Suggestions for new IAC website.

[Ron Chadwick]

I was a CD for many years in the NE and one thing I thought would have been very helpful was some sort of "clearing house" of ideas on how to run a contest. Not just the basic info you get with the IAC package but more specific. &nbsp;Like how do you make a boundary sighting device or what have you tried that was successful in gaining new membership.&nbsp;<br><br>There are a lot of very talented people out there working on the Regional contest level. I am sure there is a wealth of ideas that would make the contests much more interesting and enjoyable. &nbsp;The latest Sport Aerobatics talks about loosing the "party atmosphere" in the contest banquets. We always tried to make it a very entertaining evening. Plaques and trophies for the obvious events but some "more thoughtful" awards also. Film or slide shows on the weekend activities was also a big hit. I always tried to bring as much humor to the program as possible and make it an event worth having. &nbsp;We made it a tradition to meet every pilot as they landed with a bottle of water and a hand shake. &nbsp;We even had a little "red carpet" we placed down as they got out of the airplane. &nbsp;It's the little things that add up and pretty soon you start getting a lot of people "showing up". &nbsp;In 2010 I think we had 54 competitors at the Kathy Jaffe Challenge.&nbsp;<br><br>Regional contests are a thankless job. &nbsp;It takes a nucleus of very dedicated people to make a contest a real success. &nbsp;The people in Chapter 52 are some of the finest in the business. &nbsp;Two contests a year, a world class website, judges schools and organized practices. It is always about the people. &nbsp;<br><br>This is a great sport and I realize that it is hard on the "wallet" and getting harder everyday. &nbsp;I always thought of a Contest as a party and bring an airplane along if you have one. &nbsp;Show the competitors and non competitors alike that you are in it for them. &nbsp;Give them as many reasons to participate as you can think of. &nbsp;The IAC website should have a place for those "reasons".<br><br>My last point is about "giving back". &nbsp;One of the things we tried to do at the banquet is feature a speaker. &nbsp;Preferably someone related to aerobatics and I must say we were not very successful. &nbsp;I realize that most of the top airshow pilots today have a pretty full plate, but I don't think they understand just how much of a role model they really are to the weekend competitor. &nbsp;I don't expect someone like Sean Tucker to start going to Regional contests any time soon but I am sure it would &nbsp;increase participation. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience out there that will be shared by only a select few. &nbsp;What a great forum to motivate a new competitor. <br><br>Ron Chadwick&nbsp;<br><br><br><br>

[Byron J. Covey]

There are many good features at the Glasair builders' web site run by Bruce Gray. See: http://www.glasair.org/

Items that should be included:

All tech tips manuals
Accident investigation reports
Aircraft manuals
Links to manufactureres, suppliers, other relevant sites
Contest results, current and historical
Approved sequences, including individual's approved free sequences
etc

The sections that I most frequently use at Glasair.org are the forums, the image base, the file base and the classified ads, but almost all have been useful over time.
My criteria for the menu items is simple: I want one site to have everything about aerobatics.

Glad you asked.


Byron Covey

[WLIU]

Actually, the IAC web site HAS all of the info listed in the post above. But because it is hiding in the "Members Only" area, most readers do not find it. I regard that as a big negative.

I suggest that the contest results, the known programs for the current year, and the contest rule book have highly visible links right on the front page of the IAC web site. I suggest that current competitors will like seeing their names in public, its motivation to move up in the standings, and non-members might have the thought that their name could be added to the list for everyone to see,

I showed up at my first contest never having seen the current rule book. I just had a copy of the Known Program and flew when they told me to, following the procedure that had been briefed at the start of the contest. It should be easier to find the rule book on the web site.

Thanks for asking!

Wes
N78PS

[ftwoods]

I will also put in a vote for moving links for all of the contest info to the top/home page. The contests are I think our signature events and reasons for being so they should have a very public and prominent and accessible-by-all place on the IAC home page.

Farrell

[Philliscold]

I agree with Wes's comments above...we should do everything to make the site as inviting and welcoming to those who are not fully in the sport yet and make the transition as easy as possible. I read the magazine and looked at every aerobatic website for years before I finally managed to make it to a contest...i.e. there are many, many pilots (many who are probably young men with all the ambition and drive, but not enough money) who want in, waiting for their first contest. Or maybe they are the RV types, or don't have inverted systems. They are sitting on the periphery waiting to come in, and we should welcome them with open arms.

Those of us who are deep in the sport know where to find everything already. I'd like to see more prominent links to CIVA in regards to Advanced and Unlimited so that newer pilots coming up through the IAC system understand that team competition will require them to operate in two systems, with two sets of rules. In other words, let's build more international awareness in our pilots sooner, and also emphasize that at the international level, this is a team sport, not an individual one. I think we forget that sometimes.

Finally, while I think it is a great idea to have the safety blog and the tech tips, as well as the rules and current known sequences for anyone to view, there needs to be at least some exclusive benefit to membership. So when we eventually put all the back issues of Sport Aerobatics online, that should be a privilege granted only to members who are current on their dues.
-Phillip

[cyav8r]

How about just more frequent updates to the content. We are approaching 2 months past the US Nationals and there is nothing on the site about the this year's contest! Minutes from the board meetings are typically not posted till many months later. Overall its just embarrassing how far behind the site is. A redesign would be nice, but it will do nothing in the long run if the content is not kept fresh.

The rest of the items mentioned so far are all there and available as Wes said, and none of it is protected. The "login" page doesn't do any sort of validation so anyone has access to all the info. Just click on the 'Enter' button while putting nothing in the boxes. Its silly to even have the page.

Paul