Welcome

We are the Denver-area chapter of the International Aerobatic Club, a division of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Our members come from all along the Front Range from Ft. Collins to Colorado Springs, as well as from neighboring states. RMAC's goal is safety above all else. We share a love of aerobatic flying, whether for personal enjoyment, the precise demands of competition, or working on the sidelines as judges and support personnel at contests. Our activities fall into three main categories:

  • Competition
  • Recreational flying, including critique and practice days
  • Group meetings and social events

To learn more, click on one of the links above. Thanks for visiting!

Webinar: Emergency Bailout Procedures for Pilots and Survival Equipment

Thursday, January 19, 2012 6PM - 7PM MST

Presenter: Allen Silver
Host:  Trish Deimer-Steineke

This webinar is on all aspects of a bailout including mental attitude, preflight preparation, how to get out of your aircraft, deploying your parachute, and landing safely back on earth. You'll also learn other steps you can take to increase your chances of surviving a bailout and even how to choose the right parachute for you.

No Meeting in January

Contrary to previously published reports (oops, blush) there will not be a chapter meeting in January 2012. We regret the error.

Please do come out for the February chapter meeting though.

Post-Holiday Party Photo

Many thanks to the Larkin family for hosting the party!

Here are most of the partygoers, crowded around Bob Freeman's Panzl. Bob, we wish you could have been there -- and we wish you good luck in your overseas assignment.

Meeting Minutes: 2011-12-10

Intro Election Results • Party Plans • May Contest • July Contest

 

Introduction

The December chapter meeting was held on Sat. 12/10 at Tom Larkin's Home for Wayward Pilots.

Officers and Directors in attendance: Tom Larkin, DJ Molny, Brian Cabebe, Mike Forney, Tom Edwards
Members in attendance: Bill Kendall, Bailey Dotson, Suzanne Chance, JD Whitney
(Apologies if I've forgotten anyone!)

Election Results

2012 Officers:

  • DJ Molny, President and Webmaster
  • Tom Larkin, VP
  • Brian Cabebe, Treasurer
  • Dagmar Kress, Membership Chair

2012 Directors:

  • Thomas Shpakow
  • Tom Edwards
  • Dagmar Kress
  • Bob  Freeman

Party Plans

No changes to the basic plan (click here for details.) $20pp for members, $25pp for non-members, $10 for kids. We will offer/solicit/extort membership renewals at the door.

DJ will send out electronic party invitations to everyone on the chapter mailing list.


May Contest

A delegation met with the Greeley airport management to discuss the possibility of holding the May contest there. Bottom line: They are not interested at this point in time. We will talk to them again next year to see if anything has changed. Therefore the May contest -- officially the "Ben Lowell Aerobatic Confrontation" -- will be held at Sterling. Click here for details.

Mike Forney is the Contest Director, and DJ Molny will apply for the FAA waiver. 


July Contest

This contest will also be held in Sterling.  Dagmar Kress is the Contest Director, and DJ Molny will apply for the FAA waiver.

Bob Freeman dubbed this contest the High Planes HypoXia Fest, as a tweak to those amongst our low-altitude brethren who fear to fly where the air is then. Tom Edwards has re-christened it the Hot-Poxia Fest, in recognition of July temperatures.

Aresti Conversion Chart: 2011 to 2012

As you have probably heard, CIVA and Aresti Systems have undertaken a major reorganization of the Aresti Aerobatic Catalog (new version available here, for a limited time only.) As a result, every Free program in the known universe will have to be updated and re-certified for 2012. That's the bad news.

The first bit of good news is that all K factors remained the same. The second bit of good news is that there's now a conversion chart (click here) that lets you quickly determine the new catalog number. This should save a lot of time, flipping back and forth looking for your figures.

EAA Calendars, anyone?

From IAC12 President Bob Freeman:

EAA is now taking orders for its 2012 calendar! To see pictures of the calendar online, please go to http://www.shopeaa.com/2012worldofflightcalendar.aspx

If you'd like a copy, send me a request by email and I'll tally the numbers and then place a volume order. 

Major Revisions to the 2012 Aresti Catalog

UPDATE: After a few errors were found and fixed, CIVA re-released the new catalog. Use the link below to download the latest greatest version.

CIVA has decided to re-organize the catalog, and now every figure will have a four-part number. For instance, the former 8.1.1 Humpty Bump will now be 8.4.1.1. Only Family 9 -- "Rolls & Spins" -- is unchanged. Therefore every single Free Program will have to be re-certified for the 2012 season. The good news is that only the figure numbers have changed.
 

Do you have a 2012 calendar handy??

If so, get out a pen and jot down all of the IAC12 parties, meetings, classes, and contests. Yup, for once we're ahead of the curve -- waaaaay ahead! -- and have picked the dates for every major event in 2012.  First on the list: Dec. 10 Chapter Meeting and Jan. 7 Post-Holiday Party.

Click here to view the full calendar.  Looking forward to seeing you, and to a great year of acro fun and camaraderie!

Chapter Meeting Minutes: Nov. 2011

The November chapter meeting was held on Nov. 5th, 2011, at Tom Larkin's Home for Wayward Pilots at EIK. 10:00 Officers and Directors, 11:00 general members.
 
Attendees:   
Officers:  Bob Freeman, Tom Larkin, DJ Molny, Brian Cabebe
Directors:   John Blum, Tom Edwards, Mike Forney, Tom Shpakow
Members:  Phil Deturk, Jack Wilhite, Allen Short, Earl Allen, Bill Kendall

Topic 1: Fall IAC Board of Director's Meeting Readout - Bob Freeman
The meeting lasted 16 hours over 2 days, and the briefing package was approximately 250 pages of reports and other information. Bob participated by phone. Highlights:

  • IAC will engage in discussions with the IMAC (International Miniature Aerobatic Club).  Intention is to align club interests specifically with respect to online judge training and certification.
  • Future Judges Schools will be paid for via contest sanction fees, rather than charging the students.
  • IAC Treasurer Bob Hart treasurer reported that the club is $16K under expense budget year-to-date, and $15K under target on income, for a net +$1K variance. The trend is daunting however. Looking for new approach to merchandising. Return on investment of IAC efforts at SunNFun is poor; decision made to take a one-year hiatus in 2012 and revisit next year.
  • Membership Chair Doug McConnell membership reported that the trend of declining membership has slowed thanks to new efforts. Looking to identify a membership chair for each chapter in order to focus these efforts going forward.
  • Judge certification and recurrency programs. Decision made to set up separate committee effort to implement an online judge training program. This is intended to make judges training more accessible, e.g. eliminating the need to travel to a remote location.
  • IAC Director Wayne Roberts will form a committee to revamp the IAC website - EAA is permitting more freedom and control by IAC than it has in the past.
  • CIVA: Report from Mike Heuer
    • The IAC Board reviewed the proposed Advanced and Unlimited sequences, and decided to authorize USA's CIVA delegate Debby Rihn-Harvey to recommend. (Note: Debby just announced that CIVA adopted Advanced Proposal D and Unlimited Proposal D, available here, as the Known/Q sequences for 2012.)
    • Changes have been proposed to the bidding process for future WAC, AWAC, and other international events. If approved, every fourth event (i.e. every 8 years) must be held at location outside Europe.
  • IAC Rules change proposals: (paraphrasing... look them up if you want complete desciptions)
    • 12-1 Altitudes for Advanced category in US to match CIVA altitudes (200M bottom and 1100M top of box) - Approved
    • 12-4 Judges recurrency requirements - # of flights judged in prior year - changed for Adv and Unl pilots that compete in prior year - Approved
    • 12-5 Match the rules for meteorilogical breaks and mechanical breaks for re-flight - Approved
    • 12-6 Increase top of box for Primary and Sportsman to 4000' - Rejected
    • 12-7 Allow downwind entries for Sportsman and Intermediate Knowns - Approved
    • 12-8 Ballistic parachute on aircraft exempts pilot reserve requirement - Approved
    • 12-9 Change to order of flight selection method (registrar or computer generated) - Approved
    • 12-10 Allow Advanced pilots holding a 250' Statement of Aerobatic Competency card to fly the 4' Free program - Approved
    • 12-11 Changes to disqualification criteria - Rejected
    • 12-12 Allow motor gliders to compete as powered with engine running or as glider with engine off - Approved
    • 12-13 Change to judging criteria on loops - Rejected
    • 12-14 Allow foreign pilots to use medical from their home country for entry qualification (rather than US medical) - Approved
  • Known sequences were selected for Sportsman (Proposal A) and Intermediate (Proposal P).  Click here to view.

Topic 2:  2012 Calendar

  • Jan. 7:   Chapter 12 Holiday Party at the Larkin's house (thank you again!). Start time TBD.  Catered meal, just show up! Tickets: $25pp non member, $20pp for members, $10 children 12 and under.
  • Jan. 14: Chapter meeting
  • Feb. 11: Chapter meeting
  • March 10: Chapter meeting
  • March 17-18: Judges School - Intro
  • April 14: Chapter meeting
  • April 15: Advanced Judges School
  • May 12: Chapter meeting
  • May 25-27:  Ben Lowell Aerial Confrontation - Greeley (pending airport approval) - Free altitude breaks - 1st time competitors free entry. CD will be Mike Forney, VC will be Earl Allen.
  • June 9: Chapter meeting
  • July 13-15: High Planes HypoXia Fest - Sterling - CD TBD
  • Aug. 11: Chapter meeting
  • Sept 8: Chapter meeting
  • October: No meeting (IAC5 contest in Lamar)
  • Nov. 20: Chapter meeting
  • Dec. 8: Chapter meeting
     

Topic 3: Glider discussion
Our contest calendar may preclude USAFA glider participation. Chapter 5 is supportive and their schedule works for the Academy, local contest helps with glider team's budget. DJ is working to identify and document best practices for combined power/glider events. Suggestion for the Academy to host a contest: glider-only or glider/power.
 
Topic 4: 2012 Elections & Awards
Nominations:

  • President -  DJ Molny
  • Vice President - Tom Larkin pending airline recall - Edwards might backfill
  • Website - DJ wil continue 
  • Treasurer - Brian Cabebe
  • Directors:   Shpakow, Edwards, Dagmar Kress,  Freeman
  • Membership chair:  Dagmar Kress

Awards:

  • Award for volunteer of the year: DJ nominated
  • Judging award:  DJ will poll the competitors in Dec
  • Bobbitt Trophy: DJ to provide nomination to the IAC12 Board in December

This weekend: Final Colorado Contest of 2011!

Hi All.

Please don't forget the upcoming contest at Lamar.  Turnout for our HypoxiaFest was a bit on the low side due to a combination of issues with aircraft mechanicals, people medicals, conflicting obligations and such.  It would be great to wrap up this contest year with a big turnout at Lamar.  Bob Buckly has sent out several reminders but I'm here to do it again.  The contest is well run and a bunch of fun.  What more excuse could you need given the unbelievable flying weather we've been having.?
Fly safe,

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