July 17, 2024: RC Scale Aerobatics (IMAC)

By Ashley Moser

Day two of the AMA RC Scale Aerobatics (International Miniature Aerobatic Club [IMAC]) Nats started with a low ceiling, delaying our flights until 1:30 p.m. While waiting for the skies to clear, pilots swapped stories and jokes, including a baffling tale about getting a negative score on a maneuver—say what?!

As the clouds parted and the RC gods smiled upon us, it was Kody D. in Intermediate and Kurt K. in Unlimited that dominated the day. Pete B. soared to first in Sportsman, and newcomer Misael Lopez took the top spot in Advanced.

Misael, a Cuban native, has been flying since the age of 13 and competing in F3A. He moved to the US two years ago, met Carlos Bonachea at the AMPS field, and the rest is IMAC! Misael shared how challenging it was to follow his favorite IMAC pilots, such as Somenzini, Hyde, and Schulman, from Cuba. He had to hunt for internet, download videos, and watch them at home. This first IMAC Nats is surely just the beginning of a long and successful journey for him.

Tomorrow, July 18, promises to be a thrilling day with plans for one round each of Known, Unknown, and Freestyle, weather permitting. Don’t forget that tomorrow night is the banquet—I’ve been promised a fine feast! Good luck to all of our competitors, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

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!