RVAddict

RVAddict

Well Known Member
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
 
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.
 
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
 
RVAddict said:
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???
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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.
 
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! :D It's totally not a big deal.

What to expect? Expect to have fun! :)
 
BikePilot said:
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.
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DeltaRomeo said:
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
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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 :( )
 
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.
 
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!!!
 
szicree said:
..It's the confusion that causes the motion sickness...
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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.
 
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Bananas

Bananas are the key to getting ill while doing acro......

They don't keep you from blowing chunks, but they do taste just as good coming up as they do going down.

Hwood
 
As SOON as you START to feel queasy, GO HOME! Trust me on this. Unless you have an iron clad stomach, acro takes some getting used to. Your instructor will likely be conscientious about this.
 
Hwood said:
Bananas are the key to getting ill while doing acro......

They don't keep you from blowing chunks, but they do taste just as good coming up as they do going down.

Hwood
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LMAO!!! I'll have to remember that. :p
 
Tuck your shirt tightly into your pants. That way, if you are going to hurl and can't get to the baggie fast enough, just pull open your collar and let it rip. Yes I know it is gross, but it is lot easier to clean you and your clothes than to clean the inside of the airplane. ;) :D

Have fun!!!
 
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I've been privilaged to get about five hours acro training in a Pitts S2B with a couple of local guys that have a formation acro team. The first time I went I didn't know what to expect but it turned out to be an absolute blast. Twenty minutes of acro wears you out and I'm always a little wobbly for the rest of the day. I have also learnt that my body likes to have a full stomach, go figure. You will never know how you will react until you do it. I'm sure it will be an amazing experience for you!
Love the banana comment :)
Steve
 
Bad WX?

Just checked the local forcast for here tomorrow, intellicast is calling for 15-25 Mph winds tomorrow from the north :( I guess I won't be doing any flying tomorrow. We'll see. :mad:
 
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RV7Factory said:
Tuck your shirt tightly into your pants. That way, if you are going to hurl and can't get to the baggie fast enough, just pull open your collar and let it rip. Yes I know it is gross, but it is lot easier to clean you and your clothes than to clean the inside of the airplane. ;) :D

Have fun!!!
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This would probably work best if you wore a rain coat, tucked in.

Mike
 
One trick I learned when I used to instruct acro; sitting in the back watching a student flail around I would sometimes feel a bit queasy, the instant cure was to take the stick and fly for a few minutes. Seems like when your mind is occupied your stomach doesn't have time to worry :rolleyes:

It seems to work on boats as well .... YMMV
 
dan said:
As SOON as you START to feel queasy, GO HOME! Trust me on this. Unless you have an iron clad stomach, acro takes some getting used to. Your instructor will likely be conscientious about this.
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What if you have a "laproscopic nissen fundoplication stomach"? The docs. tell me I can't throw up. I can still feel sick though. I plan to get some acro training towards the end of my build if I can find an instructor. My thoughts are; if I can't throw up, should I just keep going or stop when I feel sick as I could start wreching I think.

Has anyone here had this surgery or know an acro pilot who has?
 
My Better Half bought me a warbirds flight a year & a half ago. It turned out to be in an SNJ.

I got to the airort early and I felt my stomach go quesy the more I waited. When we went up the instructor would do a roll and then help me do one. Then we did a loop and he helped me do one. then he asked if I wanted to do another and I said, help me one more time.... The up shot was. the more we did acro. the better I felt. Now I can hardly wait to fo acro in my RV-7A. What a blast!!!!!

Carl Nank,
RV-7A hopefully finish this year.
 
If its any help, acro doesn't mean you will feel sick for sure. I'm quite inexperienced, having only a couple hours of acro training, but I've not once even gotten they slightest bit queasy despite some very entertaining demonstrations by the instructor. Perhaps many hours of riding motocross got my stomach used to tosses and turns or perhaps I'm just lucky.



best of luck and have fun!
 
Weather Stinks!

Guys,
Didn't get to fly yesterday due to wind. :mad: Oh well, went up to the airport today and took a quick hop with a friend in his Cherokee 140. Also saw the local L-39 land, and met a guy who has a T-6 there!!!! :eek: Can't wait to see it. I love those T-6s. Maybe I'll get my "Intro to Acro" one day soon.

Later,
Josh
 
Well, at least ya got up, that's what counts.

BTW T-6's are fine planes, most of my (very limited) acro time came in one
 
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