Radio Control Scale Aerobatics
Mike Hurley [[email protected]]
New qualifying procedures for, and results from, the Tucson Aerobatic Shootout
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 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 resumes 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 resume 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 pilots 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 of pilots in Sportsman, Intermediate, and Unlimited and asked them how they felt about having to submit a resume 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 general view of the qualifying system was positive.
Freestyle was open to all pilots from any class, but 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 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 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
- Eric Powell
- Bernie Boland
- Joe MacGregor
- Billy Adams
- Kevin Tran
Intermediate
- Dean Bird
- Ryan Gonsoulin
- Anthony Russo
- Mark Lattimore
- Bill Ritchey
Advanced
- Kyle Woyshnis
- Steve Hannah
- Tony Quist
- Larry Arseneau
- Tony Holden
Unlimited
- Jeffery Szueber Jr.
- Bill Higgins Jr.
- Will Berninger
- Adam Bry
- Joe McBride
Invitational
- Mark Leseberg Jr.
- Quique Somenzini
- Frazer Briggs
- Chip Hyde
- Mike McConville
Freestyle
- Mark Leseberg Jr.
- John Glezellis
- Quique Somenzini
- Bill Hempel
- Kyle Woyshnis
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
