In the Loop

FEBRUARY 2011 | VOLUME 2 | NUMBER 2

You don't have to be a pilot to be a judge!
There's always a need for judges at IAC contests. If you're a contest pilot, becoming a judge is as important as performing a good snap roll. Knowing what looks right from the outside helps you fly it right on the inside. If you don't fly but would like to be in on the action, becoming a judge allows you to directly take part in the sport. The only thing required to participate as a judge are your eyes and a judges school offered by your local chapter of the International Aerobatic Club. Read more

Eagle Sport Aviation Club
The Eagle Sport Aviation Club, based at Taylor Field in Deland, Florida, is a nonprofit flying club that offers several aircraft including gliders, a J-3 Cub, and a donated Pitts, which helped launch the club in the Daytona Area. Since 2003, nearly 40 percent of all first-time IAC aerobatic competitors nationwide have flown their first contests in "The Pitts."
View the gallery | ESA

The Registrar's Back Office

A place to share information and get ideas about how to run registration for an IAC regional contest

Lorrie Penner is IAC Chapter 34's tireless webmaster and newsletter editor. She also plays a large behind-the-scenes role for the IAC doing the kind of work that keeps the gears turning and the organization moving forward. She recently asked us to showcase The Registrar's Back Office, a blog dedicated to bringing registrars together to share ideas and foster communication. Read more

Flanges, Props and Gyroscopes

There are a lot of good, fun, aerobatic-capable airplanes around like the Pitts, Christen Eagle, Skybolt, Acro Sport, Starduster, DR's, and Citabria just to name a few. Many of these airplanes are selling for a reasonable price and would be very economical to operate for someone wanting to get started in aerobatics or maybe get their feet wet with IAC aerobatic competition. These are the real "grassroots" type airplanes, and most can perform well enough to compete in Primary through Intermediate categories as well as teach you a lot about aerobatics, spins, and how to have fun. There's a wide selection of affordable, high-performance planes out there. Could be that you already own one! If so, keep reading, because this is for you, too. Read more on pages 8 to 10 in Chapter 34's November 2010 newsletter.

FEATURED AIR SHOW

Here's an incredible video of a Rans S-9 Chaos losing a wing during an air show routine. The general consensus was that the airplane had been equipped with an unapproved engine, had gone over max gross weight, and had been operating beyond manufacturer-recommended airspeeds. It's amazing the airplane lasted as long as it did before failure. The pilot survived. Read more and see the video

SAFETY

Safety First: Performing an Aerial Ballet
Aerobatics comes naturally for most birds. Soaring and swooping effortlessly in the air, our avian friends delight in the freedom of unfettered airspace. With a few exceptions, a bird's structure and natural ability allow it to perform aerobatic maneuvers as a normal part of life. Pilots, on the other hand, must acquire training to perform the same sort of maneuvers that their feathered friends perform naturally. Read more

FLIGHT INSTRUCTION

Rod Machado on Finding a Good Flight Instructor
Rod Machado, in addition to being a prolific aviation writer and student advocate, is hilarious. If you've never had a chance to read his books or see his videos, you're missing out on quite a few laughs. Even if you're a seasoned aviator, it's always a good idea to brush up on what to look for in a good flight instructor. Read more and listen to his amusing and rollicking appearance at Theater in the Woods from 1997.

AUDIO/VIDEO

Regis Notini brings us the 2011 Advanced sequence from the cockpit of his Christen Eagle biplane.

"This is high-definition video captured from my perspective," he says. "I'm practicing the 2011 Advanced sequence on a four-cylinder Christen Eagle. It is just my third flight on this sequence since it was published, so of course there are still many corrections to do. On a four-cylinder biplane, it is not competitive - just for fun. Power and roll rate are not sufficient for the Advanced category on this kind of airplane to get the correct length lines on verticals…I have to shorten it." Watch the video

POLL QUESTION

Q. Have you ever attended a judges school?
Do you plan to attend a judges school this year?
Are you having trouble finding a judges school close enough to attend?
Do you think being a judge makes you a better aerobatic pilot?

EVENTS CALENDAR

ENTRENAMIENTOS CLUB ACROBATICO ANDALUZ (International)
Saturday, March 12 - Sunday, March 13, 2011
LA AXARQUIA (LEAX): VELEZ MALAGA ESPAÑA
Director: Jose Gonzalez +34652916000
E-mail | Website

Inland Empire Strikes Back Mini (Southwest)
Saturday, March 19 - Saturday, March 19, 2011
Redlands Municipal (REI): Redlands, CA
Director: Casey Erickson 909-389-9020
E-mail | Website or website

Phil Schacht Aerobatic Kickoff 2011 (Southeast)
Friday, March 25 - Saturday, March 26, 2011
Keystone Heights Airpark (42J): Keystone Heights, FL
Director: Andrea Luethi 718-666-2648
E-mail | Website

ENTRENAMIENTOS CLUB ACROBATICO ANDALUZ (International)
Saturday, March 26 - Sunday, March 27, 2011
LA AXARQUIA (LEAX): VELEZ MALAGA ESPAÑA
Director: Jose Gonzalez +34652916000
E-mail | Website

VII CAMPEONATO ANDALUZ DE VUELO ACROBATICO (International)
Friday, April 8 - Sunday, April 10, 2011
ARMILLA (LEGA): ARMILLA GRANADA ESPAÑA
Director: Jose Gonzalez +34666393812
E-mail | Website

See the full listing of IAC events for the upcoming season here.

MYSTERY PHOTO

Last month's photo showed Curtis Pitts at the tender age of 16 years old. You can read more about him here.

Maybe this guy should have read Rod Machado's piece about how to find a good flight instructor! Is this for real?

EDITOR'S NOTE

Time to Attend a Judges School
It's the end of February, and a good time to think about attending a judges school or renewing your certification. Competition season is rapidly approaching and spring will be upon us before we know it.

I've said this in the past, but if you're thinking of competition flying, becoming a judge should be on your list of skills to add to your bag of tricks. Watching others fly and seeing how they score will go a very long way toward making you a better pilot. Read more

GUEST EDITORIAL

Achievement Awards Program Revised
By Rich Stowell, MCFI-A
The IAC Board of Directors has unanimously approved a proposal submitted by Rich Stowell to facilitate greater participation in the IAC Achievement Awards Program. Achievement Awards were conceived in 1970 to promote and advance sport aerobatics by providing definite goals that pilots can work toward as they increase their proficiency in aerobatics. The awards aren't easy to achieve and a high level of skill is required; the awards, however, are certainly within the reach of every pilot. Read more

AEROBATIC GOOGLING

Random searches on Google just to see what comes up can hold your attention for hours. A search for "aerobatic photos" resulted in the following pictures and their corresponding webpages.

This interesting photo leads to a neat post from Mike Heuer, IAC historian and member number four.

If you didn't see the people standing among these airplanes, you'd be hard pressed to think those weren't full-scale airplanes sitting in the grass.

Flying among the rocks in a glider? No problem! This photo leads you to a website promising aerobatic adventure in a sailplane.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Nominations/Elections to the IAC Board for 2011. Candidate petition forms available on the IAC members website page under Leadership. Deadline date March 16, 2011. For more information, contact Ann Salcedo, nominations chair.

WEBINARS
Spitfire, Hurricane, BF-109: Which is Best? Watch This Webinar!

Rob Erdos is Chief Test Pilot for the National Research Council, Canada and has personally flown all three great fighters of the Battle of Britain - the Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane and an ultra-rare Messerschmitt Bf-109E. In this fascinating presentation, he will analyze and compare the flying qualities of each aircraft and attempt to answer the question that has perplexed generations of historians, pilots and aircraft enthusiasts - - which aircraft was best?

Tuesday, March 1: High Flight: The Story of John Gillespie Magee Jr. with Ray Haas
Thursday, March 3: Flying After 50 with Dr. Jack Hastings
Monday, March 7: The Battle of Britain - A Test Pilot's Perspective with Rob Erdos
Tuesday, March 15: Mountain Flying with Joe Kuberka

All webinars begin at 7 p.m. CST. To find out more about upcoming EAA Webinars and to register, visit the webinars page.

EAA gratefully acknowledges the support of Aircraft Spruce and Specialty Co. for their generous sponsorship of our webinar programs.

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