Ron Shreck asked me to bring this over from the RV aerobatics working group:
I eased into aerobatics:
My first IAC contest (as a contestant) was at the 2016 Beaver State.
My son Peter Gelinas took unusual attitude training 'plus' with the Northwest Spin Doctor about 4 years ago, got an RV-4 and started getting skill and adding inverted systems. Soon he got the IAC bug, starting competition about 3 years ago. He took training with Bud Davisson and others, then started competition in a Pitts S-1E. which he flew 2 seasons.
I had received 2 lessons from Will Allen in his Super D, and practiced in my wife's RV-4 (with a borrowed 'chute) and later my RV-8 with a backpack Softie from Parapheralia in Arlington WA.
So that got me thru unusual attitude training, spins and easy nose high aileron rolls.
Last year Peter bought Doug Sowder's Pitts S-2B (E), so I get family dual!
Marilyn (his Mom) and I have joined IAC & been volunteering at the "Apple Cup & Turnover" events, so the ebb and flow of a contest, and the general idea of how it works and what I would be expected to do as a contestant was in place.
Peter got Marilyn and me to attend IAC Judges School 'in the spring, organized by Peggy Redinger.
Flights with Peter in the S-2b got me into real aileron rolls and loops.This was in the few weeks preceding the Beaver State Contest. Now I had enough to piece together the 2016 Primary routine.
Then, with some help from Peter (prodding) I got the pre-contest registration done, and made sure all my tech inspection documents were together.
We flew to Pendleton early on practice day and I got on the practice schedule. Pendleton field has a runway extended centerline that is very close to the Judge's stand, this area is a "No Go" zone. I had a hard time in practice with this concept, so I spent quite a but of time over the evening working out the Y axis turns to make sure I didn't make that mistake. All this was assuming the official "Contest Wind" would be out of the West.
During the Contest briefing, Sean Van Hattan announces the Official Wind will be out of the East!
By now I'm getting really familiar with that funny little squirmy dance Acro Pilots do...
And I'm really concerned about Not Screwing Up!
I'm the only Primary contestant, so Jim Bourke (unlimited) volunteers to make it a contest. What a great guy. He assures me that I'll win, but I tell him I don't want that, I really want to do my best and fit where I should.
We stage our planes at the start line, and the Official Starter is very helpful, aware that this is my first contest flight. Soon it's my turn, and I'm off with ground control, then tower, then into the aerobatic hold where I see glimpses of Jim flying an Awesome Primary routine. I manage to position myself about right to enter without delay when the Chief Judge calls me in, and I enter the box rather high and toward the back of the box, knowing that there are no "Outs" for primary except "Low".
I completed the routine without a major error, wagged out, and heard the Chief Judge congratulate me, then on to Tower frequency and return to the EAA hangar.
What a relief!
For this first flight, Jim honored my request and flew a near perfect Primary, so I got second on that flight. After that, Jim added a Showman's flair, flying the 2nd routine inverted, and on the 3rd flight adding elements to each figure. (I got a brief view of 'something incredible' off the top of his half cuban). Anyway, that allowed me the 1st on the remaining flights.
To keep the speed from getting too high when diving in for the start of the 2nd flight, I pulled the throttle, and remembered to put it back in about vertical in the first loop. That showed up in the comments from Judges.
The 3rd flight I entered 2500 AGL instead of 3500 AGL, and I also entered the center of the box. The thinking was to improve my skill and look a little better to the Judges. Well...being a little closer to the ground, I pulled harder on the back of the loop and the backside of the half Cuban didn't have any lines before or after the half roll....
Did I mention that a 180 HP RV-8 with a fixed pitch prop can gain altitude throughout this routine, and exceed Vne also?
The camaraderie of being a Contestant is indescribable. The Awards dinner was a hoot.
See you at the Apple Turnover this week end! I'm not ready to move up to Sportsman, but my Primary routine is better than ever!
ps;
I would like to mention that I built my RV-8, it's an older kit, the wing has the 1550 lb Aerobatic gross weight. I built it as light as I could, the empty weight was 1034 lbs. I flew this event at 1425 +/- lbs. The CG was just forward of the center.
I eased into aerobatics:
My first IAC contest (as a contestant) was at the 2016 Beaver State.
My son Peter Gelinas took unusual attitude training 'plus' with the Northwest Spin Doctor about 4 years ago, got an RV-4 and started getting skill and adding inverted systems. Soon he got the IAC bug, starting competition about 3 years ago. He took training with Bud Davisson and others, then started competition in a Pitts S-1E. which he flew 2 seasons.
I had received 2 lessons from Will Allen in his Super D, and practiced in my wife's RV-4 (with a borrowed 'chute) and later my RV-8 with a backpack Softie from Parapheralia in Arlington WA.
So that got me thru unusual attitude training, spins and easy nose high aileron rolls.
Last year Peter bought Doug Sowder's Pitts S-2B (E), so I get family dual!
Marilyn (his Mom) and I have joined IAC & been volunteering at the "Apple Cup & Turnover" events, so the ebb and flow of a contest, and the general idea of how it works and what I would be expected to do as a contestant was in place.
Peter got Marilyn and me to attend IAC Judges School 'in the spring, organized by Peggy Redinger.
Flights with Peter in the S-2b got me into real aileron rolls and loops.This was in the few weeks preceding the Beaver State Contest. Now I had enough to piece together the 2016 Primary routine.
Then, with some help from Peter (prodding) I got the pre-contest registration done, and made sure all my tech inspection documents were together.
We flew to Pendleton early on practice day and I got on the practice schedule. Pendleton field has a runway extended centerline that is very close to the Judge's stand, this area is a "No Go" zone. I had a hard time in practice with this concept, so I spent quite a but of time over the evening working out the Y axis turns to make sure I didn't make that mistake. All this was assuming the official "Contest Wind" would be out of the West.
During the Contest briefing, Sean Van Hattan announces the Official Wind will be out of the East!
By now I'm getting really familiar with that funny little squirmy dance Acro Pilots do...
And I'm really concerned about Not Screwing Up!
I'm the only Primary contestant, so Jim Bourke (unlimited) volunteers to make it a contest. What a great guy. He assures me that I'll win, but I tell him I don't want that, I really want to do my best and fit where I should.
We stage our planes at the start line, and the Official Starter is very helpful, aware that this is my first contest flight. Soon it's my turn, and I'm off with ground control, then tower, then into the aerobatic hold where I see glimpses of Jim flying an Awesome Primary routine. I manage to position myself about right to enter without delay when the Chief Judge calls me in, and I enter the box rather high and toward the back of the box, knowing that there are no "Outs" for primary except "Low".
I completed the routine without a major error, wagged out, and heard the Chief Judge congratulate me, then on to Tower frequency and return to the EAA hangar.
What a relief!
For this first flight, Jim honored my request and flew a near perfect Primary, so I got second on that flight. After that, Jim added a Showman's flair, flying the 2nd routine inverted, and on the 3rd flight adding elements to each figure. (I got a brief view of 'something incredible' off the top of his half cuban). Anyway, that allowed me the 1st on the remaining flights.
To keep the speed from getting too high when diving in for the start of the 2nd flight, I pulled the throttle, and remembered to put it back in about vertical in the first loop. That showed up in the comments from Judges.
The 3rd flight I entered 2500 AGL instead of 3500 AGL, and I also entered the center of the box. The thinking was to improve my skill and look a little better to the Judges. Well...being a little closer to the ground, I pulled harder on the back of the loop and the backside of the half Cuban didn't have any lines before or after the half roll....
Did I mention that a 180 HP RV-8 with a fixed pitch prop can gain altitude throughout this routine, and exceed Vne also?
The camaraderie of being a Contestant is indescribable. The Awards dinner was a hoot.
See you at the Apple Turnover this week end! I'm not ready to move up to Sportsman, but my Primary routine is better than ever!
ps;
I would like to mention that I built my RV-8, it's an older kit, the wing has the 1550 lb Aerobatic gross weight. I built it as light as I could, the empty weight was 1034 lbs. I flew this event at 1425 +/- lbs. The CG was just forward of the center.
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