Radio Control Scale Aerobatics
Mike Hurley [[email protected]]
Interviews with each of the winners from the 2006 IMAC Nats
The AMA Nats took place in June and July. The International Miniature Aerobatic Club (IMAC) is the governing body for scale aerobatics competition, and the IMAC Nats was completed the first week in July. If you'd like to read coverage of the event, go to the AMA online magazine NatsNews at www.modelaircraft.org/events/natsnews.asp for daily write-ups by Brad Jorgenson and Michael Ramsey.
For something different I thought it would be interesting to talk to the winners in each class and get an idea of what it takes to compete with some of the best pilots in the country. I interviewed each pilot after his class win about the importance of the Nats and the preparation a Nats class winner goes through to be on top.
Kevin Cole — Sportsman
Kevin Cole won the Sportsman class this year. He has been flying for only four years and competing for just one year. He said the following:
"To get ready for the Nats I did two contests in Houston and one in Little Rock. I was practicing three or four times per week. It was a goal I set out at the first of the year: to go to the Nats and do my best.
"This is when my friends here in Shreveport, Jeremy Holts and Jonas Farr, and I decided to do the IMAC season and I set a goal to win the Nats. I'd also like to go out and win the Tucson Aerobatic Shootout this year.
"To prepare we'd go out and practice the sequence eight or 10 times a day. But then we'd 3-D at the end just so we could have fun. My airplane took about two to three months getting it dialed in exactly on the CG, the up-thrust of the engine, and getting the trim set. It took a lot of effort—moving the CG around and getting the deflections right so it would track just right.
"In my radio I have a snap mode which is my low rate, and then I have a roller or hammerhead-type stall turn rate, and also a 3-D rate. I feel the equipment was the whole part of success; the servos, the airplane, the engine—without those three items performing well, who knows? My next step is to go to Tucson, then move up to Intermediate next year."
Pedro Jordan Jr. — Intermediate
Pedro Jordan Jr. was the Intermediate-class winner. He's been flying for 15 years but competing for only the last four years. He said:
"This season I've flown in all five contests in Florida and I tried to get to the contest in Pensacola. My goal from last year was to return to the Nats.
"Last year the Votec only had about 10 flights on it, so I was still learning the aircraft; it wasn't dialed in. But my goal this year was to return and try to be the national champion.
"The way I started to practice was to fly the maneuvers that made me uncomfortable. For me, a 4-point roll to the left is uncomfortable. So I'd go out and I'd fly back and forth doing 4-points to the left, where both sticks have to go toward the center.
"It doesn't seem like a lot, but if you put a horizontal maneuver with a 4-point, opposite half snap, you have to go to your weak side to execute the maneuver properly. Because of a crosswind or something, it becomes a big deal.
"My practice schedule was very aggressive in the beginning of the year and, embarrassingly enough, between the contest in Tampa, which was in the middle of April, until July I only practiced twice.
"But it was very regimented practice: I would draw out a bunch of Unknowns with maneuvers that I felt would be either in our Unknowns at the Nats or maneuvers with elements that are in the Advanced sequence. I always try to fly at a level above what I fly in.
"So I would fly the Advanced Known, the Unlimited Known, then I would fly two or three Unknowns as if I were in a contest—with the start-up routine, with takeoff, entering the box, speaking to the judges, and afterward I would break and land like I was in a contest, mimicking the contest atmosphere as closely as I could.
"I stopped in South Carolina to fly a practice session and fly in an environment with less humidity so I could tune the engine, and even when I got to the Nats the first day I was very lean. I also added a little bit more control throw to make up for the thinner air in Indiana.
"I don't use any special mixes. I fly flight modes on the advice of Quique Somenzini's articles. Ninety percent of my flying is done on general flight mode with very little rudder or elevator, and I have a flight mode for positive snaps and a flight mode for negative snaps, which changes the degree of deflection on the rudder and elevator.
"Equipment plays a big factor, but I don't worry about it too much. The airplane was flying great, it was trimmed, so I could really just go up and concentrate on flying.
"I'd like to be the Southeast regional champion also, so I would have both the national and regional championship. I have the points and I think I've locked up the championship for the Southeast Region. My concern now is being able to make the top 10 in enough contests to be able to fly the Advanced class in the next Regionals.
"Tomorrow I'm going to fly the Advanced sequence in a competition area. I've got some guys that are going to meet me and walk me through it. I can fly it, but not proficiently enough to be competitive."
Stephen Hamilton — Advanced (Bennett Cup)
Stephen Hamilton won Advanced this year and earned the Bennett Cup, the award for the most accumulated points during the contest. By the end of the Nats, Contest Director Mark Jorgenson was referring to Stephen as "the Dominator." He is 16 years old and has been flying for six years and competing for five. Here's Stephen:
"So far this year I've flown in the event in Boca Raton, then the AMPS in Miami, then Venice IMAC, and the spring classic in Tampa. Competing on a national level is very important to me—to do well on a national level.
"I practice every day. I go to an IMAC summer school with John Schroeder and he's been training me. This is my third year. I go with him for about three or four weeks. We go pretty much every day after work unless it's raining hard. But usually we fly in the rain until it's pouring. You gotta practice!
"Practicing in the wind turned out to be important because we had a couple of windy days, and that really helped me move ahead of all the other guys. John Schroeder threw a lot of Unlimited Unknowns at me. So when I got to the Nats, the Advanced Unknowns were a piece of cake.
"To prepare my airplane for a contest I want to make sure the engine is turning the right rpm and has enough pull so I can do my maneuvers without having to fight the airplane. I also set the thrust—making sure that's perfect so in a wind situation I don't have to fight the airplane in an up-line.
"I only fly one flight mode. I know a lot of people flip switches, but I just fly one mode: same elevator, same aileron, same rudder, and same everything for snaps, rolls, everything.
"My equipment is very important. All of it performed flawlessly. The Aerotech airplane performed very well, especially in the wind. Next year I'm moving up to Unlimited. It's definitely going to be a lot tougher but I'm looking forward to it."
Jason Noll — Unlimited / Overall Commentary
Jason Noll is 25 years old, but he's been flying for more than 18 years and competing for 10. The word on the circuit is that he is working harder than any other competitor out there, and it's starting to show.
Jason recently won the most prestigious contest in the U.S. for Freestyle aerobatics: the Extreme Flight Championships (XFC). He is working to keep himself among the top of the world's best RC pilots, and so far his season successes put him squarely in the front.
Jason talked about his preparation for the Nats and this year's contest season.
"There was a three-week gap since the XFC. I practiced for all three weeks straight, every day for about three or four hours. That's about what I fly every day now.
"I don't do a lot of local contests; I mostly just practice for the big events. Practicing for the Nats and winning was good momentum for me going into the Don Lowe Masters. It was good to go and stand in front of some judges; it's good for your confidence!
"In practice I don't worry about hitting snaps. That's the last thing on my mind. No matter how much you practice snaps, you're always going to miss one in a contest.
"What I try to focus on is geometry in the maneuver and making sure everything is where it's supposed to be and all the segments are centered on the lines. If I've got that done, then I start working on trying to hit snaps, but that's last priority.
"Generally I don't use special flight modes. I do set up my flight modes for the particular sequences. If there's a one-roll rolling circle in a sequence, I make sure I have a flight mode for that. I don't use modes for snaps or any other maneuvers. I'm going switchless this year. It's harder but it's a lot less stuff you have to worry about.
"It's very important to have good equipment, but it won't make me fly any better by itself. Equipment may make my life a little bit easier; my new servos are making a difference in my airplane, but it won't make me fly any better.
"For this year the Don Lowe Masters is my biggest challenge and I will be hitting the flying circuit every year. I'm not certain yet about getting to the Tucson Shootout."
Kyle Woyshnis — Freestyle
Kyle Woyshnis earned the Freestyle win. He has been flying for four years and competing in IMAC for three. Kyle has also won an electric indoor Tournament of Champions Freestyle event flying against some of the best pilots in the sport. Here's how Kyle prepares to compete:
"I flew four local events leading up to the Nats. The Nats is a big contest, but I really go for fun and to hang out with the people I just don't normally get to hang out with.
"The last time I flew IMAC before the Nats was about three weeks before the event. For the Freestyle—it was the first time I flew that sequence. I had the music mix all made up and listened to it over and over again and pictured what the airplane should be doing at certain times, and it worked out pretty well.
"I don't spend a lot of time preparing my equipment; I just slapped everything in there. I'm not very good at setup. I have low rates for IMAC and high rates for 3-D, put a little expo in, and we're good from there. I just trim it for level flight—no mixes or anything.
"My equipment is very important. I blew out a canister at the event so I had a dead-stick during the sequence. It was the first time I'd ever dead-sticked that airplane in the three years I've had it. Once we replaced the canister it was good as new.
"I think the airplane overall was really reliable and I don't really do too much maintenance on it. It kind of keeps itself together.
"I'll probably go to Tucson later this year, then the Nats again next year. This is my last year of high school; then I'll be starting college. Once I start college I'm not sure how much I'll be flying after that. I'm hoping to keep with it, but I don't know how it will go."
Observations from the Champions
With a few exceptions, there are some interesting similarities between these national champions:
- Most are young and ambitious.
- They are dedicated to competing and determined to excel.
- They practice regularly and often in realistic (windy, hot, or humid) conditions.
- Equipment matters, but preparation, practice routine, and mental discipline are critical.
- Many practice sequences as if in contest conditions—including start-up routines, entering the box, and talking to judges.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be the best? The secrets have been revealed. Now all you have to do is ask yourself if you have the mettle to get out there and do it for yourself.
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
