EVENT DATES
The IMAC World Championships will be held on Tuesday September 4, 2018 – Saturday, September 8, 2018 at the AMA Headquarters in Muncie, Indiana U.S.A.
The contest will be conducted using 2017-2018 AMA RC Scale Aerobatics rules, with clarifications as noted below. The 2017-2018 Scale Aerobatics rules available on the IMAC website under the “Rules/Guides” tab and can also be found on the AMA Website.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
The English language shall be used as the working language both orally and in writing for all purposes for the duration of the World Championship event in 2018.
CONTEST CLASSES
Four classes will be flown: Unlimited, Advanced, Intermediate, and Sportsman PLUS Freestyle as a separate event. There will be individual World Championship awards, World Championship Team awards for participating countries, and World Championship Freestyle awards.
ENTRY FEES:
Competitors ....................................................$340 USD
Team Managers ..............................................$100 USD
(if a Team Manager is a competitor, he/she will pay the competitor’s fee).
Helpers and Mechanics ....................................$25 USD
In addition each participating competitor in the event (regardless of country) MUST be a paid up member of IMAC. The entry fee for the World Championships includes one year’s membership with IMAC. If a participant is presently a paid up member, an additional year will be added to his/her membership upon expiration.
REGISTRATION:
The registration process can be completed by the Team Manager for all, or Pilots, Team Manager and any Helpers or Mechanics can register individually. Registration will be open online on the IMAC World Championships website. http://www.imacworlds.com/pilotteam-reg.html
Payment of the Entry Fees may be completed on-line and MUST be received by June 30, 2018. Payment after June 30, 2018 will have a penalty of $100.00 USD per competitor added to the entry fee. Registration will CLOSE on July 15, 2018.
FAA REGISTRATION - REINSTATED
Registration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is MANDATORY, for competitors to fly in the 2018 IMAC World Championships. The registration process for foreign nationals and US Citizens is accomplished on the FAA WEBSITE and the relevant registration information SHALL be displayed on the aircraft as required.
FAA LINK FOR REGISTRATION . Further information on registration will be included in bulletins as necessary.
TEAM MANAGERS
Each team will provide one competitor/manager to act as TEAM MANAGER. Team Managers will be responsible to handle all questions and concerns from the competitors to the Event Director. This includes all scoring, judging and/or possible protests. The Team Manager will also acquire the proper sized (approximately 3’ x 4’) National Flag of his/her participating country which will be supplied to the Event Director. This flag should include eyelets or some other means of attachment to a pole for display or carry.
NATIONALITY of CONTESTANTS
All contestants must either be a citizen of the country/nation they are representing, OR presently residing there. Passports or other ID (i.e. Residency status) may be required as proof by the Event Director, or IMAC. Participants who have dual citizenship or residency status can represent either country, (but not both) PROVIDING the participant has been approved by the model aviation governing body or the IMAC association in the country he/she is representing. A valid passport or other ID shall be required as proof in this instance of dual citizenship or residency.
NUMBER OF CONTESTANTS
Each country will be allowed a maximum of 9 pilots in each class (maximum of 36 pilots). Individual country selections will be guided by their own qualification process. Use of the USA selection process is NOT required.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
A set Schedule of Events for the World Championship will be published in a “Bulletin” which will be situated on both the 2018 World Championships website and also the IMAC Website. The projected date for the publication of the schedule of events is February 1, 2018. The volume of entries will affect the timing and the number of sequences which can realistically be flown each day.
In addition, information regarding the pilots meeting, Team Managers meeting and the banquet information will be published in “Bulletins” on both the IMAC World Championships website and the IMAC website.
SEQUENCES
Pilots will fly Known and Unknown sequences prepared for the 2018 World Championship event by members of the IMAC Sequence Committee. If Alternate sequences for Intermediate, Advanced, and Unlimited classes are to be flown it will announced by bulletin on the IMAC World Championship Website and the IMAC Website. Known Sequences will be the 2018 IMAC sequences and will be available on the IMAC Website HERE. Figures for Known and Unknown sequences will be drawn from the 2017 Edition of the Aresti System (Condensed) and conform to the Aresti System sequence construction rules. The catalog is available on the ARESTI website. Any overflight restricted areas will be noted on the site diagram.
SCORE NORMALIZATION
Normalized scoring will be used for all rounds, including the Known and Unknowns. Normalization will be performed before scores are dropped.
Scores will adhere to the prescribed drop process presently in use in the IMAC Contest Standards available on the IMAC website under the Rules/Guides tab.
JUDGING
There will be a minimum of three judges on each flight line. All judging will conform to the current (2017-2018) Scale Aerobatics rules. Judges will be selected from experience, will be from any country that presently flies the IMAC standard, and must have attended Judging School(s). Each participating country should strive to provide at least one competent and knowledgeable judge. All Judges will be approved by the Organizers of the event. There will be one Chief Judge and an assistant Chief Judge appointed for the event by the IMAC BOD.
Please do not question the judges or the scorekeepers. If you have a question, concerns, or protest, please contact the Event Director.
Only pilots preparing to fly (and their callers) are allowed on the judge’s side of the flight line fence. This applies at all times, including during the Four-Minute Freestyle.
The same set of judges shall judge each round. Judges may be rotated between rounds.
FOUR-MINUTE FREESTYLE
Freestyle will be calculated as a separate event and scores will not be combined with Known and Unknowns. The 2017-2018 AMA RC Scale Aerobatics judging criteria for the Four-Minute Freestyle program shall be used.
There is one exception and that is for SAFETY. No portion of the aircraft shall touch the ground, except (the wheels) during landing. An aircraft will be deemed to have touched the ground if the majority of scoring judges believe it to have touched. If an aircraft touches the ground the pilot will be disqualified for that round and zero the Freestyle sequence. For the purpose of this rule the ground is defined as pavement, soil, vegetation and any structures that are present on the ground within the airspace.
The aircraft shall not fly behind the dead-line except during takeoff and landing. A pilot and his/her caller must stand in front of the judges at the 100ft designated deadline. If an aircraft flies behind the deadline the pilot will be disqualified and will zero the Freestyle round. A violation of this rule and final determination shall be made by the deadline judges. There should be NO HIGH ENERGY passes aimed directly towards the pits; this includes 45° angled towards the pits. Freestyle music must be received by the Event Director by July 1, 2018. !!
PROTESTS
(a) Only Team Managers may submit a protest per AMA Competition Rules. Judges scoring of Aresti maneuvers, sound score and airspace control score are not subject to complaints and shall not be overruled.
(b) All protests must be made in writing, and handed to the Event Director (ED) with a protest fee, which shall be the same amount as the contestant's entry fee ($340.00USD). The Event Director shall hold this protest fee for the duration of the protest.
(c) Within one hour after receiving a protest the ED will relay the protest to the appointed ‘Arbitration Tribunal’, which will consist of 3 persons:
(1) A representative of the event organizer/host association.
(2) A member of the IMAC Board (or an IMAC representative selected by the IMAC Board if all the attending IMAC Board members could have an ‘interest’ in the protest result).
(3) A representative of the contestants, who will be elected by a vote of all pilots at the briefing at the start of the competition except in a case where the elected representative is involved in the protest in which case the ED will appoint a Special Contestant Representative.
(d) The ED shall ensure that the Tribunal reaches a decision within 12 hours of any protest being made, and before any final results are released, or prizes are awarded.
(e) No other person(s) shall be present at the arbitration discussions, except for the protester, the contestant being protested against, and any language translators required.
(f) The Tribunal will first hear from the Protester, and afterwards may request a response from the Contestant being protested against, if necessary.
(g) If the arbitration panel upholds the protest (in favor of the protester) the protest fee will be returned to the protester in full. If the arbitration panel does not find in favor of the protester, the protest fee will be retained by IMAC.
(h) The Arbitration Tribunal’s decision is final, and cannot be appealed.
(i) Protests must be submitted within one hour following the last contestant’s official flight and prior to the awards ceremony.
(j) In the event of any disputes or protests regarding translations of these rules into other languages, the 'English' version shall be the definitive version.
RADIO EQUIPMENT
Only 2.4 GHz radio equipment is acceptable and all R/C equipment must comply with statutory regulations of the U.S.A, AMA Scale Aerobatic Rules paragraph 4.1. Gyros and airborne stabilization devices are NOT allowed. Any mechanical or electrical automatic pilot/stabilization devices are strictly prohibited and a pilot(s) found using such devices will be disqualified from the World Championships.
FUEL & BATTERY RE-CHARGING
Pilots can use either the fuel available/provided at the event site or they can supply their own. Battery re-charging areas will be available & clearly marked. Optionally pilots may recharge batteries using their own facilities not to interfere with the provided re-charging areas.
STARTING PROCEDURES
Pilots must be "ready" at least four deep at all times. Your wheels must leave the runway before the pilot ahead of you finishes his/her sequence. Intentional or repeated violation will result in a score of zero for the round. Flight Line-Bosses will be available to ensure compliance.
PILOT FLIGHT ORDER
TWO Flying sites will be used. There will be TWO flight lines at each flying site. The pilot order for the event will be drawn July 1, 2018 by the Event Staff. At the completion of each round, the top TWO pilots will be moved to the bottom of the list for the next round. A new pilot order will NOT be drawn for each day’s competition. The initial pilot order drawn will be used for all work assignments and will not change for the duration of the event except for the two pilot drop per round.
All pilots will be required to have their planes and themselves in their designated pit no later than 7:30 a.m., setup and ready to fly. The contest will start at 8:00 AM each morning weather permitting.
PILOT WORK ASSIGNMENTS
Every pilot will be required to fulfill every work assignment. All pilot work assignment lists will be posted on the World Championship website by August 1, 2018. Lists will also be emailed to Team Managers. The same list will apply to both Known, and Unknown rounds. Work assignments include; scribing for judges, calling unknown sequences for judges. Missing an assignment will zero that pilot’s next flight.
FIELD CLOSED
The field will be closed to all non-contest flying on contest days. Exceptions may include demo flights arranged by contest management. If for some reason you feel a trim flight is necessary, contact the ED for approval.
AIRCRAFT
All aircraft shall comply with all AMA Safety Codes and also comply with the Scale Aerobatics Aircraft Specifications.
Pilots may use different aircraft for the sequences and Free-Style as long as they conform to the Scale Aerobatics Rules regarding aircraft. There is no limit to the number of airplanes a pilot may use. If a mechanical failure is encountered the pilot may use one of his/her back-up aircraft or another available aircraft.
SAFETY
Any willful violation of a safety related rule will result in disqualification from the entire event.
Medical emergency services will be available on site if needed.
INDIVIDUAL WORLD CHAMPION TROPHY
The 2017-2018 AMA Scale Aerobatics rules will be used to determine the IMAC World Champion in each class: Sportsman, Intermediate, Advanced and Unlimited. Individual World Champion trophies will be from first to third place. Fourth to sixth place will receive an IMAC World Championship commemorative plaque. Placement will be determined using the Radio Control Scale Aerobatic Rules (2017-2018).
WORLD TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY
There will be World Team Trophies for the top three countries. The IMAC World Team Trophies will be calculated using the best THREE pilots (from each country), regardless in which class they are flying. The scoring program will calculate the top three pilots with the highest percentage (%) of raw scores as compared to a possible 100% in each class. ALL flown sequences (Known and Unknown) will be tabulated. The normal drop schedule will be used when calculating the top three pilots for the Team Championship Trophy.
WORLD FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY
There will be Individual IMAC World Freestyle Champion trophies from first to third place. Fourth to sixth place will receive an IMAC World Championship commemorative plaque.
IMAC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP JUDGES AND STAFF DRESS CODE
Judges will wear appropriate IMAC World Championship apparel with tan pant/shorts when they are at the Judging stations. All other staff members will wear appropriate IMAC World Championship apparel when acting in an official capacity.
The IMAC World Championships will be held on Tuesday September 4, 2018 – Saturday, September 8, 2018 at the AMA Headquarters in Muncie, Indiana U.S.A.
The contest will be conducted using 2017-2018 AMA RC Scale Aerobatics rules, with clarifications as noted below. The 2017-2018 Scale Aerobatics rules available on the IMAC website under the “Rules/Guides” tab and can also be found on the AMA Website.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
The English language shall be used as the working language both orally and in writing for all purposes for the duration of the World Championship event in 2018.
CONTEST CLASSES
Four classes will be flown: Unlimited, Advanced, Intermediate, and Sportsman PLUS Freestyle as a separate event. There will be individual World Championship awards, World Championship Team awards for participating countries, and World Championship Freestyle awards.
ENTRY FEES:
Competitors ....................................................$340 USD
Team Managers ..............................................$100 USD
(if a Team Manager is a competitor, he/she will pay the competitor’s fee).
Helpers and Mechanics ....................................$25 USD
In addition each participating competitor in the event (regardless of country) MUST be a paid up member of IMAC. The entry fee for the World Championships includes one year’s membership with IMAC. If a participant is presently a paid up member, an additional year will be added to his/her membership upon expiration.
REGISTRATION:
The registration process can be completed by the Team Manager for all, or Pilots, Team Manager and any Helpers or Mechanics can register individually. Registration will be open online on the IMAC World Championships website. http://www.imacworlds.com/pilotteam-reg.html
Payment of the Entry Fees may be completed on-line and MUST be received by June 30, 2018. Payment after June 30, 2018 will have a penalty of $100.00 USD per competitor added to the entry fee. Registration will CLOSE on July 15, 2018.
FAA REGISTRATION - REINSTATED
Registration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is MANDATORY, for competitors to fly in the 2018 IMAC World Championships. The registration process for foreign nationals and US Citizens is accomplished on the FAA WEBSITE and the relevant registration information SHALL be displayed on the aircraft as required.
FAA LINK FOR REGISTRATION . Further information on registration will be included in bulletins as necessary.
TEAM MANAGERS
Each team will provide one competitor/manager to act as TEAM MANAGER. Team Managers will be responsible to handle all questions and concerns from the competitors to the Event Director. This includes all scoring, judging and/or possible protests. The Team Manager will also acquire the proper sized (approximately 3’ x 4’) National Flag of his/her participating country which will be supplied to the Event Director. This flag should include eyelets or some other means of attachment to a pole for display or carry.
NATIONALITY of CONTESTANTS
All contestants must either be a citizen of the country/nation they are representing, OR presently residing there. Passports or other ID (i.e. Residency status) may be required as proof by the Event Director, or IMAC. Participants who have dual citizenship or residency status can represent either country, (but not both) PROVIDING the participant has been approved by the model aviation governing body or the IMAC association in the country he/she is representing. A valid passport or other ID shall be required as proof in this instance of dual citizenship or residency.
NUMBER OF CONTESTANTS
Each country will be allowed a maximum of 9 pilots in each class (maximum of 36 pilots). Individual country selections will be guided by their own qualification process. Use of the USA selection process is NOT required.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
A set Schedule of Events for the World Championship will be published in a “Bulletin” which will be situated on both the 2018 World Championships website and also the IMAC Website. The projected date for the publication of the schedule of events is February 1, 2018. The volume of entries will affect the timing and the number of sequences which can realistically be flown each day.
In addition, information regarding the pilots meeting, Team Managers meeting and the banquet information will be published in “Bulletins” on both the IMAC World Championships website and the IMAC website.
SEQUENCES
Pilots will fly Known and Unknown sequences prepared for the 2018 World Championship event by members of the IMAC Sequence Committee. If Alternate sequences for Intermediate, Advanced, and Unlimited classes are to be flown it will announced by bulletin on the IMAC World Championship Website and the IMAC Website. Known Sequences will be the 2018 IMAC sequences and will be available on the IMAC Website HERE. Figures for Known and Unknown sequences will be drawn from the 2017 Edition of the Aresti System (Condensed) and conform to the Aresti System sequence construction rules. The catalog is available on the ARESTI website. Any overflight restricted areas will be noted on the site diagram.
SCORE NORMALIZATION
Normalized scoring will be used for all rounds, including the Known and Unknowns. Normalization will be performed before scores are dropped.
Scores will adhere to the prescribed drop process presently in use in the IMAC Contest Standards available on the IMAC website under the Rules/Guides tab.
JUDGING
There will be a minimum of three judges on each flight line. All judging will conform to the current (2017-2018) Scale Aerobatics rules. Judges will be selected from experience, will be from any country that presently flies the IMAC standard, and must have attended Judging School(s). Each participating country should strive to provide at least one competent and knowledgeable judge. All Judges will be approved by the Organizers of the event. There will be one Chief Judge and an assistant Chief Judge appointed for the event by the IMAC BOD.
Please do not question the judges or the scorekeepers. If you have a question, concerns, or protest, please contact the Event Director.
Only pilots preparing to fly (and their callers) are allowed on the judge’s side of the flight line fence. This applies at all times, including during the Four-Minute Freestyle.
The same set of judges shall judge each round. Judges may be rotated between rounds.
FOUR-MINUTE FREESTYLE
Freestyle will be calculated as a separate event and scores will not be combined with Known and Unknowns. The 2017-2018 AMA RC Scale Aerobatics judging criteria for the Four-Minute Freestyle program shall be used.
There is one exception and that is for SAFETY. No portion of the aircraft shall touch the ground, except (the wheels) during landing. An aircraft will be deemed to have touched the ground if the majority of scoring judges believe it to have touched. If an aircraft touches the ground the pilot will be disqualified for that round and zero the Freestyle sequence. For the purpose of this rule the ground is defined as pavement, soil, vegetation and any structures that are present on the ground within the airspace.
The aircraft shall not fly behind the dead-line except during takeoff and landing. A pilot and his/her caller must stand in front of the judges at the 100ft designated deadline. If an aircraft flies behind the deadline the pilot will be disqualified and will zero the Freestyle round. A violation of this rule and final determination shall be made by the deadline judges. There should be NO HIGH ENERGY passes aimed directly towards the pits; this includes 45° angled towards the pits. Freestyle music must be received by the Event Director by July 1, 2018. !!
PROTESTS
(a) Only Team Managers may submit a protest per AMA Competition Rules. Judges scoring of Aresti maneuvers, sound score and airspace control score are not subject to complaints and shall not be overruled.
(b) All protests must be made in writing, and handed to the Event Director (ED) with a protest fee, which shall be the same amount as the contestant's entry fee ($340.00USD). The Event Director shall hold this protest fee for the duration of the protest.
(c) Within one hour after receiving a protest the ED will relay the protest to the appointed ‘Arbitration Tribunal’, which will consist of 3 persons:
(1) A representative of the event organizer/host association.
(2) A member of the IMAC Board (or an IMAC representative selected by the IMAC Board if all the attending IMAC Board members could have an ‘interest’ in the protest result).
(3) A representative of the contestants, who will be elected by a vote of all pilots at the briefing at the start of the competition except in a case where the elected representative is involved in the protest in which case the ED will appoint a Special Contestant Representative.
(d) The ED shall ensure that the Tribunal reaches a decision within 12 hours of any protest being made, and before any final results are released, or prizes are awarded.
(e) No other person(s) shall be present at the arbitration discussions, except for the protester, the contestant being protested against, and any language translators required.
(f) The Tribunal will first hear from the Protester, and afterwards may request a response from the Contestant being protested against, if necessary.
(g) If the arbitration panel upholds the protest (in favor of the protester) the protest fee will be returned to the protester in full. If the arbitration panel does not find in favor of the protester, the protest fee will be retained by IMAC.
(h) The Arbitration Tribunal’s decision is final, and cannot be appealed.
(i) Protests must be submitted within one hour following the last contestant’s official flight and prior to the awards ceremony.
(j) In the event of any disputes or protests regarding translations of these rules into other languages, the 'English' version shall be the definitive version.
RADIO EQUIPMENT
Only 2.4 GHz radio equipment is acceptable and all R/C equipment must comply with statutory regulations of the U.S.A, AMA Scale Aerobatic Rules paragraph 4.1. Gyros and airborne stabilization devices are NOT allowed. Any mechanical or electrical automatic pilot/stabilization devices are strictly prohibited and a pilot(s) found using such devices will be disqualified from the World Championships.
FUEL & BATTERY RE-CHARGING
Pilots can use either the fuel available/provided at the event site or they can supply their own. Battery re-charging areas will be available & clearly marked. Optionally pilots may recharge batteries using their own facilities not to interfere with the provided re-charging areas.
STARTING PROCEDURES
Pilots must be "ready" at least four deep at all times. Your wheels must leave the runway before the pilot ahead of you finishes his/her sequence. Intentional or repeated violation will result in a score of zero for the round. Flight Line-Bosses will be available to ensure compliance.
PILOT FLIGHT ORDER
TWO Flying sites will be used. There will be TWO flight lines at each flying site. The pilot order for the event will be drawn July 1, 2018 by the Event Staff. At the completion of each round, the top TWO pilots will be moved to the bottom of the list for the next round. A new pilot order will NOT be drawn for each day’s competition. The initial pilot order drawn will be used for all work assignments and will not change for the duration of the event except for the two pilot drop per round.
All pilots will be required to have their planes and themselves in their designated pit no later than 7:30 a.m., setup and ready to fly. The contest will start at 8:00 AM each morning weather permitting.
PILOT WORK ASSIGNMENTS
Every pilot will be required to fulfill every work assignment. All pilot work assignment lists will be posted on the World Championship website by August 1, 2018. Lists will also be emailed to Team Managers. The same list will apply to both Known, and Unknown rounds. Work assignments include; scribing for judges, calling unknown sequences for judges. Missing an assignment will zero that pilot’s next flight.
FIELD CLOSED
The field will be closed to all non-contest flying on contest days. Exceptions may include demo flights arranged by contest management. If for some reason you feel a trim flight is necessary, contact the ED for approval.
AIRCRAFT
All aircraft shall comply with all AMA Safety Codes and also comply with the Scale Aerobatics Aircraft Specifications.
Pilots may use different aircraft for the sequences and Free-Style as long as they conform to the Scale Aerobatics Rules regarding aircraft. There is no limit to the number of airplanes a pilot may use. If a mechanical failure is encountered the pilot may use one of his/her back-up aircraft or another available aircraft.
SAFETY
Any willful violation of a safety related rule will result in disqualification from the entire event.
Medical emergency services will be available on site if needed.
INDIVIDUAL WORLD CHAMPION TROPHY
The 2017-2018 AMA Scale Aerobatics rules will be used to determine the IMAC World Champion in each class: Sportsman, Intermediate, Advanced and Unlimited. Individual World Champion trophies will be from first to third place. Fourth to sixth place will receive an IMAC World Championship commemorative plaque. Placement will be determined using the Radio Control Scale Aerobatic Rules (2017-2018).
WORLD TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY
There will be World Team Trophies for the top three countries. The IMAC World Team Trophies will be calculated using the best THREE pilots (from each country), regardless in which class they are flying. The scoring program will calculate the top three pilots with the highest percentage (%) of raw scores as compared to a possible 100% in each class. ALL flown sequences (Known and Unknown) will be tabulated. The normal drop schedule will be used when calculating the top three pilots for the Team Championship Trophy.
WORLD FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY
There will be Individual IMAC World Freestyle Champion trophies from first to third place. Fourth to sixth place will receive an IMAC World Championship commemorative plaque.
IMAC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP JUDGES AND STAFF DRESS CODE
Judges will wear appropriate IMAC World Championship apparel with tan pant/shorts when they are at the Judging stations. All other staff members will wear appropriate IMAC World Championship apparel when acting in an official capacity.