Tyler McCormack getting his airplane ready to compete in the next round.
By Kevin Garland
The opening day of the 2026 IMAC National Championship is in the books, and it was an outstanding start to the week. Pilots enjoyed beautiful weather, light winds, and a full day of competition at the International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana.
Today, competitors completed four total rounds. The morning began with two Known rounds, where pilots flew the sequences they have been practicing and competing with throughout the 2026 season at local and regional IMAC contests.
After lunch, the competition shifted to the first Unknown sequence. Pilots received this sequence during Monday’s pilots meeting and had just one evening to study it. Under IMAC rules, competitors are not permitted to practice Unknown sequences with their aircraft or on flight simulators. Their only preparation comes from mentally flying the sequence and using the custom stick planes provided in their pilot gifts. Today marked the first time every pilot flew the sequence in the air.
The day concluded with one final Known round, bringing the total to four completed rounds.
A big thank you goes out to the AMA staff, who kept everyone well-fed by serving hamburgers and hot dogs throughout the day for pilots, callers, judges, and volunteers.
Looking ahead to Wednesday, competition begins with another Unknown sequence, which was released to pilots Tuesday evening. That will be followed by another Known round before we kick off the first Freestyle round of the week. If everything stays on schedule, freestyle is expected to begin around 12:30 p.m., and we hope to continue flying freestyle each day for the remainder of the championship.
With four rounds in the books, the competition is already taking shape, and the race for the 2026 IMAC National Championship is just getting started. Stay tuned for more updates as the week continues!
