per Ardua ad Astra

26th WAC Italy - Lessons Learned

2011-10-09T19:28:00.000+11:00

Here are some notes on what we saw and discerned from our trip to Italy. Hopefully it will aid those who wish to travel this route in the future:

1. Ideallyneed an authoritative coach for training at home and guidance at the comp. How to fund it?

2. Aircraftdifferences will always exist from what you train on at home, and rarely willyou be able to change settings on a hired aircraft to suit you.

3. Budgeton at least a weeks training in-location prior to comp overseas. Adjust to the time-zone, weather, food andaircraft. Possibly send Team Manager inadvance to scout arrangements.

4. Takecopies, soft or hard, of all your docs and Free sequences. Invariably the organisers ask for them repeatably.

5. Asnewcomers, we need to really nail the Q flight to maximise our chances ofgetting into the 1^st or 2^nd group. Similarly for the Free. Aim should be an 80% flight in both, and thentake what you get.

6. Staycool and fresh. Natural desire is tohang around airport, socialise and watch the flying. Schedule time away, stay hydrated andrested. Roster teammembers/manager/coach to check in-tray, attend briefings, check score sheetsetc. so others can stay away from airport when not required.

7. Establishcomms and transport plan to reduce stress when timeline is critical.

8. Establishedteams use all tools at their disposal to favour their pilots. Eg. Have a warm-up pilot to report backconditions and gauge aircraft performance for start heights. Influence schedule to favour your pilots. Video flights, protest ifnecessary.

9. Set-upof aircraft ailerons/spades and elevator, locking the trim prior to flight.

10. Puttall ¾ snap figures so the snap finishes edge-on to the judges. Wing low or side drift after the snap willnot be seen. Offset positive ornegative in plan on entry vertical line to finish vertical when side-on.

11. Onlooping figures with snaps, offset nose during looping segment so that youfinish on-axis (if that’s what you need) after the snap without a lot ofpedalling.

12. Use‘N’s and half loops or Cubans as linking figures in Unknowns. Adjust altitude and position during theselow k figures. Also saw positivedepth-charges used by USA. These linking figures get horribly abused in order to position high Kfigures correctly.

13. Toppilots fly to the bottom of the box (or maybe below). Positioning right in front of the judges isvery important for a top score.

14. Extra330SC and Su-26/31 perform well and present well if flown well, but appear at aperformance deficit to hot Experimentals like the MXS and Edge. Estimate is that Rob Holland’s MXS has significant margin over the 330SC. Ivanoff’s Edge 540 andIlles’ 540T exceeded 330SC by a fair margin also. Sbach goes well, but did not appear asenergetic for some reason, and some opinion that it does not present as well asthe MXS/Edge due to short fuselage length.

15. Satnext to a judge at dinner. Opinionthat in general judges favour slower flying Sukhoi’s?

16. Needto nominate judges through CIVA rep to CIVA. Is it likely we will actually send a judge and assistant?? First 7 judging teams paid for from entryfees (if selected), last 3 by organisers if able. Need JPD to support.

17. Rawscores and scoresheets are released immediately after data has been enteredinto scoring system. It is the Teamresponsibility to check their sheets and sign them off as correct – or protest. I detected two score entry errors, both were correctedwithout drama by office.

18. EachTeam has an in-tray and all official correspondence will be depositedthere. Time sensitive operationalmatters are communicated verbally (in our case by Christian on his pushbike!)or via SMS. Each team was issued a backpackwith a mobile phone pre-loaded with all Officials and Team numbers, good forcalls to those numbers only.

19. Rollswere precise and stops hard. Rate ofroll varied depending on objective, but was consistent throughout. We need to develop this technique more.

20. Varyingpower was used by the high-performance aircraft to shorten up lines and slowdown lines. All good for minimisingdrift and keeping the sequence ‘smaller’, in the box, and in front of the judges.

21. Withoutline judges, many pilots exceeded the box by a large margin, and it appearedthis was done consciously during Unknowns if it favoured presentation of keyfigures and the sequence overall. Thelesser of two evils approach.

22. Wedidn’t have much wind, so didn’t see many wind correction techniques on themain axis. Most correction was beingdone cross-box, to and away from the judges, to position figures.

23. Manytop-level sequences don’t have any cross-box figures. Pilots rely on other techniques to movesequence toward and away from judges. Crabbing, flying off-axis, spiralling duringlooping segments and non-vertical lines.

24. ManyFree sequences have more than the minimum number of flicks. Possible advantage with simpler figures tojudge and less busy for both pilot and judge cf. lots of point rolls. More research needed here.

25. Loopingfigures with roll elements at top/bottom are always positioned on the main axisfor scrutiny by judges in unknowns, never cross-box.

26. Diamond loops down should start downwindconversely those going up should start into wind.

WAC Day 10 - 4 Minute Freestyle

2011-09-10T23:47:00.002+10:00

Just back from the 4 minute Freestyle. Great flying on show with Hannes Arch, Ramon Alonso and Eric Vazeilleadded to the classic competitors. I don't expect any results to be announced until the closing ceremony this evening, My picks were Kairys, Sonka, Holland and Marmy (maybe not in that order). A lot of variety, Marmy followed Holland - rock'n'roll to classical! Arch and Ivanoff's displays were BIG, grand music, large in space. Some were tight and in the judges face. Truly a mix of styles on display. Spoke with Aude Lemordant afterward, and she took off without a watch.....so she just had to wing it! Her first 4 minute Free. She did the HSC in Pennant Hills, started aerobatics in 2005, flies for Air France, and is now the Vice-Female World Champion. Makes me feel pretty slack.

I got some video so will try and upload a bit later.

Day 9.1

2011-09-10T23:24:00.000+10:00

Well, the results are out for the technical contest, and with some surprises.   I missed Francois Levot's HZ for a positive crossover snap instead of a negative snap (downward iverted 45 leg of a humpty).   This dropped him down the standings considerably. Phillipp's HZ also cost him - same applies as at home, NO DONUTS.
Some lovely flying in the last seven, with the cool morning I think the Sukhoi's could start 2-300ft lower at least.   Svetlana and Chmal and Oleg certainly had it in the bottom of the box.
Hats off to Olivier Masurel finishing 2nd in the CAP-232, he flew well and consistently all comp and certainly deserved his scores.   He, Alexander Leboulanger and Nicholas Ivanoff ended up leading the way for the French, ahead of the Armee de l'Air - possibly the loss of Renaud Ecalle has affected them more than we might think.

Tomorrow, the 4 minute freestyle, with some big names flying in: Ramond Alonso, Jurgis Kairys, Hannes Arch. Also flying are Rob Holland, Ivanoff, Marmy, Steinbach and Vazeille.

WAC Day9

2011-09-09T19:56:00.001+10:00

The final seven have flown. The re-fly's went first. Victor Chmal had a solid flight, but Tom Cassels' problems reoccurred and he again landed and went to the technical area. I doubt he will fly again, but this has not been confirmed.
next up was Oleg S. and it was a neat flight, though I missed some figures. Gerald in the Sbach flew well, Eric V. said he had some errors, the greatest being overflicking the 3/4 flick on the starting figure, as did many who came in with heaps of smash.

Svetlana flew impeccably, and very low, and no doubt will regain her WC status. Francois leVot again flew a very measured and correct sequence, and will hold his position near the top. Unfortunately for Phillipp S. he 1/2 flicked the start figure instead of 3/4, but recovered and flew on well. The zero will drop him down the table. We will have to wait until scores are posted.

WAC Day 8

2011-09-09T05:32:00.000+10:00

Day 7 was a rest day and the organisers put on a trip to the Italian Air Force Museum in the morning and Trevi on the way back. The family and I went to Siena, Florence and San Gimignamo instead. Tuscany in a day, as Annette says!

From the SA Team....thanks guys! Just wait 'til the World Cup

Again, the weather fine and beaut for flying with 37 pilots to get through, plus the warm-ups. The remaining top 75% of pilots were again split into three groups, with the lowest ranked group flying first, so they got the cool of the day.
Mike Vaknin flew the 300S around cleanly but had to start quite high.   Jeff Bourbon and Goody Thomas both flew neat sequences in the 330SC.   The Sukhoi's seemed to struggle and didn't impress, until Mikhail Mamistov had his turn, and it was a precise and impressive flight deserving of the score.   Tamas Illes in the Edge 540T flew well, again. The aircraft is ugly on the ground but presents well airborne and has plenty of performance.   As do the MXS-RH and Edge 540 of Rob Holland and Nicholas Ivanoff, respectively.   The MXS has gained the close attention of the French and others, with it's clean lines and obviously greater performance than the stock 330SC.   Rob flew well only suffering with scores due to over-flicking the first figure, the same error Ivanoff made on the same figure, but 2nd in his sequence.   Late in the day Olivier Masurel and Castor Fantoba flew impressive sequences. The two CAP-232 left in the competition both have -580 engines.   And Castor is one of those pilots who just looks at home in his aircraft.
Some drama occurred when Tom Cassels had a problem and landed prematurely.   Similarly Victor Chmal had engine problems and landed safely, his aircraft now out of the comp.   Both will re-fly tomorrow morning, along with the five pilots who did not get to fly today. Yes, we didn't get finished as the judges were tired and called a stop after Castor's flight.   Additional factors no doubt were that two of the Russian pilots needed an aircraft change after the U/S of 'their' Sukhoi, so were entitled to a limited test flight in their new aircraft, which they did this evening.   So fitting this all in today was not possible.
So, to fly in the morning are: Oleg Shpolyansky, Gerald Cooper, Francois leVot, Phillipp Steinbach, Svetlana Kapinina, Victor Chmal (re-fly) and Tom Cassels (re-fly).   An interesting morning.

WAC Day6

2011-09-08T05:29:00.000+10:00

We watched the first group fly the 1st Free Unknown yesterday morning.   Some very good flying, a credit to the pilots.   Conditions were about perfect.   To us at the tents the standout flights were Nicholas Ivanov in the Edge 540 and Mikhail Mamistov in the Sukhoi 26M3.   I missed some Olivier Masurel's flight (CAP-232), but he obviously continued on his form from the Free. Ivanoff's flight was such that the pilots applauded him as he walked back past the tents after the flight.   He flew with speed, accuracy and energy, and right in front of the judges - a great flight.   Francois Levot also flew very impressively - a very measured and correct performance.   Full scores are up on the results page for viewing.
After flying was over the Spanish did their paola and sangria thing, which was much appreciated.   Unfortunately I had family commitments also, or I could have settled in for a while longer.
Tomorrow Groups II and I will fly the 2nd Free Unknown.   Another complex sequence ( see earlier post for link to sequence diagrams) that will be a test for all.   The French and Russian designs are smart, both using a linking figure to commence the sequence. That said, I think the Czech sequence is the best, it will be ineteresting to see which sequences the pilot's choose to fly.

WAC Day5-6

2011-09-06T17:20:00.002+10:00

Day 5 we had a few raindrops and we stopped flying for it to clear.   That afternoon we got one flight in and then it stormed, shutting everything down.   Everyone pitched in to secure aircraft and tents and no damage was done, but no more flying took place.   At this point we were only halfway through the third group of pilots. Yesterday briefing was slid until 1030 due forecast unsuitable weather early, but of course it was fine!   Then we flew the two warm-up pilots, one competition flight, and then the judges video camera broke.   So it seemed like the wheels were starting to fall off and the good lead on the schedule we had built up was slipping away.    After the obligatory 2-hour lunch, we started flying (with a warm-up pilot! - the by now Known Unknown). The we got down to business and flew the remaining Group III and all of Group II. Results are now up on the civa-results page.
The temperature yesterday after the change was appreciably cooler and aircraft performance was noticeably increased. Mike Vaknin, the USA pilot in the hired Extra, flew a very neat Unknown.   Vittorio also got the knife around without a break, but did not do as well.   The scores tally with what we saw, but the 'cheats' on the b-axis from our view point are quite apparent.   These are the tricks we need to learn - cross-box positioning figures are a luxury in many cases.   Using all your opportunities to correct for wind or position figures for the best viewing by the judges is the key to success.   Oftentimes the highest K figure on the sheet is positioning.   Another feature of the top scores is energy.   Flying with panache and speed, without sacrificing accuracy.
All the Free's and Unknowns sequences are available from the WAC website at
http://www.wac2011.it/wac2011eng/?page_id=24After flying last night the Czech's hosted beer and nibblies, after flying today the Spanish not-the-Spanish-Team is hosting.
Today it is cool and clear, light northerlies forecast, so the direction of flight is opposite what it has been.    The plan is to fly all Group I today, then stop and have tomorrow off before the 2nd Free Unknown.   Also, it has been briefed that only one warm-up pilot will fly - the Russian - and the French are not happy!
The 25% cut after Programmes 1 and 2 looks like being enforced, so 11 pilots will be dropped.   Paul has 7 behind him, Richard only two, so it is unlikely we will go through unless there are is some absolute carnage today, which seems unlikely.

WACDay4

2011-09-04T20:34:00.001+10:00

Overcast and cool this morning with haze.   Pleasant temperature and smooth air, for a change.   Richard flew first after the warm-up pilots and unfortunately zeroed figure 7 and had to break.   The rest of his flying was fairly neat and scoreable, with some axis errors.   Due to the poor horizon and starting altitude needed, orientation was difficult, he said.
Paul flew sixth and made it around OK, his flying improving through the sequence.   He managed to work down to the front of the box, but was out on the downwind side a couple of times.
No scores up yet, so we will wait and see.   Other pilots in our group have zeroed some figures and a SA in the MXS had to break also.

We have worked with the Swiss to design the 2nd Unknown, and have submitted it to the Jury. Whether we get to fly it remains to be seen.

WACDay3

2011-09-04T05:14:00.001+10:00

Rich and Paul did not have to fly today, so took it easy and watched some of the other groups fly, or lounged by the pool at the hotel.   Still very warm, and hazy, which affected the performance of aircraft and pilots noticeably.
We submitted our Free Unknown sequence for vetting at 0900.   By 1030 all the Free Unknowns had been juried and posted for viewing.   After some assistance from Coco Bessier, Sergei Rakhmanin and Alan Cassidy - we chose to fly the Russian sequence rather than our own! See above.   Rich is first up tomorrow after the warm-up pilots, and the third group should all fly before lunch..
We watched all of the top group fly their Frees this afternoon.   The full results are up, so go and have look at civa-results.com.   Rich and I thought Mamistov, Shpolyansky, Kapanina (apart from her roller), Ivanov, Masurel and Cassels flew very well.   Many struggled with altitude in the heat we thought and this spoiled some figures.   The design of some Frees were also 'challenging' we thought. - not what was needed on a performance-sapping day.   It was a pleasure to see the older CAP-232 flown well around a sequence, and they still seem to appear very good flicking machines.

So, we need to be in the top 75% after the Unknown to go through to the 2nd unknown. It will be a challenge, but we'll give it a shot.

WACDay2.2

2011-09-03T15:55:00.001+10:00

Both Paul and Rich flew the Free last evening. Rich ~66%, Paul ~64%. The first group of pilots completed the Free and scores are posted. Will see whether the Jury enforce the cut or not.
We designed our Unknown submission last night, I'll put it in at brief this morning. The guys will have a day off, maybe watch some flying this arvo - the top group. Then tonight design the second Unknown.

WACDay2.1

2011-09-03T00:26:00.003+10:00

Just had the Unknown submission meeting - all good fun, just like at home. You put up a figure and the french shout 'non,non' at you..... Not quite that bad, but some preparation is essential, which we had done fortunately.

Due to less than ten 'teams' here, the remaining competitors/countries drew lots to submit a figure, then the ten drew lots again for order of figure submission. We got to submit the 8th figure for the first free unknown, but missed out on the 2nd Free Unknown. However, Vittorio, the Italian we share the aircraft with made it, so we worked together to submit a figure we could reasonably fly in the 300S and deny others an option, for the 2nd unknown also - the 5th. (we did both Unknown figures at the same briefing).
The first Unknown figures are shown. Tonight we will draw some sequences over a birra grande or two!

WACDay2

2011-09-03T00:13:00.001+10:00

Another fine day in Foligno. Serious discussion has taken place regarding moving the Oz Nats here....?

Flying recommenced on the Q programme, and that was done by lunch. Standout flights were Nicolas Ivanoff, Mikhail Mamistov and Tom Cassells. Final scores for the Q are out, and unfortunately we are in the last group of three. This means both Rich and Paul will fly their Free this arvo, and the warm-up pilot is out right now. The judges are south, direction of flight to the west.

Day1.2

2011-09-02T00:41:00.003+10:00

Paul flew a little while ago and was pretty neat. Provisional scores just out - 62.94%. Wind and temp had picked up this afternoon and some top pilots were pushed to the back downwind corner of the box. Paul coped better than many with the changed conditions.
More Russians flew and some of the US team. Plenty of smash but rushed with some of them. Rob Holland flew very well, I thought, and right in front of the judges. Check the civa-results page for all the scores and links to the individual score details.
So, both our pilots have qualified and now on to the Free, probably Saturday.

WACDay1.1

2011-09-01T22:51:00.005+10:00

We're off and running! Richard flew his Q and did well, no donuts and a provisional score of 66.14%. Some good flying, the French warm-up pilot Francois Rolet, was one of the best! Castor was neat, as was Aude Lemordant. Surprise leader thus far is Svetlana Kapanina with 77% - we didn't think it looked like that, however, we weren't on the judging line.
Just starting after lunch break, with judges moving to the West of the box. Paul flies 3rd.

WAC Day 1/2

2011-09-01T18:06:00.007+10:00

Pilot briefing yesterday was longish and hot in a steel hangar. Not much different to ours, and then the draw. Richard drew 8th and Paul 16th, amended to 6 and 16th today due the American in the Extra drawing 11. Rich will follow Castor Fantoba, and Paul is bracketted by Jeff Bourbon (USA) and Victor Chmal(RU) - nothing like diving in the deep end!
The opening ceremony last night was in the centre of Foligno, Piazza Repubblica(sp?) with all the local dignatories and officials, as well as local drum band and flag tossers. Culturally significant to the locals, not sure how it all fits in though.
The organisers have done an excellent job publicising the event to the locals and getting their support. Very important considering we are flying right next to houses as the airfield is surrounded by built up areas. Some new houses are actually within or on the boundary of the box, luckily unoccupied at present.
We led the 'march' up the sreet to the officials podium, teams in alphabetical order. Like a centipede with two left feet, though the french tried to call the time! Then the speeches, drummers/flags throwers and then dinner in the 800y.o. stone and fresco 'community centre'. many pilots were keen to depart to prepare for the Q, but others stayed until late.
Thursday a.m. here now, the warm-pilots have just flown, awaiting the first Q flight - Yoshi Moruya in an Sbach 342. The boys are walking through the Q, again.

WAC Day 0

2011-08-31T21:13:00.007+10:00

Wended my way down to Foligno Aeroporto this morning to catch up with the guys. Both Rich and Paul flew early in the box - the first time they had while still cool. Both looked comfortable and flew well. The 300S with 4-blade prop isn't as fast as Paul's but seems to hang on and accelerate from slow speeds better. The different spades means aileron feel is different also - a case of adapting it seems. The South African's said the same regarding flying Rob Holland's MXS vs. their MX2's.
Needless to say there is an enviable collection of hardware parked about: several 330SC, an LT, a couple of CAPs and a surprising number of Sbach, as well as the Sukhoi variations.
Watched a little flying apart from our guys, and the difference from the top to the rest is apparent. Very interesting to see how some do their thing.
Lodged the Free and registered. Met quite a few people, most very friendly, all focussed on getting organised and enjoying the event. Pilot briefing at 1630 and then opening ceremony at 2000 tonight.

WAC Training Terni

2011-08-29T05:24:00.008+10:00

I'm still on the Grand Tour of Italy, but have been in contact with Paul and Richard

via text and skype this morning.

Temperatures in Italy have been pretty warm, with 38-40C in Rome and the lowland

areas. Hopefully it will be cooler north at Foligno for the comp.   Weather has been

fantastic though, with very little cloud and light winds only.

The Team is flying regularly and yesterday had a practice in the  competition box at

Foligno.   Word is the box layout is OK from an orientation viewpoint.   The training

airfield,Terni, is a tight runway and the surrounds are very hilly with few good

horizons.   The rented Extra is running OK, but doesn't seem to have the performance

of Paul's 300S.  The 4 blade prop and small spades make it handle and accelerate

differently, but the boys are adapting and compensating. The US Team and the South

Africans are also at Terni, and Rich and Paul have been assisting in some of their

maintenance issues.   Generally a good bunch, with Rob Holland showing the way in

freestyle mode flying his MXS-RH.   The SA Team, sharing the MXS-RH, have strugggled

a little with the aft CG Rob has set up. Today's plan was another run in the Foligno

box, and general airwork.

The Russians have had some technical issues which grounded them, thus freeing up box

slots.   Rumour has it that the French were grounded after upsetting the locals at

their training field. Training will continue until Wednesday, with the opening

ceremony that night, competition starting the next day. Be sure to follow this blog,

as the primary means of communication, with key info being repeated on the AAC FB

page and AAC website.

Looking forward to it!

WAC 2011 Foligno, Italy

2011-08-19T18:40:00.013+10:00

I ducked down to Tocumwal, the training site for our Team, last Tuesday. It is a great flying location with Lee Gordon-Brown's beaut hangar made available, a box marked on the airfield, and little traffic. The crossed runways, 09/27 and 18/36, might be taking it too far in the easy direction though!

Paul's Asset Insure Extra 300S hasn't missed a beat during training and was neat and shiny. Coincidentally, the 300S the boys are using in Italy is only one serial number different, so hopefully it will fly the same.
As it was the first day back after a few days off, Paul and Richard began by flying the Q. Certainly both looked sharp and the intensive training with critique and video assistance has paid dividends. After lunch at the local bakery it was Free time, with some further tweaks to the sequence being tried out.

An unfortunate occurrrence due to the regular training at Toc were a couple of noise complaints - considering most days were ony 4 flights of 15 minutes each or so, everyone was a little surprised! Most satisfying was that many other locals came out in strong support for us. In fact, one lady started a petition and walked the streets doorknocking for signatures! Thanks Tracy. We handed the petition to the Berrigan Shire Councillors the next day as part of our, or more correctly Paul's, address to them on the activities. We showed them a cockpit video and explained some of what we are about, and they expressed support provided there weren't any legal ramifications from the EPA.

Rain moved in on Tuesday night, and Wednesday was unflyable. After the obligatory several coffee's, council meeting and visit to the bakery, Paul departed for Melbourne to fly out on Friday. Rich and I held until 1430, and when there was no chance of me flying out for home he offerred to drive via my place to Sydney. Thanks a lot Rich.

So now we soon depart for the 26th WAC at Foligno, keen to experience this great sport at the highest level. It will be a great learning experience to see the best aerobatic pilots doing their thing!

Check out the boys on the WIN news WIN, and Paul pushing his way around an Unknown UNK .

Make this your homepage for the duration of the Championships, and follow the action.

The Plan

2011-07-24T21:26:00.005+10:00

I’ve had a few enquiries about where the new (2011/12) Known sequences are for Graduate, Sportsman and Intermediate grades. I’ve talked this through with many people, so sort of assumed everyone knew of our plans. Obviously not, as I’ve been reminded, so this is as good a time as any to describe the new annual workcycle and other changes we are making to the Club, and why.

The annual programme is the first item to tackle. A Cohesive Competition Season is the aim, so the new competition season will run as follows:

Feb/Mar – Victorian Championships

April – NSW Championships

June – QLD Championships

Sep – SA Championships

Oct/Nov - Australian Championships

Why? Because people tend to think and plan in calendar years. Think New Year’s Resolutions etc. With a competition season that starts in Jan/Feb with the Vic Champs and finishes in Oct/Nov with the Nationals, our season is well defined annually and something members can commit to for each year.

Skills can be refined through the competition year with the objective of peaking for the Nationals. This applies to both pilots and ground staff. This altered season also ties in nicely with the international schedule. After our Nationals an Australian Team will have 8 months to train, organise a coach, sponsorship, find or ship aircraft etc. prior to the relevant World Championships.

Rules: The CIVA rules are amended at the end of the year. We (the AAC) also usually amend our rules at this time. So now we will have a series of State Championships to learn, apply, and bed-down any new changes before the Nationals. This will remove a lot of the pressure of getting judges up to speed with recent changes and having the Nationals bearing down on us. (Note: we are currently doing a major revision of the AAC Regulations for release in 2012, until then 2010 Regs will be used with Supplementary Rules as appropriate).

Sequences: CIVA issues the new ‘Q’ sequences at the same time as the amended rules, for Advanced and Unlimited. We can now do the same – Known sequences will come out with the amended AAC Rules, and we’ll fly the same sequences all through the calendar year. Also, to eliminate committee time spent on Known sequence discussions, and to negate accusations of bracket-creep (either up or down), we will rotate Knowns from a pool of past-flown sequences. (Note: We will continue to fly 2010 Knowns for the rest of this year).

Other Embellishments

Presentation Dinner: This will be held after the Nationals, as usual, and can now be a celebration of the whole competition year. The Australian Team can be announced, the location of the next Nationals, and of course the hardware handed out. A true occasion.

Yearbook/Magazine: To complement the year’s activities an annual yearbook-style magazine can be produced. Complete results for all the domestic competitions as well as Team results from overseas, along with articles and pictures, to serve as a historical document of the Club’s activities complementing the website. Publish it for release and sale at the Showcase - see below.

Public Showcase: Competition aerobatics lacks public exposure – fact. Many beers have been drunk while discussing this topic. I don’t think it can be changed, and don’t think it needs to. Maybe I’ll write my views on this later. For now though, let’s envisage a day where we showcase the Australian Aerobatic Team to the public, media and potential sponsors (when - Australia Day?). An Australian Team going to a World Championship hopefully has some pull and we can use it to fundraise and gain a little exposure that we can leverage into a little sponsorship.

Annual General Meeting: Traditionally has been held at Easter prior to the Nationals, and should be held within 3 months of the end of our financial year (Dec 31). I suggest it now be held along with the Showcase. Get the new Committee on deck early in the year so they have time to plan following events, particularly the Nationals.

Something to chew on.

Some Thoughts

2011-07-24T20:16:00.005+10:00

Since taking the reins of the AAC the new Committee has decided on many things that will alter the way we do things. You may ask, 'what is their motivation?'

Our simple objective is to increase the participation rate in the Club, and grow the sport of aerobatics in this country. To this end we must keep trying to remove impediments to people joining the Club and being active. Along with attracting new members, we must make participating in Club activities a desirable thing for people to do. Only through increasing the membership and the participation rate of all members can we hope to address the recurring issue of lack of Judges and skilled ground staff at Club events. Chugging along as we have been doing won’t change things, no matter what we write in the rulebook. Same as ‘doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result’ story.

I am also fully aware that the Club runs on volunteer labour. You can’t demand things, and people only have so much spare time and energy they can contribute to the Club. Eventually everyone’s enthusiasm wanes and/or other activities in their life take priority. This is normal and nothing to be ashamed of – life happens whether you are ready or not.

Therefore, as a Club, we must utilise people effectively while they are enthused, and value their contribution. Simply, we must be efficient in how we employ people so that goals are achieved while the enthusiasm lasts. If people feel they have achieved something, then they are more likely to stay involved longer. If we burn people out and squander their enthusiasm without any gain, then they leave deflated and with no sense of accomplishment or reward. To be efficient we must simplify some things, shorten the process, spread the load, so that the objective is reached with VFR reserves still in the tank.

Everything we do I test against that objective - enthuse people, increase participation, remove impediments, simplify, progress.

So, the secret is out. World domination didn't make the final list (maybe next year....)

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

2011-03-03T21:12:00.008+11:00

The Giles G-200 was going well last year. No squawks, all sorted, going really well. I flew the NSW Champs at Temora and immediately afterward went to Tamworth and got my Unlimited LLP with the CASA-man. Full steam ahead for a solid summer of training with a view of maybe moving up to Unlimited in 2011.

But, the A$ was so strong - what could I buy? I HAD to take advantage of it. So I ordered a Sky-Dynamics sump, cold air intake and 4-1 exhaust. I didn't NEED any of this, the 'plane had more performance than I could currently use, my only concern on occasion was oil pressure drops. Regardless, off went the money and in due course it all arrived. Merry Xmas to me..
In between harvest and New Year I fitted it all up, changing some cable runs and oil cooler hoses etc, all with the goal of less weight and less complexity. I was really happy with the finished job - neat, sanitary, light and simple! There was only one problem - it ran like crap. Rough, some cylinders lean, some rich. At WOT it felt like two cylinders dropped out altogether. Horrible it was, really bad. And it was hotter. Oil temps had always been marginal, now they were over redline after a sequence on a warm day.

I tried to sort the problems, but nothing really helped. I suspect oil temps were up due to the loss of cooling from the fuel/air mixture going through the sump, and maybe a hot cylinder or two.
The cold-air intake with no plenum, no heat from the oil and sharp bends to the intake tubes just would not play nicely with the Ellison TBI I'd used with success up to then.
So what do I do now? Put it back to original? I'd trashed my old inverted oil lines to make the new ones. I'd spent the money....and the exchange rate is so good, right? So.........
I investigated fuel injection options and ordered an Airflow-Performance FM-150. Delivery will be six weeks....what! So much for Summer training.

Eventually it arrived, after only three weeks, and I started installation. Not as straghtforward as you would like. Due to the previous mixture conniptions, I'd bought and installed a 4-channell EGT gauge. I also had to change the low-pressure electric boost pump (Facet - simple cheap type) for a high-pressure one (Weldon - heavy, dear). Luckily I had the old one that was in the airframe when I bought it. The engine driven fuel pump also needed changing for a high-pressure type. More $$ and a bastard to change with the engine on.
And, surprisingly (or maybe not, it is an aircraft after all...) the servo orientation was limited by the Sky-Dynamics intake support struts, making the throttle and mixture cable runs more difficult, and putting the fuel supply and outlet ports in less-than-optimum positions. I thought being in neighbouring US States and this being a 'typical' acro combination, it would fit up sensibly.
Solution - simple, drive to Sydney (400km one way) and purchase special hose fittings to do what I needed.

Finally it is all on, and ground runs are complete. Seems to run OK. Not as tidy an install as the Ellison, and substantially heavier. I haven't weighed it yet, but it won't be sub-900lb as it was before. And the CG will be further forward.
So for my $X,0000 I got a heavier, less balanced aircraft! Maybe, hopefully, I gained a few HP and guaranteed oil pressure in all attitudes.

Somehow, I think my $$ would have been better spent on avgas. So, next time - if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Postscript: So far two test flights and some gentle aeros. The A-P FI is doing as it should, only the idle needs adjusting up a little. EGT's mid 1200's at WOT leaning to mid-1400's before power goes down (my probes are 6-7" from exhaust flange). 25-30F max. EGT spread most of the time. The trim has changed, as expected. Time to boogie!

MX Aircraft

2010-03-04T08:52:00.013+11:00

Well, it has been an interesting week or so at the MX Aircraft factory, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina USA. The company builds two aircraft, the two-seat MX-2 and the single-seat MXS. The race aircraft, called an MXS-R, is essentially a cosmetic development of the MXS.

The MX2 came first, derived from the Giles G-202, in the early noughties. Then the MXS came along by eliminating the front seat and shortening the fuselage. The power plant used in both models is the parallel-valve IO-540 Lycoming. MXS-R differences that can be seen are a revised cowling with circular inlets. Some also have shortened ailerons by 15-20 inches inboard to decrease roll sensitivity, drag, and improve the lift capability of the wing. Many individual smaller mods can be incorporated at the request of the customer, and as only 10 MXS's have been built thus far, they all tend to be a little different in detail. Once the aircraft is accepted by the customer they typically undergo further non-structural modification and tuning for racing. The aircraft are registered in the Experimental-Exhibition/Air Racing category, and all have been kept on the US N-registry thus far.

The structure is predominantly carbon/epoxy pre-preg vacuum bagged and oven cured. Wet-layup has been almost eliminated, as has e-glass panels, particularly on the race planes. Moulded sections are bonded together with structural adhesive and hard points incorporated for the bolted connections. The design's ultimate load is 24g, and apparently 15g has been experienced in flight! MXS-R VNE=250KTS, VA=180KTS. Continued refinement during construction has resulted in significant weight savings, resulting in MXS-R weights below the RBAR minimum, so teams now have to add ballast.

Obviously the performance of the aircraft is outstanding, but teams are mute when discussing the ultimate figures! S&L speeds in excess of 220KIAS are now common, as are extremely short take-offs. Stall speed is mid-fifties, and 25"MAP/2500rpm yielded ~200KIAS @ 3000ft in Alex McLean's old MXS-R without wheel pants and definitely not in race trim. Controls were powerful while not being unduly sensitive. Roll rate was adequate. The wing was outstanding being very forgiving with no sign of tip-stall despite provocation during rolling circles. Positive snaps were fast and the break rapid at normal speeds. More time would be needed to fully investigate, and exploit, the capabilities of this aircraft.

2010-02-28T23:36:00.002+11:00

Well, here I am in North Carolina. While not completely aerobatic related, some comments on the trip over.

I left Sydney at 1525 on a United 747-400 and flew direct to LAX. 13hrs, FL310-FL350. Then switched to an A321 for the LAX-Charlotte leg of 4.5 hours. In the process I crossed an ocean and a continent. The last time I came this way was by C-130E Hercules in 1990. Terry Barker was the Captain and I was a young co-pilot, and the trip was a little different!

The E-model Herc cruised at a stately 280KTAS between the high teens to mid twenties, its 3700shp Allison T56-A7 engines sipping 4000lb of fuel per hour. With 62920lb of fuel, we could go a fair way. But like all aircraft, with an empty weight of near 80,000lb and a peacetime gross of 155,000lb, when loaded with fuel the payload was limited. I flew with fuel fuel and negligible payload just once, Richmond to Cocos Island, 14.something hours (we had a headwind). It's another story, but we were flogging into headwinds down at FL140 when a Gulfstream IV called up going the other way at FL450 with a huge tailwind. Ouch.

Back to the trip East though. First leg was Richmond to Pago pago, American Samoa 7.8hrs. Stay overnight. Then Pago to Hickam Field (aka Honolulu International Airport) 8.4hrs. Rest day in Hawaiii (as you do!). Then Hickam-Travis (just NE of San Francisco) 8.2hrs. Rest day. Then from Hickam across the US to Nova Scotia in Canada (CYZX - the name escapes me, Grrenwood? A P-3/Aurora had a disaster there once). Trip time 8.0hrs. I remember the approach there because it was my leg, we arrived at night and the weather was atrocious. Unfamiliar field, instrument approach, and hills about had my full attention. Rest day, load up, and return. Total flight time 24hrs, compared to 17.5 by Jumbo. Not bad I guess, but I must say doing it by Herc was more of an adventure and a tad more leisurely!

Free Hints

2010-01-30T20:01:00.005+11:00

Remember, the following is worth exactly what you paid for it...

It's a new year and many aerobatic competitors will be waxing their machines and making the big decision to move up a category this year. The change in category may well involve the need or desire to fly a Free programme. This will be a new experience for many and will pose some questions as how best to do it?

No matter which category you fly in, some basic principles of Free design apply, if winning is your objective! If your desire is to blow the judges socks off with your aerial artistry and huge cohunas, then you don't need to read any further.

You need to start with the maximum K and number of figures allowed for your category (Sportsman- same K as Known/15 figures, Intermediate - 220K/15 figures, Advanced - 300K/12 figures, Unlimited - 420K/9 figures). From this you can calculate the average K per figure. Then you can start drawing figures that approximate this K value. Why do we do this? How boring!

First up, if you have a sequence that is less than your allowed maximum K, you are giving away points. Second, if you bomb one figure, it's Ok if it is a low K figure. But Murphy is active in aerobatics, so when you fly it won't be...so keep near the average K to minimise the damage. Of course you want to show off your skills and aircraft to advantage, so by all means include figures that you like and fly well.

An excellent guide to Free design is on the IAC Chapter 38 website http://www.iac38.org/sequences/freetips.htm It has lots of good tips that will minimize the risk of failure, so I won't repeat them all here. Have a read and come back.

Again, it appears pretty boring initially, but competitive aerobatics is all about dodging the donuts! You will be surprised, however, at the skill required to design a top-notch Free that meets all the criteria. By all means get some help from senior competitors in the early stages. And get them to vet your efforts so you can refine it with their hard earned experience.

One IAC Chapter 38 tip I don't wholly agree with is starting at Mach 2 with a killer figure. Again, nice if you pull it off, but if you don't it looks real bad. And it will mar the judges' appreciation of the rest of the sequence. Also, if the judges are asleep or a bit slow and miss part of the first figure an 'Average' mark is going to be poor reward for the and risk. I'd suggest starting with a solid conventional figure to get the judges started thinking 'this guy is crisp', and then build on it. The good first impression should then carry over to the rest of your sequence.

Chapter 38's final note on the development of a 'Californian Free - style' is pertinent, and it may fit your Free rather than the conventional centrebox figure and a turnaround figure at each end. Particularly if you have a fast monoplane and fly big figures. A further development of this that I have noted at International competitions are Free sequences that effectively have all the figures centrebox! How can this be? By flying 'N' and Super-eight type figures that include the turnaround in them. Even P-loops can have this characteristic, and no doubt other figures. The sequence can flow from one figure to the next and never take an excursion to the extremities of the box! The French and Russians are particularly adept at this.

Study and collect Frees from competitions you attend. It will help you develop better ones of your own. Remember though that how Frees are judged does vary with region. So this may be a consideration if you are aware of what certain judges like. A simple rule is you don't want to challenge the judges ability to appreciate what they are seeing. This may lead to a simpler and less satisfying Free to fly, but if a judge cannot keep up you probably won't pull a good score. Not all judges are created equal or perfect - cest la vie.

You'll be surprised how by the end of the season your Free will have morphed into something greater than the original, and how you fly it will bear no resemblance to your early attempts! Most of all, remember to enjoy the journey,

Money For Nothing?

2010-01-10T19:31:00.005+11:00

Money for Nothing? Dire Straits? What am I so pessimistic about? It's the time of year when AAC memberships fall due, apart from the Vic Chapter which I believe renew in July. So, what are the membership options I mentioned in the previous blog? The NSW Chapter brought in Associate and Corporate Memberships when we changed to an Incorporated Association in 2008.

Corporate Membership is for commercial organisations that wish to be associated with the NSW Chapter and Aerobatics. It is NOT de-facto sponsorship. Flying schools or any commercial organsition may wish to join this way. Membership allows their employees or members to attend and take part in one NSW Chapter event.

Associate Membership currently costs $35 dollars and is aimed at non-flying members, particularly the spouse/partner or family member of an active member. We recognise that not all people want or need full membership, and this is a slightly cheaper option for them. But, significantly, it acknowledges that without the support and assistance of family and friends it would be very difficult to run Club events.

Full Membership of the NSW Chapter is just that. For $38 you join the Chapter, get full voting rights and can participate in all Chapter events, including the annual NSW State Championships. You may also be able to participate in other non-NSW Chapter events, depending on their local rules. You do not have to join the AAC itself.

We can't neglect the option of joining the national AAC organisation. As well as the Chapter fee (NSW-$38, Vic-$35,QLD-$70,SA-%35)there is $50 for AAC subs, $12 for an FAI licence, and if a new member a $25 joining fee. $125 total for a new member joining the NSW Chapter;$100 for a renewing member!

So, what do you get for your money? The larger Chapters provide regular training opportunities where you can get coaching and critique. They may also run judge training and social events to attract new members or entertain old ones. NSW has scheduled three mini-comps amongst the regular monthly training days/weekends at Cowra in addition to the 2010 NSW State Champs. We aim to provide a social focus for members, while also getting valuable training, and also to attract new members so we can grow the sport. That $38 works pretty hard!

2010 Welcome

2010-01-04T11:06:00.003+11:00

It's been a quiet time since the 2009 Championships, R & R for aerobatic types until the new season starts. Your committee has been pottering along and those deserving of trophies and plaques should all have had them to put under your tree or in your stocking!

The NSW Annual General Meeting is to be held at 6p.m. on the 5th February (note change of date to 21 Feb)at Bankstown, probably at Red Baron HQ. Details will be advised later, but please keep an hour or so free on the day and come along. We plan a static display of aerobatic aircraft and a presentation on the Sport of Aerobatics aimed at the uninitiated. Watch the website nsw.aerobatics.asn.au
for associated info.

Memberships are also due - go to the website and download the application form from the membership page, or renew at the AGM. I'll write a bit more on membership options soon.

The Giles G-200 pieces are slowly coalescing, and flight should not be far away. Lets all wish and work for a safe and enjoyable 2010.

2009 NSW Champs Pics (thanks Kaos et al)

2009-11-06T17:56:00.001+11:00

NSW Champs Trophy Presentation

2009-11-05T12:49:00.009+11:00

No, it wasn't a black tie dinner event televised live with red carpet and paparazzi etc. To give you some idea, my 11y.o. son was the official photographer, thus some fuzziness, and the venue was the Temora Aero Club after the flying, sweat and all!

Graduate pilots Ben Brazier (1st) and Matt Robert (2nd). Just like it should be at kindy, everyone went home with a ribbon!

I don't have a group Sportsman shot, as we presented them Sunday night after they had finished all programmes in case some needed to leave to work Monday (Graduate presentation was held over due to a computer glitch Sunday - fat farmer fingers....). Rob Noonan (1st, pictured with Bryscen Teape-Davis Best and Fairest trophy) also scooped the highest % award (82.84%). Dan O'Donnell was 2nd and David Foord 3rd.

Intermediate top placings were filled by excuse-finding should-be Advanced pilots! Next year you milk-drinkers will be made fly in tutus if you stay in Intermediate. Jeremy Miller 1st, Guy Hanby 2nd and John Lee 3rd.

Advanced was a full field with some newcomers to the category who did very well, as well as established players. Tony Blair 1st, Russell Bell 2nd and David Clemence 3rd.

It was good to have an Unlimited field this year at the NSW Champs. They had a fair crack at some tough world-class sequences. Richard Wiltshire 1st, Glenn Graham 2nd and Paul Bennet 3rd.

NSW Champs Results

2009-11-03T08:51:00.005+11:00

Hi all, just a quick one with more detail to follow when time permits.

34 competing pilots,
110 flights launched in 2.5 days,
no wx delays,
no technical or safety incidents.

Rob Noonan, Vic. - Highest % overall 82.84% Sportsman
BTP Memorial Best and Fairest - Rob Noonan, Vic.
Teams Trophy - NSW 14 points, Vic 7 Points, Qld 3 points, WA 3 points.
Unlimited - Richard Wiltshire, NSW.
Advanced - Tony Blair, NSW.
Intermediate - Jeremy Miller, WA.
Sportsman - Rob Noonan, Vic.
Graduate - Ben Brazier, QLD.

Full results are at www.gspotaerobatics.com/results/2009/indexpage.htm
and more pics and info at www. theaussieaviator.net - thanks Glenn.

Thanks to all who participated. planned, prepared andworked to make it happen. Thanks also to X-COM and GME for their support with equipment.

More photos from Temora

2009-11-01T17:55:00.007+11:00

Michael Greig, new owner of this Giles 202, has only a few hours in this aeroplane and is already competing in Sportsman with a very decent first-time result!
Morning brief!
Guy Hanby competed in KGZ (Laser):
Starter, Cam McDonald did a great job of getting competitors on the starting line:

Pics from Day 1 of 2009 NSW Aerobatic Championship, Temora NSW

2009-11-01T17:15:00.008+11:00

Joel Haski and XRB (Extra 200) - flown in Advanced by both Joel Haski and Laurent Lamy:Glenn Graham and Paul Bennet competed in Unlimited in IPB (Pitts S-1S):
Richard Wiltshire competed in Unlimited in his DR-107 :
Mark McNichol from NSW competed in his Edge 540S in Sportsman (leading at last count!):
Paul Monoghan's YMP (Pitts S-1S) competing in Sportsman:

Results to date

2009-11-01T14:45:00.003+11:00

Lack of available manpower has meant we can't seem to get time to blog! The Aussie Aviator has been updating the results in live from Temora today - check it out here !

2009 NSW Champs - blog 1

2009-10-31T15:15:00.003+11:00

Sorry for the delay in getting info online. Steep learning curve for many. both in the office and in the air!

A record attendance this year, 33 registered pilots and a delectable collection of machines. Categories from Graduate to Unlimited are being contested, but it will be a long days night to get all through over the weekend.

So far we have flown the Unlimite and Advanced Q, Intermediate practice and just finished working through Sportsman/Graduate practice. We should start the Unlimited Free in the next half hour.

Weather is kind with the duty thunderies staying away from the box so far, and the cloud base is high enough not to be a concern. A quick change to the judging line to the other side of the field and away we go!

Pics coming...

2009 Contest Results

2009-09-30T20:14:00.005+10:00

The International competition season is over for 2009, and once again the French and Russian teams dominated. Looking back to 2008, the European Aerobatic Championships, Mikhail Mamistov (RUS) won over Renaud Ecalle (FR) and Oleg Shpolyansky (RUS). There were, in fact, six Russians in the top ten. In the other spots were two French, one Spaniard and one British and one from the USA (H/C).

1	RUS	M	Mikhail Mamistov	SU 26M	RF00631	(3093.18)	3749.43	3641.74	7391.17	79.05
2	FRA	M	Renaud Ecalle	E 300SC	D-EXSC	(2909.44)	3731.64	3623.45	7355.09	78.66
3	RUS	M	Oleg Spolyansky	SU 26M	RF00665	(2955.70)	3698.03	3630.24	7328.27	78.38
4	RUS	F	Svetlana Kapanina	SU 26M	RF01059	(2859.87)	3717.90	3591.00	7308.90	78.17
5	RUS	F	Elena Klimovitch	SU 26M	RF00631	(2966.43)	3746.09	3561.47	7307.56	78.16
6	ESP	M	Castor Fantoba	SU 26M	EC-HPD	(2955.22)	3570.31	3589.81	7160.12	76.58
7	FRA	M	Nicolas Ivanoff	Cap 232	F-GMRG	(2833.00)	3625.91	3533.23	7159.14	76.57
H/C	USA	M	Michael Racy	SU 26M	RF00631	(2748.79)	3591.55	3546.65	7138.20	76.34
8	RUS	M	Alexanter Krotov	SU 26M	RF00665	(2892.02)	3694.22	3414.76	7108.98	76.03
9	RUS	M	Andrey Bespalov	SU 26M	RF00665	(2685.19)	3521.26	3526.38	7047.64	75.38
10	GBR	M	Tom Cassells	Cap 232	F-GOTC	(2642.92)	3503.34	3440.13	6943.47	74.26

At the truncated WAC just completed, many of the same names appeared, but this time Renaud Ecalle finished on top, in both the classic and 4 min Free. How much these results would have changed had Unknown programmes been flown? I suspect the Russians would have moved up as their Unknown performances are always strong.

1	FRA	M	Renaud Ecalle	Extra 330SC	F-TGCI	2615,18	3540,08	6155,26	78,51
2	RUS	M	Alexander Krotov	Sukhoi 26M3	RA-00665	2589,71	3362,74	5952,45	75,92
3	FRA	M	Francois Le Vot	Extra 330SC	F-TGCJ	2602,43	3344,18	5946,61	75,85
4	RUS	M	Mikhail Mamistov	Sukhoi 26M3	RA-00665	2519,26	3404,39	5923,65	75,56
5	FRA	M	Pierre Varloteaux	Extra 330SC	F-TGCJ	2520,54	3368,22	5888,76	75,11
6	RUS	M	Oleg Shpolyanskiy	Sukhoi 26M3	RA-00665	2481,39	3403,24	5884,63	75,06
7	GBR	M	Gerald Cooper	CAP 232	G-OGBR	2544,12	3325,86	5869,98	74,87
8	USA	M	Jeff Boerboon	Extra-330SC	D-EXUS	2562,02	3291,49	5853,51	74,66
9	RUS	F	Elena Klimovich	Sukhoi 26M3	RA-01059	2506,25	3344,85	5851,10	74,63
10	GBR	M	Mark Jefferies	Extra 330SC	G-IIHI	2499,67	3350,66	5850,33	74,62

The European Advanced Aerobatic Championships were held in Poland this year also. Again dominated by the Russia/FSU and France, but a Swede won!. Some people to watch in the future if they can force their way into their National Unlimited teams ahead of the established names.

1	SWE	Daniel Ryfa	Yak 55M	N-55XZ	2660,50	2886,43	3060,62	8607,54	78,11
2	RUS	Anton Berkutov	SP55	RF00916	2674,26	2850,90	3048,98	8574,14	77,81
3	FRA	Simon Fick	CAP 231	F-GVFF	2698,90	2862,64	2915,43	8476,97	76,92
4	FRA	Simon de la Breteche	CAP 231	F-GUCF	2679,33	2830,96	2953,45	8463,75	76,80
5	LTU	Eltonas Meleckis	Yak 55M	LY-AQW	2669,25	2785,47	2918,16	8372,89	75,98
6	FRA	Baptiste Vignes	CAP 231	F-GVFF	2647,50	2607,63	3085,26	8340,39	75,68
7	FRA	Julian Erhard	CAP 231	F-GDTT	2527,44	2761,33	3042,15	8330,92	75,60
8	RUS	Sergey Iliukhin	SP55	FR00916	2630,32	2674,33	2946,18	8250,82	74,87
9	RUS	Maxim Barabanov	SP55	RF00916	2520,04	2718,17	2946,41	8184,62	74,27
10	CZE	Petr Kopfstein	Sukhoi 29	OK-HXA	2589,27	2737,73	2787,54	8114,54	73,63

At the British Senior Championships Gerald Cooper had an excellent weekend in Unlimited, in a small field after the WAC effort, winning both classic and Freestyle competitions.

1	Gerald Cooper	CAP-232	G-OGBR	2827.43	3488.28	3750.22	3474.52	13540.45	72.14
2	Tom Cassells	CAP-232	F-GOTC	2719.33	3380.53	3690.74	3052.98	12843.59	68.43
3	Richard Pickin	CAP-232	G-IIRP	2416.76	3163.11	2812.46	2904.55	11296.89	60.19
4	Stephen Madle	Extra-230	G-CBUA	2278.34	2356.58	2581.86	2421.13	9637.90	51.35
5	Julian Murfitt	Extra-230	G-CBUA	1930.35	2811.24	2424.50	2449.86	9615.95	51.23

At Advanced level there was an extended list of competitors, no doubt motivated by the 2010 AWAC in Sweden. Remarkable to see two S-2As in the top 10!

1	Alan Cassidy	Pitts S-2A	G-ODDS	2130.72	2582.90	2432.62	2627.43	9773.67	72.34
2	Paul Tomlinson	Edge-360	G-ZVKO	2095.73	2607.18	2373.94	2681.00	9757.85	72.23
3	Marco Kalweit	Pitts S-2C	G-FDPS	2147.84	2576.58	2213.21	2426.66	9364.29	69.31
4	Gary Ferriman	Extra-230	G-ROMP	2122.90	2607.88	2301.68	2219.16	9251.63	68.48
5	Michael Pickin	CAP 232	G-IIRP	1744.46	2450.98	2245.63	2685.54	9126.60	67.55
6	Nick Richards	Extra-300L	D-ETTO	1931.60	2597.39	1902.77	2684.38	9116.14	67.48
7	David Jenkins	Laser Z200	G-LAZA	1979.94	2597.81	2014.16	2166.75	8758.66	64.83
8	Simon Johnson	Pitts S-1T	N-666BM	2012.43	2335.36	1999.32	2374.90	8722.01	64.56
9	Nick Wakefield	Pitts S-1T	G-WILD	1727.89	1890.68	2365.26	2734.59	8718.42	64.53
10	Cas Smith	Pitts S-2A	G-ICAS	1856.88	2453.10	1903.41	2436.38	8649.78	64.03

The US Nationals have also just wound up. Debbie Rihn-Harvey won again at Unlimited.

1	Debby Rihn Harvey	CAP 232	N232DD	2680.17	3802.57	3095.00	9577.75	80.55
2	Jeff Boerboon	Extra 330EX	N73KG	2722.22	3657.15	3157.17	9536.54	80.21
3	Zach Heffley	Sukhoi 26	N60650	2660.74	3483.44	3277.52	9421.71	79.24
4	Hubie Tolson	Sukhoi 31	N69SU	2441.54	3722.06	3087.03	9250.62	77.80
5	Mike Rinker	Sukhoi 26M	N12SU	2484.99	3678.78	2949.81	9113.58	76.65
6	Douglas Bartlett	Edge 540	N540HT	2732.74	3359.29	2864.20	8956.22	75.33
7	Hector Ramirez	Extra 300S	N429HR	2512.39	3352.16	2933.85	8798.40	74.00
8	Robert Phillips	Sukhoi 26	N926M	2465.78	3433.24	2850.09	8749.11	73.58
9	Norm DeWitt	Edge 540	N9ND	2338.35	3542.04	2853.88	8734.26	73.46
10	Wyche Coleman III	Wolfpitts Pro	N703WT	2279.09	3449.87	2970.28	8699.24	73.16

And the US Advanced comp was well fought, with a US Advanced Team picked for 2010.

1	Reinaldo Beyer	Extra 300L	N779R	1948.07	2600.87	2648.79	2851.88	10049.61	79.32
2	Ben Freelove	Extra 300L	N703KC	2062.97	2405.96	2710.15	2752.55	9931.62	78.39
3	Malcolm Pond	Edge 540	N540SA	2063.97	2522.79	2632.16	2646.28	9865.19	77.86
4	Michael Gallaway	Pitts S-1T	N991GB	1941.80	2581.92	2558.63	2637.74	9720.09	76.72
5	Bob Freeman	Giles G-200	N200GZ	2007.16	2574.20	2186.01	2889.86	9657.23	76.22
6	Robbie Gibbs	Extra 230	N230GA	1965.21	2556.07	2125.97	2912.14	9559.38	75.45
7	Doug Sowder	Extra 300L	N25AP	1978.44	2238.18	2610.12	2651.39	9478.13	74.81
8	Craig Dobesh	Pitts S1-XTC	N4477X	2065.54	2558.70	2101.54	2736.54	9462.32	74.68
9	Kelly Adams	Staudacher S300	N804Q	1947.05	2526.13	2493.20	2371.64	9338.02	73.70
10	Bryan Taylor	Giles G-202	N202NS	1971.99	2519.20	2351.32	2428.82	9271.33	73.18

Good to see those Giles' in the mix!
Interesting that Rob Holland, current Advanced World Champion, didn't compete at this US Nats. If he chooses to defend his title he may have to do so as hours concours.

It seems apparent from these results that those countries with a well established method of selecting, training and supporting their teams get the best results. France 1st, Russia 2nd, USA 3rd and UK 4th WAC 2009.

Roll-on 2010 and another EAC and AWAC.

Aerobatic Aircraft

2009-09-13T21:29:00.009+10:00

Any aerobatic aircraft will do to get started, so I won’t spend time on the basic aircraft here. Learn to fly whatever you have as well as you can, and learn the ‘craft’ of sport aerobatics on the way. There is a lot to learn. When you get to the stage of wanting/needing a more capable aircraft, then here are some options. I’ve stuck with the single-seat types as if you run an alternator and second seat you aren’t really serious....
If you have unlimited disposable income, you can skip this section!

Pitts S-1S,C,T,D: Very available at affordable prices. Lots of ‘corporate knowledge’ on how to fly one and their capabilities are well known. Flown hard they will require regular and ongoing maintenance. Four-aileron models needed for Advanced and symmetrical-section wings for Unlimited. Not truly competitive at Unlimited levels these days, but flown well on the right day can still be on the podium.

Yak-50: A classic aerobatic aircraft but getting hard to find at the right price.
‘Classic’ premium has overtaken their aerobatic price, I suspect. Can still perform well at Advanced level. Regular inspections needed on hard-flown examples.

Yak-55, 55M: Very affordable performance for the dollar, pity about the fuel and oil burn (as for Yak-50). Tight cockpit for tall pilots. Heavy ailerons and a big aircraft to push around the sky, and hangar. Good thrust to weight ratio, but drag makes them struggle at the higher levels.

SP-55: Rare but can be found at a good price on occasion. Should be competitive at Unlimited, but not in the league of the Sukhoi’s apparently.

Laser Variants: An excellent Intermediate/Advanced aircraft, though again will struggle at Unlimited. Price parallels quality of these homebuilt aircraft, and they hold their value well due to reputation and economical 4-cylinder engines.

DR-107: An excellent performing homebuilt capable of consistent Unlimited performances if built light and in the right hands. Economical to maintain and operate with good range and cruise speed to get to the next interstate competition. Can be bought for good prices in the US and imported. Buyer beware, of course. Drawback is time to build, if that is your desire.

Giles-200,202: Again, an excellent performing 4-cylinder design, unfortunately kits are no longer available new. Excellent performance for the dollar, but at the upper end of ‘affordability’ used, especially the two-seat model. Capable of Unlimited performance all day long. Excellent maintainability.

Edge-360,540S: The 360 is rare. The wire braced tail 540S turns up at a good price on occasion. The later cantilever tail model is hard to find and expensive to buy. They are very popular in the US but not used in competition elsewhere much (i.e. Europe). I think poor visibility is their weakest point compared to the European monoplanes.

Rebel, Staudacher, Hurricane et al: There were many ‘super-laser’ 6-cylinder machines produced during the 90’s in the US that can now be had for a good price. Most were conventional in construction (steel tube fuse, wire braced tail, wood/composite wings). Excellent value and Unlimited capable due to their high thrust to weight ratios, but may not have the roll-rate and handling qualities of the better respected machines.

CAP, MX, Sukhoi – go for it if you have the dosh.

Where to Begin Part IV - Advanced

2009-08-16T20:41:00.005+10:00

Advanced

The steps between grades do not get any smaller. Advanced is a big step and should not be taken lightly. A lot of preparation can and should be done while still competing at Intermediate level. This will help your Intermediate flying immensely, and lessen the (di)stress when you do decide to enter your first Advanced competition.

New figures you will need to master are: vertical down positive full and partial flicks, partial positive flicks on level and +/-45 degree lines, rolling circles (upright, inverted, inwards and outwards), inverted spins (both clockwise and counterclockwise, as viewed from above) and opposite rolls on all lines.

Oh, and a lot more pushing. Lots and lots. And then some more. A good thing to do at this stage is to fly some simple inverted stalls and reinforce in your brain exactly where the inverted stall stick position is. When you find yourself pushing out of a figure a little below your comfort altitude, you don’t want to be wondering where the inverted stall stick position is. The last thing your confidence needs at this stage is a high-speed negative flick on a down-line at low altitude. We’re not up to that part yet.

You will need to get comfortable pushing around and out of figures, and this takes time to adjust to. Talk to people, do some research, and make a plan on how you are going to approach it. Self-assess your physiological condition after negative g practice and pace your work-up based on how you feel and the signs your body gives you. When you find yourself wanting a better g meter that goes past negative 5, you’re making progress!

CIVA Section 6 will be mandatory reading – but you won’t mind (how weird are you?) and you will find an extensive list of permitted Unknown figures, and their combinations, to practice. You’ll find it hard to make petty conversation at dinner parties, and will be prone to start rap-miming pull-push-push humpties with ¾ snap down onto the b-axis while standing in queues.

Your Box-Craft and ability to handle wind in the box will need to be first-class in Advanced. Wind correction and positioning should start to become second-nature and all brain cells will need to be on duty to keep orientation, presentation and figures tidy while pushing lots of g.

Good luck! And keep smiling.

Where to Begin Part III - Intermediate

2009-08-09T18:11:00.009+10:00

Intermediate

Life starts to become a lot more interesting in Intermediate. You will need a more capable aircraft than what you may have learnt in, unless you really like to punish your mount or are already suitably equipped! You will also need to get a Low Level Permission to 1000ft AGL as the lower level for Intermediate is 1200ft.

Intermediate is a big step and should be approached methodically considering all the changes: possible new aircraft, new lower limit, new figures and coping with an Unknown sequence as well! You don’t want to max yourself out to the point safety is compromised.

Specific new figures you will have to fly are positive flicks on horizontal and +/-45 degree lines, and sustained inverted flight including inverted steep turns, and even a rolling turn on occasion. Your training sessions will have to include the Known (as it is scored in competiton, unlike in Advanced and Unlimited) and your Free sequence, as well as the permitted Unknown figures in Appendix 3 of the AAC Rule book. This is a high workload after the relative ease of Sportsman.

Once you have your head, hands and feet around most of the Intermediate stuff, it is a good time to get some extra aerobatic tuition and get signed up for inverted spinning, if you haven't already. This will give you more confidence inverted and allow you to safely start practice on some Advanced manoeuvres, lessening the step when/if you decide to move up a grade. About now you also want to start playing around with those dastardly rolling turns....

Advanced next week.

Cowra 9th August.

Beautiful weather, again, at Cowra. The aeroclub had a flying day on as well, so there were aircraft coming and going all day. Colin and I both got good training flights in, with Reggae on the radio. Some more locals also had joyflights with Colin. The BBQ was on max burner for lunch with some excellent egg and bacon rolls served up. One chap thought they were so good he had a second chew on one in the front of Colin's Extra.....

The flight home was memorable with smooth air and the low sun casting our shadows onto the wing, which Langdon used to advantage by making a dog, chicken and waterhorse silhouettes!! Excellent.

Our next weekend is the 12-13th September. We'll be having a judging seminar Saturday evening over pizza and beer (or wine, your choice).

Where to Begin Part II - Categories

2009-08-01T22:27:00.006+10:00

Once you have a spinning and aerobatic endorsements, you are able to come along to club events and fly. But which grade?

‘Entry’ Category

This category is designed for beginners with a new aerobatic endorsement. The aerobatic sequence is comprised of basic aerobatic figures you should have just been instructed in (www.aerobaticsaustralia.com.au and click 'sequences'). Any aerobatic aircraft will be able to fly the sequence, so you should practice until you are comfortable flying the sequence right through while maintaining your position over a ground feature. Coming along to Club training days are invaluable at this stage, or at any stage, to get useful feedback and tips on how to refine your flying.

After your first competition, or a few of training days, and once getting confident in handling the aircraft down to 3000ft AGL, you may want to organise getting a 1500ft AGL Low Level Permission. See the 'Links' page (on nsw.aerobatcs.asn.au) for people who can do this for you, and have a read of CAAP-155 ('Documents' page!) so you know what is required.

Graduate Category

If you have more aerobatic experience and are comfortable with aerobatics, you can kick-off in Graduate if you wish – or any level if you want to! The difficulty of the individual figures isn’t much different to Entry, just more figures in the sequence to get through.

Sportsman

Again, at first glance not much of a step from Graduate, just more figures in the sequence to practice. The big change-up is the option to fly a Free of your own design rather than the Known sequence twice in competition. The Free must be of similar standard as the Known, and have the same total ‘K’ or difficulty. This adds another facet to the sport, as now you must practice and be proficient at two sequences. And, you must design your own sequence! This is a whole new learning experience, and is a vital skill for higher grades. I'll post some thoughts on Free design later on.

Aerobatics is peculiar in that the grade you fly is not determined by the type or capability of the aircraft you have, but by the pilot. You can fly your megabuck wondership with the flame paintjob in Entry if you want to! The key thing is to fly the grade you are comfortable with and have practised, while grinning the whole time (most important). It won’t be long, with critique and competition exposure, that you will be moving up the grades and making much better use of the machine belted to your butt.

Check back for Intermediate, Advanced and Unlimited Categories next week .

So, you want to be an aerobatic pilot....,

2009-07-27T13:13:00.006+10:00

Over the next few weeks I'll be adding information relevant to aerobatics pilots, judges, and others interested in the sport. The best place to start is usually at the beginning, so off we go!

The Beginning

Like many other beginners, you probably aren’t quite sure how to go about getting involved in competition aerobatics. But, like most sports, the first thing to do is join your local club ( nsw.aerobatics.asn.au ) where you will find many like-minded people who can point you in the right direction.

The first step, if you already have a pilot licence, is to get an aerobatic endorsement. Flying schools that can do this are listed on the contacts page of our website. The syllabus and aircraft type may vary between schools, but as a minimum you will need to be able to fly the basic aerobatic manoeuvres: barrel roll, loop, slow roll, roll of the top and stall turn. You will also need a spinning endorsement, which most schools should include in their aerobatic syllabus.

Some Furphy’s you may hear:

1. ‘You need a parachute to fly aerobatics.’ This furphy arose because in the USA the International Aerobatic Club requires a parachute to be worn in their competitions (IAC also require a secondary lap belt or restraint, which is the source of the double harnesses now commonplace), and the US FAA requires parachutes when doing aerobatics dual. In Australia it is not mandatory to wear a parachute while flying aerobatics. However, some aircraft flight manuals specify that a parachute is mandatory in the aircraft (eg. Extra), so check for your aircraft type. If you want to wear one, that’s fine, but it is a personal choice.

2. ‘You need a Low Level Waiver/Permission to compete.’ No, in the lower grades (up to Sportsman) you can come along and fly above 3000ft AGL without a problem. Once involved in the sport you can then decide if you wish to progress to lower altitudes and higher grades. CASA Delegates able to issue low level aerobatic permissions are listed on our website also.

3. ‘It costs a lot to join the AAC and there aren’t many competitions.’ This was true once, but now you can elect to join only your local State Club and only pay their membership fee ($38 p.a. in NSW). This will allow you to fly in all NSW Club Training Days, Club Competitions and the annual State Championship. Check the calendar on the website, but we have something on every month except Dec/Jan . So you can get value for money and not have to travel interstate.

4. ‘I need a specialist aerobatic aircraft.’ You will need an aircraft that is approved for aerobatics, true, but any aerobatic training aircraft can be flown competitively up to and including Sportsman category. Intermediate category is where basic aerobatic aircraft start to become limiting. You don’t even need inverted fuel and oil systems in the lower grades (Entry, Graduate, Sportsman). Victa, Citabria, Aerobat, Tiger Moth, Tipsy Nipper, Robin/Alpha, Stampe, Skybolt, RV-4/6/7/8, T-18, Cassutt, Corby Starlet, Sonerai – and many more, can get you into the sport at an affordable price.

So give it some thought and make some enquiries. Next time we'll look at the competition categories.

Don't forget our next training weekend is the 8-9th August at Cowra.

Cowra 11-12 July

2009-07-12T19:31:00.004+10:00

A good turnout this weekend with ~15 people and 4 aircraft attending. A big thankyou to Colin, Reggae and the others who got the box markers out Friday arvo. Perfect weather saturday for flying and much was achieved. A blazing fire and BBQ under the night sky, and a few quiet ales, made for an equally satisfying evening.

Sunday dawned cooler with some scuddy showers but improved as the morning went on. More flying and positive comment that it was much better to practice overhead an airfield and be able to get immediate feedback. One comment was that it was much easier to concentrate on flying than when scanning for traffic in the Sydney training area - how true.

Thanks again to the aeroclub for opening their doors for us. Our next weekend is the 8-9 August.

Cowra Aero Club 75th Anniversary Open Day

2009-05-31T19:51:00.002+10:00

Today I went down to Cowra to support the 75th Anniversary celebrations of the Cowra Aero Club. Weather around Sydney stopped any attendance from that direction, unfortunately.

The crowd was small but all were enjoying a relaxing day out and having a chat, in the country way. BBQ and urn were on max burner throughout keeping all supplied with their needs. The vintage car club had a fine dispolay of unique vehicles on display, as did the local aviators with Yaks, Aero Vodochey, Brumby, Air Tractor, Auster et al parked in a pleasing manner.

Reports of the Anniversary Dinner the night before were good, with about 80 attendees and guest speaker AM John Newham, (Retd), ex-RAAF CAS. AM Newham entertained with stories involving Sabre flights across SE Asia in horrendous thunderstorms!

Don't forget our next traning weekend at Cowra is 11-12th July, and our hosts assure me we will be welcomed warmly. We should have some box markers out then as well. Also, make sure the NSW Aerobatic Championship is in your diary for the first weekend of November at Temora.

NSW Training Weekend at Cowra

2009-05-10T20:18:00.009+10:00

Well, here it is, the inaugaural blog! We'll try and give regular updates and keep you informd of what is going on in the (small) world of aerobatics in NSW and Australia.

While we advertised this training weekend at Cowra, in the end only Colin Appleton (club Treasurer) and myself (President) and Scott (student from Red Baron) made it. Colin busied himself with practising Advanced figures in the Extra 300, and exposing Scott and some of the locals to high performance aerobatics. Needles to say, all were amazed at what a specialist aerobatic aircraft can do! I arrived on Sunday morning and took the RV back up for some gentleman aeros as I surveyed potential box positioning. Much different to acro in the Giles, it is incredible what you get used to. Then I gave critique for Colin as he worked on the recalcitrant rolling circle manoeuvre. I think we made good progress. Outside rollers next time Colin.....I also took the Extra up for a run, and struggled through the Advanced Q. Again, it wasn't quite like the Giles - I've been spoilt I fear.

The locals made us very welcome. Glen from the aero club was most helpful, as was Paul Goard. We also met Bernie, the local CFI and still actively instructing at 83!! We look forward to working closely with them in the future.

The next training weekend is scheduled for 11-12 July. That's two months away, due to the Queensland Championships being held over the June long weekend. We intend having some box markers out then and minibus transport available. Check back for more info closer to the date.