Good news, judging just got easier!
In years past, radii drawn as sharp angles were sometimes expected to be equal to one another, and other times not. And the same applied to radii drawn as curves. In the heat of an aerobatic contest, it could be very difficult remember these rules. Now this whole topic has been greatly simplified:
Aerobatics is not stunt flying. It is precision flying. And yes, Dorothy, there is such a thing as gentle aerobatics.
The International Aerobatic Club (IAC) is not a competition-only organization. Only about 10 percent of the members compete and, in the end, competition is not what aerobatics is about. Competition is just one avenue of expression. Aerobatics is about the pure freedom of flight in all forms.
The aerobatic box is the area in which aerobatic competitions take place.
A lot of times, people will walk up at an aerobatic contest or air show and say, “You know, that really looks like fun, and I really wish I could get into it, but I don’t know where to start.” There are probably a lot more who would like to take a shot at aerobatics but the very thought of leaving straight-and-level flight may make them uneasy or unsure how they will react to it.
By Greg Koontz, MCFI-A
It's not like you think. It rarely is. I have spent nearly forty years teaching thousands to fly aerobatics. One of the best parts of doing that is watching the first impressions. We sit in our arm chairs dreaming of flight, all kinds of flight. We climb into sleek machines and traverse mazes filled with cumulus mountains. We might be cruising to exotic places or circulating around the local pattern. It all fantasizes differently from how it happens in real life.
Gene Soucy
The following series of articles are about Competition and Airshow great Gene Soucy from Sports Aerobatics magazine.
2002 - Bill Thomas
“…one of the most skillfull aerobatic pilots who ever lived.” -- Jimmy Doolittle
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