July 16, 2024: RC Scale Aerobatics (IMAC)

By Ashley Moser

Day two of the RC Scale Aerobatics (International Miniature Aerobatic Club [IMAC]) Nats in Muncie, Indiana, brought high drama and high winds! With 29 pilots vying for top spots, last night’s stormy weather had everyone holding on tight, with a few downed porta potties adding to the excitement. The rough night gave way to a stunning sunrise and breezy conditions, perfect for spectators but challenging for pilots, as they faced 30-40 mph gusts.

The competition saw intense back-and-forth as pilots swapped places each round. I caught up with David Garceau, a key player in implementing the new digital scoring system. Powered by a small-ish LiPo battery, this system is a game changer. A brainchild of Toby Silhavy, this new system continues to be finetuned by both Toby and David through various competitions. Two-year IMAC pilot and a Southeast region scorekeeper, David emphasizes efficiency as the primary reason for this innovation. Despite initial hesitations, most pilots agree that the near real-time scores are a huge win. Scores are downloaded after each round and displayed on a TV within minutes, keeping everyone on edge.

With over 200 sequences flown today, the system performed admirably with minimal errors—mostly human. We managed three Known sequences and one Unknown sequence, despite some bumpy landings. The weather held, and anticipation for tomorrow is electric. Buckle up, folks, the best is yet to come!

Note from AMA: Do you have photos from the Nats that you’d like to share? If so, email them to Clarissa Poston at clarissap@modelaircraft.org. Please include a brief description in your email, naming any individuals pictured in the photo(s), the name of the event that the photo(s) were taken during, and the name of the individual who took the photo(s). Your submission(s) might be posted on AMA’s Flickr page, which can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/modelaircraft/albums!