be invited
to fly in the top class.
The rest of the prospective pilots were
required to submit résumés of their SA
experience and competition records. Based
on those, 10 pilots were chosen in each
class by a board of experienced SA
enthusiasts and experts. The board
members were given each pilot’s résumé
as well as references and historical records
of past contests, including points
standings, regionals, and nationals.
A great deal of thought went into
deciding who sat on this board to choose
pilots. Board representatives were chosen
from each region so there would be
knowledge of pilots from across North
America. The 10 pilots were selected in
each of the four qualifying classes, for a
total of 60 including the 20 Invitational
competitors.
In many ways this is the closest we’ve
ever come to crowning national and world
individual-class champions. Unlike most
other SA contests, the TAS is no longer
open to everyone; you have to qualify to
fly in this competition. So pilots truly are
flying with the best in their respective
classes. When you read the names of the
top finishers later in this column, do so
with reverence because these boys can fly!
The Invitational class was given
sequences prepared especially for the
contest. Sportsman through Unlimited flew
the IMAC sequences, and all classes flew
by IMAC rules. Unknowns were flown in
all classes. There were three judges for
each round and two models in the air at all
times.
I talked with a couple pilots in
Sportsman, Intermediate, and Unlimited
and asked them how they felt about having
to submit a résumé and not knowing if
they were going to get to compete. In
every case the pilots were glad there was a
qualification system because they felt that
they would be able to truly test their skills
against the best pilots in the country. The
124 MODEL AVIATION
John Glezellis’s Extra has beautiful colors. He put in a superb Freestyle performance,
finishing in second place—a personal best for John at the TAS.
Quique Somenzini’s beautiful 40% Yak-54 is one of the most coveted SA aircraft. The big
news at the TAS was that after a longstanding relationship with 3W engines, he now flies
for Desert Aircraft.
Quique dominates year after year, pushing
all who fly against him to attain new levels of
skill or stand in his shadow. Every time he
flies we wonder what he will show us next.
Chip Hyde shows a professional attitude,
smiling while walking off the flightline after a
dead-stick cut his Freestyle short. He flew
well but had to endure some rough breaks.
general view of the qualifying system was
positive.
Freestyle was open to all pilots from
any class, but I believe only two fliers—
Kyle Woyshnis flying in Advanced and
Joe McBride flying in Unlimited—came
from outside the Invitational class.
The exciting final results show that a
pilot who has long been referred to as one
of the “young guns” has secured his place
as one of the best in the sport, and for this
year he is the best: the Champion. Mark
Leseberg Jr. won the Invitational class and
the Freestyle competition, upsetting some
of the biggest names in RC. Mark has won
some big contests, but in this one he was
flying against many of the world’s best
pilots.
As usual for an RC contest of this
magnitude, there were cash prizes for the
Freestyle and Invitational classes. The
IMAC categories were able to split
sponsor-provided prizes valued at nearly
$80,000! Some of the prizes were
significant, valued at up to $1,500 or more.
Nobody went home empty-handed.
The TAS continues to grow and create its
niche as one of the premier contests in the
country. As pilots begin to value the prestige
that goes along with winning a competition
such as this, the popularity of the event and the
drive to be accepted to fly here will also grow.
Hopefully I’ll be able to do a more
complete coverage of next year’s TAS. But in
case I can’t, you’d better make plans to attend
in person! You’ll be glad you did.
Following are the final standings in all
the classes.
Sportsman
1. Eric Powell
2. Bernie Boland
3. Joe MacGregor
4. Billy Adams
5. Kevin Tran
Intermediate
1. Dean Bird
2. Ryan Gonsoulin
3. Anthony Russo
4. Mark Lattimore
5. Bill Ritchey
Advanced
1. Kyle Woyshnis
2. Steve Hannah
3. Tony Quist
4. Larry Arseneau
5. Tony Holden
Unlimited
1. Jeffery Szueber Jr.
2. Bill Higgins Jr.
3. Will Berninger
4. Adam Bry
5. Joe Mc Bride
Invitational
1. Mark Leseberg Jr.
2. Quique Somenzini
3. Frazer Briggs
4. Chip Hyde
5. Mike McConville
Freestyle
1. Mark Leseberg Jr.
2. John Glezellis
3. Quique Somenzini
4. Bill Hempel
5. Kyle Woyshnis