L18C-95
Member
My first lessons in Aerobatics were forty years ago in a Super D, and after a few hours could do a passable straight and level roll, loop and hammerhead turn.
There was then a hiatus of several decades. When I got my flight instructor ticket about five years ago, the school offered twenty minute trial lessons in a Slingsby and I got my Aerobatics Instructor ticket. In Europe this requires only gaining an Aerobatic rating, and the flying school carrying out an acceptance flight. With possibly only ten hours of aerobatic time, three of which were nearly half a century ago, I was allowed to instruct aerobatics. The Slingsby is quite docile with a slow roll rate. However, the design has motor glider roots, and spin characteristics display the law of conservation of angular momentum to an interesting degree.
I accumulated around 80 hours of aerobatics in the Slingsby teaching myself some additional manoeuvres, such as hesitation straight and level rolls, snap roll, humpty-bumps and the avalanche. The initial sign off required some precision spins. I never competed but learned a bit from my time in the Slingsby.
In addition to the Super D and the Slingsby, I took a couple of lessons in an Extra 200 - the roll rate was a bit too vigorous for me!
This summer I took the decision to build my proficiency to compete, and I started taking instruction in a Pitts from very experienced aerobatic instructors. Approximately two to four lessons a month.
The Pitts is an excellent if pitiless aerobatic instructor platform. No matter how I tried to approach the lessons, bringing all my empathy and finesse, relatively low amounts unfortunately, the early lessons revealed how ham-fisted I was, with the slip ball dancing around and unable to establish simple vertical and 45 degree lines. Any aerodynamic force that was not corrected, the Pitts would reveal with loss of heading in loops and straight and level rolls. Many years in Super Cubs did not really prepare me for the fine energy management required in holding off, and keeping a Pitts straight in the landing. Fortunately the instructors were very patient and I competed in a Beginners programme, coming mid field but with a mid 70% score.
With this base I decided to persevere and go to the next stage, Sports, and eventually reach Intermediate. As am sixty plus, am not planning to go beyond intermediate!
Will use this thread to make notes of my progress both to help me lay down clearly my debriefs for myself, but also hopefully of interest to others.
There was then a hiatus of several decades. When I got my flight instructor ticket about five years ago, the school offered twenty minute trial lessons in a Slingsby and I got my Aerobatics Instructor ticket. In Europe this requires only gaining an Aerobatic rating, and the flying school carrying out an acceptance flight. With possibly only ten hours of aerobatic time, three of which were nearly half a century ago, I was allowed to instruct aerobatics. The Slingsby is quite docile with a slow roll rate. However, the design has motor glider roots, and spin characteristics display the law of conservation of angular momentum to an interesting degree.
I accumulated around 80 hours of aerobatics in the Slingsby teaching myself some additional manoeuvres, such as hesitation straight and level rolls, snap roll, humpty-bumps and the avalanche. The initial sign off required some precision spins. I never competed but learned a bit from my time in the Slingsby.
In addition to the Super D and the Slingsby, I took a couple of lessons in an Extra 200 - the roll rate was a bit too vigorous for me!
This summer I took the decision to build my proficiency to compete, and I started taking instruction in a Pitts from very experienced aerobatic instructors. Approximately two to four lessons a month.
The Pitts is an excellent if pitiless aerobatic instructor platform. No matter how I tried to approach the lessons, bringing all my empathy and finesse, relatively low amounts unfortunately, the early lessons revealed how ham-fisted I was, with the slip ball dancing around and unable to establish simple vertical and 45 degree lines. Any aerodynamic force that was not corrected, the Pitts would reveal with loss of heading in loops and straight and level rolls. Many years in Super Cubs did not really prepare me for the fine energy management required in holding off, and keeping a Pitts straight in the landing. Fortunately the instructors were very patient and I competed in a Beginners programme, coming mid field but with a mid 70% score.
With this base I decided to persevere and go to the next stage, Sports, and eventually reach Intermediate. As am sixty plus, am not planning to go beyond intermediate!
Will use this thread to make notes of my progress both to help me lay down clearly my debriefs for myself, but also hopefully of interest to others.
