[NSRCA-discussion] unknowns

[steve hannah]

I think this thread started as a query into unknowns.  Jim W's post pretty
well hit the nail on the head.  Leave the unknowns to IMAC.  When I switched
from F3A to IMAC (actually the JR SCAT series) in 2002 I started flying
Intermediate and really liked the unknowns.  Flying those unknown sequences
was very easy.  I found the degree of difficulty of maneuvers between
intermediate and the then F3A sequence to be compatible.  Unknowns were no
more difficult and, since I had been flying competitive pattern for 12 years
I had little trouble adapting.  I was typically the most experienced pilot
in the class so I had little trouble.  Moving up the ladder saw an
exponential increase in the degree of difficulty for the maneuvers as well
as for the unknowns.  It is true, you have to kick butt in the unknown in
order to win.  So, at every contest I would spend saturday night learning
and memorizing my unknown.  I'd get the sequence and stick fly it until I
fell asleep.  I got to where I really hated that.  It wasn't fun.  Flying
Unlimited in 2007, including the TAS, burned me out on this whole thing and
cured me of any desire to fly unknowns ever again.

When I started flying pattern again in 2008, it was like a breath of fresh
air to me.  The contests were fun again.  I am a competitive guy and I
stopped having fun at IMAC contests.  They were just too much work.

Pattern contests are much lower key and relaxing.  IMAC events are hectic.
The unknowns put a cramp on your fun as well.  I would always be thinking at
the evening group dinner "I can't have that extra beer, I need to leave NOW
in order to have enough time to cram the Unlimited Unknown sequence into
memory".  That sucked.

As for the never ending debate of which is better/tougher/more precise, I'll
say this.  Flying Pattern made me a good IMAC pilot.  Then, flying IMAC made
me a much better Pattern flier.  They're all good.  Everyone should try
both.  Just leave the unknowns to IMAC, Keep them easy enough to memorize in
10 minutes in the morning so you can have a few beers and shoot the bull
with your buddies at night.

Steve

On Tue, Sep 22, 2009 at 3:57 PM, Bill's Email <wemodels at cox.net> wrote:

>  J N Hiller wrote:
>
>  Thanks guys that will make it a little easier.  I will then assume that
> the slash marks through the loop only indicate centering the rolling
> element.
>
> It looked nice through 90 degrees of ark with a very slow rate but I only
> got one out of maybe a dozen attempts that looked decent.
>
> Jim
>
>
>
>
>
> Those marks are from the Aresti catalog and indicate where on the loop a
> roll element can be placed.
>
>
>
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