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<DIV>I agree. I also liked to attend the Kansas City IMAC contest but it was cancelled. It is clear to me that you need to get 40% to be competitive in IMAC. I flew a Dave Patrick's Edge 540. I would like to fly the Advance routine in a contest but I will need a bigger plane to be competitive. In any event, there are not more IMAC contest close to Kansas City. The 40% scale planes start to get very close to pattern planes but they are far more expensive and more important, the big 40% won't fit in my workshop so I will need to buy a new house. </DIV>
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<DIV>Vicente</DIV>
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<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">-------------- Original message -------------- <BR><BR>> I don't think pattern costs too much. It is as <BR>> inexpensive now as it has ever been, IMHO. <BR>> <BR>> One thing about IMAC vs pattern that has not been <BR>> mentioned is the WOW factor. Big planes, big engines, <BR>> etc. are much more impressive. Some people buy the big <BR>> planes for the WOW factor. And, the WOW factor occurs <BR>> before they even takeoff. In pattern, it does not <BR>> happen until they fly. Oh, well, except for the fancy <BR>> paint schemes (which you will never see on any of MY <BR>> planes!). :-) <BR>> <BR>> I guess what I am trying to say is that you can buy <BR>> WOW factor in IMAC with enough $$$. In pattern, you <BR>> buy WOW factor with fuel. Some people have more money <BR>> than time. I don't mean anything negative by that, it <BR>> is just a fact of today's world placing more demands <BR>> on our time. <BR>> <BR>> This is just my opinion. I am not taking shots at any <BR>> group. I am very much interested in both pattern and <BR>> IMAC (some may remember me as a renegade flying a <BR>> Cap21 in pattern years ago). <BR>> <BR>> Bob R. <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> --- "J.Oddino" <JODDINO@SOCAL.RR.COM>wrote: <BR>> <BR>> > From time to time I hear folks suggesting the reason <BR>> > the number of contestants is down is due to the high <BR>> > cost of pattern planes and support equipment. Well <BR>> > I don't believe that is the reason. This weekend I <BR>> > went to a relatively local IMAC contest in Camarillo <BR>> > California and there were somthing like 61 <BR>> > preregistered and 56 actually flying. I'd guess 80% <BR>> > of the planes were 40% scale, meaning they had $1500 <BR>> > engines and $3000 airframes and $1500 worth of <BR>> > servos. Then you've got the motor homes and trucks <BR>> &g
t; and trailers to transport them. I still say the <BR>> > highest cost of flying is the driving to and from <BR>> > the field and that is probably why the park flyers <BR>> > are so popular. <BR>> > So what is the reason for the drop in attendance and <BR>> > the drop in the number of pattern contests? Or is <BR>> > that only in Southern California? <BR>> > <BR>> > Jim O <BR>> <BR>> ================================================= <BR>> To access the email archives for this list, go to <BR>> http://lists.f3a.us/pipermail/nsrca-discussion/ <BR>> To be removed from this list, go to http://www.nsrca.org/discussionA.htm <BR>> and follow the instructions. <BR>> <BR>> List members email returned for mailbox full will be removed from the list. <BR>> </BLOCKQUOTE></body></html>