men vs. women

[Mike Eggen]

In IAC competition men and women do compete against each other head to head. Women are most successful in the most advanced category (unlimited)

 

[mzaharis]

They currently announce overall, mens, and womens competition winners.

For example, in 2005, Sergei Rakhmanin was the overall and Men's champion, and Svetlana Kapanina (4th overall) was Women's champion.

Note: in the following link, there's an error that lists the womens champions as overall champions, despite the fact that they have lower scores than the mens champions (see Betty Stewart and Viktor Smolin in the 1982 championships). I think that this problem is only for results from 1986 and earlier.

http://events.fai.org/aerobatics/chronology.asp?id=13

 

[Mike Eggen]

"They currently announce overall, mens, and womens competition winners."

Thats true for Fai not Iac

 

[mzaharis]

"They currently announce overall, mens, and womens competition winners."

Thats true for Fai not Iac

You are correct. Sorry I did not notice that distinction.

 

[glasspilot]

I don't know a obvious reason, my thoughts where always on the reasoning it allowed more trophies to be handed out . The IAC is such a small niche. I thought the division between men and women was driven for international competitions. It does seem funny to think of female fighter pilots flying combat and yet they can't compete on a level playing field in a little pitts.

I would like it to be about the "best" pilot not the best male or female pilot.

"Allowed more trophies to be handed out." ??!!??!!

By your reasoning then they should have a mens compition, a womens, a men with black hair, women with blonde hair, black man, black woman, black man albino, women black albino, man named "Tim", woman named "Sally", man named "Roger", woman named "Becky", man with tatoo, woman with tatoo, man with funny look, woman with funny look compition too. Hey, MORE TROPHIES right? .....sheesh

 

[mzaharis]

"Allowed more trophies to be handed out." ??!!??!!

By your reasoning then they should have a mens compition, a womens, a men with black hair, women with blonde hair, black man, black woman, black man albino, women black albino, man named "Tim", woman named "Sally", man named "Roger", woman named "Becky", man with tatoo, woman with tatoo, man with funny look, woman with funny look compition too. Hey, MORE TROPHIES right? .....sheesh

Whoa, whoa, hold on there! Read Airbum's final sentence!

I would like it to be about the "best" pilot not the best male or female pilot.

He's not trying to advocate gender-specific trophies, he's just trying to understand why it's the current state of affairs. Anyway, as Mike Eggen pointed out, IAC doesn't give gender-specific trophies - only the FAI does!

 

[Mike Eggen]

If anyone's interested here's a link where you can read blogs from the US team at the WAC getting underway in Spain. www.unlimitedaerobaticsusa.com.

 

[Airbum]

Guess this is what happens when they let a history major on the internet. (me) <BG>

Mzaharis thanks for the backup

Glasspilot: Many sports offer age group/men/women categories in my understanding. No offense was meant concerning my thoughts.
Like Mzaharris said I just like the idea of pilots competing on a level playing field. Let the best win.

However I would like a special category for guys who can't do a decent vertical roll! I could rock!

 

[spitfire1940]

Hey Guys,
Just got back from two weeks vacation (in Russia) where I purposefully avoided all contact with the internet.
I was glad to see some thoughtful responses to my question. Knowledge and reason are rare commodities in the Hanger! Nobody flamed me for asking or blamed the division between men and women on Mesa or Kit Darby ... although they probably DO bear some responsibility ...

 

[flynfr8]

Women vs. Men

It's because if women competed against the men, they would never win! Duh!

Funny, the current AND recently former US National Unlimited Aerobatic Champions ARE WOMEN! Vicki Cruse and Debby Rihn-Harvey, respectively. Then there is Patty Wagstaff...

The FAI/CIVA has their rules, and the IAC works in concert with them to keep the operations of contests consistent with world level competition. In the US, the National Champion in each discipline is non-gender specific, it is only during team selection for the World Championships where gender comes into play.