NC Aerobatic Contest - Pitts Available for Rental

whifferdill

whifferdill

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whifferdill
IAC 19 will host our fall contest this year at Foothills Regional (MRN) in Morganton, NC Oct. 18-19. Johnny White http://aviatorsunlimited.us/ will be there with an S-2 Pitts available for dual rental. If any of you have any very basic (and I do mean very basic) aerobatic experience and would like a challenge, you could likely learn to fly a passable Primary Sequence in 2-3 flights and compete just for fun. That's how I got into contest flying. The Primary Category is designed for beginner acro pilots and consists of just a few figures. It does not require perfection, just that you have fun. Below is the IAC Primary Sequence in a Pitts. Entry requirements when flying a non-owned airplane are simply your pilot's license, current medical, and IAC membership. Guaranteed good time for anyone with real aerobatic interest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZCtMn3cjgQ

Eric
 
What a great idea. Hope folks take him up on it.
 
Wow, I didn't know that stuff went on at KMRN. We fly in there a lot..I was actually just there for 3 days when we landed for a pickup and our starter failed. Not the best place for a Learjet to break down, but the people at the FBO are real nice and I ended up with some new Walmart fashions!

I always wish there was a cub or something to rent on the field for when we have to kill time.
 
That video is either inspiration or intimidation for those of us struggling to get there.:yes::no: Where's the maybe?
 
RoscoeT said:
Ernie you should do it.
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Trust me, I plan to do the sequence if I can develop the skills. This has been good for me, and mostly fun. I can do all of the primary maneuvers in a reasonably recognizable manner, except the slow roll. Putting them together is another story. As far as I know, there is no one else trying to put the sequence together in a YMF, and the aerobatic gross weight doesn't allow for an instructor, even if there were one around here. The airplane is really good at reminding me that I am not Bob Hoover... or in the same universe.

Thanks to suggestions here, and ignoring the book recommended entry speeds, loops and the half Cuban are fairly easy. 140 is great, 135 works. The 45 up doesn't last long, but it should be recognizable. Energy management is still a challenge. Those three great dips the Pitts does in the video? They cost me 30 -40 mph! Since they aren't graded in Primary, I have decided three quick very small dips will have to do on the way in. With a fixed pitch prop, I am pulling power off before 140! I enter the box at 170 or more, but as soon as I am level the airplane is slowing down a lot. (2,200 rpm redline)

At the beginning of the summer I put the front windshield on and found out I could not keep it in a spin, it starts, then immediately spirals. Today I took the windshield off, put the front cover on and went out to do some spins, since I hadn't done any in a while. Same deal. Must be the pilot, make sure you fully stall it before you push on the rudder dummy. Nope. Try again - nope. What the ???

As I taxied in, trying to decide what was different, it hit me that I had taken a new approach to trim. I had been trimming in the climb, so for about 75. That made less work pulling for loops, etc. But trim in this bird moves the horizontal stabilizer. I started trimming for slightly nose down to help with keeping the nose up during the roll. I will verify it when I next get to fly, but... I suspect, I now don't have enough elevator authority to overcome the lack of "up" force from the stab. Trim change came about the time I put the windshield back on. That is the kind of stuff that my sick mind finds to be fun.

I don't think I can make the NC event even if I get the flying together, I have to be at a trade show in Orlando on Sunday, relaxed and ready to work three days.
 
ebetancourt said:
Those three great dips the Pitts does in the video? They cost me 30 -40 mph! Since they aren't graded in Primary, I have decided three quick very small dips will have to do on the way in. With a fixed pitch prop, I am pulling power off before 140!
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Ernie, the wing dips are typically done on a descending line, which negates the drag and energy loss that would occur if done in level flight. You can do nice big wing wags in the Waco without losing energy. I would suggest practicing this. If you do come to a contest, you do not want to do very small quick wing dips. You will be penalized if the judges do not see them...and they can be easy to miss if you do them too small and fast. Show the judges you know what you're doing and that you mean business! :)

ebetancourt said:
At the beginning of the summer I put the front windshield on and found out I could not keep it in a spin, it starts, then immediately spirals. Today I took the windshield off, put the front cover on and went out to do some spins, since I hadn't done any in a while. Same deal. Must be the pilot, make sure you fully stall it before you push on the rudder dummy. Nope. Try again - nope. What the ???
Click to expand...

Wish I could say I've tried it in a Waco, but this sounds a lot like the Clipped Cub I used to fly. If I slowed down on a level line, power off, and applied full rudder at the stall, a tight spiral would result rather than a true spin. A blip of power was needed to get a true spin entry. Have you tried that? What about applying temporary outspin aileron (right aileron for left-rudder spin)
right after the spin breaks? This can help the downward-going wing stall more deeply. I used to apply outspin aileron at a certain point during the spin in the Pitts when I had the metal prop to control the oscillations and varying spin rate during the first turn. It's smoother now with the light composite prop. Just a momentary application of aileron and then return to neutral. Aileron does have an effect on the spin. If you hold the aileron too long, it may flatten out the spin, and you may not like the results. Even in the docile Cub, continuing to hold out-spin aileron would flatten the spin a little, and when opposite rudder was applied, it had virtually no resistance. In this configuration it took about 3/4 turn to recover with in-spin aileron applied...which is a big difference from the 1/4 turn it takes a Cub to pop out of a normal fully-developed spin.

ebetancourt said:
The 45 up doesn't last long, but it should be recognizable. Energy management is still a challenge.
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But since the 45 is figure 1, you have the ability to enter with as much smash as you want. You only need to draw a perceptible line.

ebetancourt said:
Energy management is still a challenge.
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Yep, for me too, flying my stock S-1S in Advanced. :D

ebetancourt said:
I don't think I can make the NC event even if I get the flying together, I have to be at a trade show in Orlando on Sunday, relaxed and ready to work three days.
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We should be done Saturday afternoon, and you can head home immediately after. Would love to see you and you Waco there. Actually, you could leave as soon as the last Primary flights are done, and before the contest is a wrap. Could send you your trophy. :)
 
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whifferdill said:
Ernie, the wing dips are typically done on a descending line, which negates the drag and energy loss that would occur if done in level flight. You can do nice big wing wags in the Waco without losing energy. I would suggest practicing this. If you do come to a contest, you do not want to do very small quick wing dips. You will be penalized if the judges do not see them...and they can be easy to miss if you do them too small and fast. Show the judges you know what you're doing and that you mean business! :)
Click to expand...

If I can do them on a 45 or so down then I can do them. I somehow interpreted the rules as requiring level. And actually not judging the dips in Primary, BTW. My problem is that in level flight above 149 I am carrying very little power.

It did great spins before, I just need to understand why it won't now. I'll play with it next flight.

I haven't ruled out going, depends on how much flying I get between now and then and my work schedule.
 
ebetancourt said:
If I can do them on a 45 or so down then I can do them. I somehow interpreted the rules as requiring level. And actually not judging the dips in Primary, BTW.
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The wing dips aren't "judged", but they must be seen by the judges. It's good practice to think of them as figure zero. Do them with care and precision, just like the rest of the figures. It gathers your focus and gets your hands and feet in the game. Yeah, you can do the wing wags on a descending line, but be sure to pull level for a perceptible period before pulling for the 45. All figures in competition must begin and end in level flight (horizontal flight path) either upright or inverted. You'll use the wing wags to monitor your position entering the box so that you can pull for the 45 right where you want. If the Waco is anything like the Pitts, it may be hard to tell exactly where you are in upright level flight due to poor outward visibility. As you bank the airplane, you can use this time to monitor your position. And you don't need to do the wing wags in rapid succession. You can do a couple, and wait a few moments to do the last one to confirm your position if you weren't quite close enough (or even inside the box) after the second wing dip. But keep in mind that there is no box in Primary. Your presentation score will suffer if you're not well positioned, or you're out, but you will not actually receive boundary penalties in Primary.
 
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I forgot this was happening and looks like I saw the first arrival today. We pulled in to drop our pax and saw this guy:

4kwx1x.jpg


Have fun all! Wish i could of stayed longer...
 
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Nice pic! Saw you guys on the tarmac with the starter issue when I was at MRN doing my checkride in the 172. Hopefully you didn't see me - it wurn't pretty, but I got it done.

Maybe your starter is acting up again....just sayin
 
mackerman said:
Nice pic! Saw you guys on the tarmac with the starter issue when I was at MRN doing my checkride in the 172. Hopefully you didn't see me - it wurn't pretty, but I got it done.

Maybe your starter is acting up again....just sayin
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Yeah that was a fun event, we were there 3 days...and I didn't bring any clothes. A quick trip to walmart solved all of my fashion needs.

Funny you said that...when i saw that the aerobatic contest was happing I joking said "looks like its time to disconnect the starter again"......
 
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