Tucson Aerobatic Shootout - 2004/05
by Mike Hurley
NOW THAT THE Tournament of Champions (TOC) is history, where will we go to find top-level flying events with top-name competitors? If the people who put the Tucson Aerobatic Shootout (TAS) together have anything to say about it, we'll all head to the heart of Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona, to see the top names fly. And the best pilots in the world will duke it out to claim today's and future top honors.
With the passing of the TOC, the TAS may be taking its place as the RC contest with the world's largest cash and prize purse: more than $50,000. That doesn't mean it has the prestige of the TOC—yet. But with that kind of booty on the line, you can bet the best of the best were drawn out of their respective hiding places October 2–5 to vie for the loot! In every class from Sportsman to Unlimited, the flying was top-notch. Frankly, some of the Intermediate pilots who competed in the TAS would probably do well flying in Unlimited at most local contests.
The TAS was run as a four-day International Miniature Aerobatic Club (IMAC) contest under AMA and IMAC guidelines and procedures. The level of talent and competency among the contest staff and the pilots made it one of the most prestigious IMAC events in the U.S.
Entry and competitors
- The TAS was open to any AMA member flying in any class except Basic.
- Sign-up opened 30 days before the event and was limited to 15 competitors each in Sportsman, Intermediate, and Advanced, and 20 in Unlimited.
- A total of 60 pilots entered; after several dropouts the final number competing settled at 43.
Organization and judging
- The contest director and supporters were extremely serious about event quality, ensuring experienced individuals handled each task.
- Judges included well-known names from IMAC and International Aerobatic Club (IAC) full-scale aerobatics, with some coming from as far away as Germany.
- Line bosses were experienced, many from IAC ranks.
- Two flightlines ran at all times. Pilots were staged so that as soon as one finished and called "Out of the box," the next pilot was already airborne and ready to enter the box.
- Each line had three judges to validate scores; most judges were present solely for judging.
Spectators, media, and emcee
- Bob Sadler, "The Mouth from the South," came from South Carolina to emcee the contest and kept spectators informed and interested.
- The event was highlighted locally on television and in the newspapers. A large group of spectators attended on Saturday and Sunday.
- More than 500 flights were flown, judged, and tallied during the four days.
International attendance and local stars
- The event attracted international talent: Frazer Briggs (New Zealand), Fabio Trento (Brazil), and Ivan Kristensen (Canada).
- Local and national big names also participated, including Chip Hyde, Bill Hempel, Sean McMurtry, and Jason Shulman.
Venue and conditions
- The flying site is located well outside Tucson in Saguaro National Park at TIMPA (Tucson International Modelplex Park Association).
- The backdrop included sand, giant cactus, and scorpions. Weather was hot most days, with wind picking up in the afternoon.
- Occasional dust devils (minitornadoes) visited the site, forcing pilots and helpers to secure models and equipment.
- Friday brought strong winds and steady 25 mph crosswinds; many pilots had difficulty landing and landed off to the sides of pilot stations. The Contest Director stopped flying at one point to vote on continuing; pilots voted to continue. A few mishaps took some pilots out of the contest.
- Example: Art Cloutier (Advanced) lost landing gear on his 33% Aeroworks Extra 330L and finished the contest flying a smaller Great Planes Extra 300.
Contest format and schedule
- IMAC format uses a standard “Known” sequence for the year and an unpracticed “Unknown” sequence discovered only the night before flying.
- Sequence summary for the event:
- Thursday: three Known rounds per class.
- Friday morning: one Unknown and two Known rounds.
- Saturday: one Unknown and one Known round; four-minute Freestyle was flown at midday when the largest crowd was expected.
- Sunday: finals — top four in Sportsman, Intermediate, and Advanced; top 12 in Unlimited. One Known and one Unknown round were flown, followed by two Freestyle rounds.
- In total, 12 Unknown rounds were flown during the contest.
Competition highlights
- This was not a typical local IMAC contest; nearly every competitor was a contender who could podium at local events.
- In Intermediate, 2003 National champion Adam Bry prevailed in Tucson and took top honors.
- Jason Shulman led early with near-perfect Unlimited flights. He suffered an ignition-pack failure before a flight and later crashed during his Saturday Freestyle; he borrowed Bill Hempel’s 3W Extra 300S and finished the contest with the borrowed airplane, ultimately winning Unlimited.
- A dramatic save: a less-experienced Sportsman pilot suffered a flameout low and slow. Unlimited pilot Mark Leseberg Jr. sprinted across the field, hurdled a fence, grabbed the transmitter from the stunned pilot, and safely landed the aircraft without damage.
- The contest emphasized precision Scale Aerobatics over just 3-D tricks like Torque Rolls (TR). While TRs remain popular and photogenic, the TAS rewarded precision flying.
Freestyle
- Freestyle is a separate, optional category under AMA and IMAC guidelines.
- Most Freestyle pilots came from the Unlimited ranks (one from Advanced, none from lower classes). The Freestyle event had 11 competitors.
- Freestyle is growing in popularity and remains a major spectator draw. The TAS Freestyle was as impressive and well executed as any in the world.
- Chip Hyde won the 2003 TAS Freestyle.
Spectator's awards (author’s picks)
- Smoothest and most precise routine: Sean McMurtry — exceptionally low, controlled TR; flawless High-Alpha Rolling Circle and overall choreography.
- Biggest adrenaline rush: Mark Leseberg Jr. — high-speed routine with extremely high-roll-rate High-Alpha Rolling Circles.
- Pure air-show panache: Bill Hempel — his huge scale 52% Pitts Challenger flew a polished, high-speed, and exciting routine.
- Originality: Fabio Trento — high-alpha descending "S" figures and a signature inverted high-alpha routine that impressed judges and spectators.
- Good sportsmanship: Jason Shulman — after crashing his competition model and being unable to fly the final Freestyle, he borrowed a 30-inch foam electric profile biplane and flew a show Freestyle to music for the crowd.
Notes on originality
- Originality is a cornerstone of Freestyle excitement and progress. It was disappointing that many top-ranked Freestyle pilots reused old routines or music; new routines are difficult to produce, but they elevate the event.
Prizes and awards
- The 2003 TAS distributed substantial prizes to many competitors; at least 12 Desert Aircraft engines and several large aircraft were given away.
- The top three finishers in Unlimited and Freestyle received cash prizes.
- The TAS is likely to become an annual event — make plans to attend.
Tucson Aerobatic Shootout Results
Sportsman
- Tony Quist
- Brad Hooper
- Dean Bird
- Bill Ritchey
Intermediate
- Adam Bry
- Leonard Rulason
- Andy Busutill
- Tony Holden
Advanced
- Matthew Szueber
- Jeremy McKenna
- Bill Adams
- Chris Boice
Unlimited
- Jason Shulman
- Chip Hyde
- Frazer Briggs
- Mark Leseberg Jr.
Freestyle
- Chip Hyde
- Mark Leseberg Jr.
- Bill Hempel
- Fabio Trento
Contact Mike Hurley 11542 Decatur Ct. Westminster, CO 80234 mike.hurley1@comcast.net
2003 TAS sponsors:
- Advanced Ceramics Research
- AeroTech R/C Models
- Aeroworks
- AirWild
- BME Engines
- Cactus Aviation Models
- Carden Aircraft
- Competition Hobbies
- Desert Aircraft
- Exclusiv-Modellbau
- Extreme Graphics
- Futaba
- Hobbico
- HobbyTown USA
- Hobby Barn
- HobbyTown of Tucson
- Horizon Hobby
- JR
- MTW-Schalldämpfer
- PBG Composites
- PowerFlite
- RC Showcase
- Smart-Fly
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
