First Aerobatic Flight

[RVAddict]

Guys,
This Friday, after my lesson, (in a Cessna 150) I'm going up with my instructor in his Citabria for a "Ride" I expect this to include loops, rolls, and spins. I want to do aerobatics in my very own RV one day so it is great experience for me, but I've never done acro before. Any advice on what to expect???

Thanks,
Josh

[BikePilot]

I'm also a student. I have 2 hours of acro training. I love it, great fun. With a little luck perhaps the instructor will let you try a loop in the Citabria Thus far I have loops, rolls and Immelmanns down pretty well. Still working on a four leaf clover.

[DeltaRomeo]

I expect you'll be hooked!

While building I said two things:
1. I'll never do formation and 2. I'll never do acro.

Five years after first flight I can't imagine a flight without at LEAST one roll and I like formation more than just about anything else.

I suspect you'll have a wonderful time!!!!!

Have fun!!

Doug

[Kevin Horton]

Originally Posted by RVAddict

Guys,
This Friday, after my lesson, (in a Cessna 150) I'm going up with my instructor in his Citabria for a "Ride" I expect this to include loops, rolls, and spins. I want to do aerobatics in my very own RV one day so it is great experience for me, but I've never done acro before. Any advice on what to expect???

Expect to feel queasy, especially after a few rolls. Don't be afraid to tell the instructor, as you can go from feeling a bit green to projectile vomiting very quickly. If you feel queasy, don't despair - it is very normal, and the body will learn to adapt quite quickly. I've done a lot of aerobatics in my time, but if I don't do any for a year or so, it takes me a flight or two to get my sea legs back.

[jcoloccia]

Eat something light before you go and drink some water (you can dehydrate pretty quickly).

After the first couple of spins you'll see it's totally no big deal and you'll start to relax. By the end of the flight, you two will be chit chatting non-chalantly through the maneuvers. Takes training to do this stuff safely but so does landing! It's totally not a big deal.

What to expect? Expect to have fun!

[RVAddict]

[quote=BikePilot]I'm also a student. <snip> With a little luck perhaps the instructor will let you try a loop in the Citabria<snip>/QUOTE]

Ha Ha. That would be fun, but considering I still draw up and my hand cramps during normal turblance, (see Hobbs reading below), I doubt if it'll happen, I would like to feel of the controls though(normal flight) I like a stick and rudder plane better than a yolk!! Plus I seem to have a great affection for tandem seating as well, so the Citabria is right up my alley! It'll make a nice plane to fly after I get my ticket and before I can buy/build an RV.

[RVAddict]

Originally Posted by DeltaRomeo

I expect you'll be hooked!

While building I said two things:
1. I'll never do formation and 2. I'll never do acro.

Five years after first flight I can't imagine a flight without at LEAST one roll and I like formation more than just about anything else.

I suspect you'll have a wonderful time!!!!!

Have fun!!

Doug

Doug,
I want to do BOTH allready!! I'll post Friday evening to tell everybody how well it went (or how long it took to clean up the vomit )

[ptrotter]

One of the things that you will find is that you may feel queasy when your instructor does the acro and you are just riding, but when you are the one actually flying, you feel much better. So if you feel bad at first, don't dispair. Get the instructor to let you fly and try it again. It will probably be much better.

[szicree]

It'll be fun. To avoid the queasy part be careful to always maintain situational awareness. For example, as you pull up into a loop, the horizon drops out of view. When this occurs look towards the wing tip until beyond vertical, then up over your head to pick up the horizon again. It's not good to swing your head around with a lot of wild movement, but you do want to look around enough so that you never lose awareness of exactly where things are. The idea is to always have a perfect knowledge of the plane's attitude so that you don't get surprised/confused. It's the confusion that causes the motion sickness.

Once you've done this a lot you'll find you can look around less cuz you'll know from experience what the attitude is. Have fun!!!

[n5lp]

Originally Posted by szicree

..It's the confusion that causes the motion sickness...

I've been queasy in airplanes a few times and felt pretty downright bad once, when I was a teenager, but nothing unusual.

But put me in an iMax theatre on a rollercoaster or flying down a canyon and I can get immediately ill to the point where I just have to close my eyes. I agree that it is the confusion. The sensations I am expecting, are not there. I think this is a case of experience working against you.

No problems at Soarin' Over California (DCA) though. That thing's pretty realistic.