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ACRO E-mail Archive Thread: [Acro] IAC category structure

Thread: [Acro] IAC category structure

Message: [Acro] IAC category structure

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From: Franko Allan <allan.franko at cancerboard.ab.ca>

Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 21:28:25 UTC

Message:

  

Don Peterson wrote (in another thread):

> We share an eccentric little hobby called aerobatic competition.  It has always
> evolved over time, and will continue to do so, but it is a specialty activity
> for specialty aircraft being flown by specialty pilots.  If that fits your idea
> of a good time, come on out.

Don,

  A brilliant description of our sport.

Unfortunately, I don't think many members of the current IAC Board would agree with
you, based on their their pie-in-the-sky plans for turning it into a major
spectator sport.  I used to think this was just a harmless daydream, but now I'm
not so sure.

I think this dream explains the failure of my efforts help IAC evolve by promoting
a category for people to compete at the highest difficulty level in limited
machines.  At it's meeting last week I understand that the Board rejected  the
concept of Sporting Unlimited, and I think I finally understand why.  Everything
that's done to categories above Intermediate must help to achieve the TV dream.
Glorifying the World Championships is essential to creating interest in the Teams,
and Team members will be the main focus of TV coverage.  Thus Unlimited and
Advanced have to be CIVA driven, without distractions.  Helping grass-roots
competitors would fragment the most complex category and create confusion.  Better
to get rid of those who want to compete at the highest difficulty level in limited
machinery - too confusing to explain to the public.  It has a definite logic to it,
if you accept the premise that aerobatic competition can and should become a major
spectator sport.

As for myself, I plan to take a break for a few years.  Maybe Advanced will become
difficult enough to interest me, but I'm not counting on it.  I'll pursue "other
interests" instead.

Allan Franko