Primary smooth award

Jeanie

Jeanie

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Jeanie
I just finished a few days of flying with Rich Stowell in McCall Idaho in his decathlon. I was in the back seat... Trying to see if I can:
A. Fly maneuvers well enough from there to maybe get started towards teaching and see if I want to even consider it
And
B. Learn new stuff of course

Well, while we were at it he asked if I wanted to see if could qualify for the primary smooth patch. I thought you had to fly in front of a judge on the ground but he said that the newer rule is that a qualifying CFI can pass you while you fly together. So we did and I passed.

While that is not a big deal to many out there it certainly feels like a big stepping stone to me. And I was in the back... So the "on heading" was with his head between two peaks :rolleyes:

Also, I got to fly a Cessna 180 in the back country which was certainly new and different.
 
Cool Jeanie. Besides having fun, you have a new award to be proud of. I didn't know a CFI could do that. What did you have to do to earn it??
 
It's an award from the IAC. Any pilot who can fly a loop, slow roll, one turn spin and 270* competition turn to standard qualifies. To actually get the patch you have to be a member of the IAC.
So I need to see if my membership is still good :).

Thanks Tim, that's the first "you suck" I've ever gotten on POA
 
There are smooth awards and star awards. The first is non competition flying. The latter occurs only at contests. I'm not interested in competition....
 
Congrats... Is there a list of qualified CFIs somewhere or are they just the NAFI/IAC CFI-As?
 
acropilot said:
Congrats... Is there a list of qualified CFIs somewhere or are they just the NAFI/IAC CFI-As?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you are asking. I didn't qualify as a CFI. I got the primary level as a beginner aerobatic pilot.

There are CFIs that specialize in acro training and I think some are listed on the IAC web site.

Rich specializes in that, Jeanne MacPherson in Montana does, Greg Koontz does, Adam Cope, Debby Rihn-Harvey has a school in La Porte TX... There are a number of them. Who knows, maybe one day I will be.

I have had a not so great experience with one guy. If you want the info you can PM me I'm not posting it in public.
 
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Congrats Jeanie.

IAC Smooth info below. Two methods to achieve, A and B. Jeanie used method B.

The IAC Aerobatic Achievement Awards program was formulated to promote and advance sport aerobatics. The IAC sanctions many regional aerobatic contests every year, but at the same time realizes that all pilots who fly aerobatics may or may not wish to enter competition but yet deserve recognition of their own abilities. Therefore, the IAC Aerobatic Achievement Awards program furnishes the mechanism in which a competition and non-competition pilot can work in reaching various levels of proficiency. Aerobatic competitions benefit as more people will be encouraged to enter, aerobatic education will be more widely disseminated and, finally, aerobatics as a sport will grow as more people learn of the enjoyment, fun and comradeship that is known in aerobatic circles. The IAC Aerobatic Achievement Awards program supplies a definite goal which a pilot can work toward while increasing proficiency in aerobatics. These awards are not easy to achieve and a high level of skill is required. They are, however, within the reach of every pilot. When the award is given it is something of which to be proud.
Many people will be introduced to aerobatics under this program with its incentive to achieve a high degree of skill, under strictly controlled conditions, tightly monitored and with an eye always on safety.

SMOOTH AWARDS
Awards given in a non-contest environment are referred to as “SMOOTH” awards. Each category (power and glider) has a designated set of figures which must be completed for a SMOOTH award. Primary through Intermediate category Smooth awards can be earned using either Method A or Method B described below. Advanced and Unlimited Smooth awards may only be earned using Method A.

A. By flying the designated figures in front of one Judge or Chief Judge from the current “IAC Approved Judges List” who must observe from the ground and grade EACH figure with date performed, legible signature and judge’s IAC number.

(1) Each figure in the Category Figure Lists, Section 7 (Power) or Section 8 (Glider), must be entered on a single application form clearly marked for that category and award.
(2) These figures can be completed in either one flight or on multiple flights on different days, in different aircraft.
(3) Each figure must earn a grade of five (5.0) or higher using Chapter 8 criteria.
(4) There is no overall score nor positioning grade as this is not a sequence nor is a marked zone r equired; however, contest practice days are appropriate occasions to earn SMOOTH Awards.
(5) Breaking minimum altitude limits for any part of a figure will result in a zero (0) grade fro that figure. The minimum limits for power are;

Primary and Sportsman 1500” AGL
Intermediate 1200’ AGL
Advanced 800’ AGL
Unlimited 600’ AGL

(6) In case the applicant is flying for awards in more than one category, each duplicate figure must be flown and graded for each separate application.
(7) Aerobatic maneuvers may only be performed in compliance with FAA regulations. Waivered airspace may be required.
(8) Applicant must be the sole occupant of the aircraft during SMOOTH award flights except that a “safety pilot” for insurance purposes may be carried during Primary and Sportsman flights. The applicant must be sole operator of the controls during aerobatic figures.

B. By flying the designated figures with a Grading CFI in the aircraft.
The Grading CFI must:

a. Be an FAA Certificated Flight Instructor;
b. Be a current IAC member; and
c. Possess an IAC Achievement Award (Smooth or Stars) that is at least ONE category higher than the Smooth award being sought.
d. of if flying with a MCFI-A that instructor may possess at least an IAC Achievement Award (Smooth or Stars) in the Intermediate category to grade for a Primary, Sportsman or Intermediate Smooth award.

For Advanced and Unlimited Smooth awards, the designated sets of figures must still be performed in front of a current IAC judge.
Although the specific point grade for an aerobatic maneuver is predicated on what a ground- based judge observes and not on what the pilot sees, a CFI who is a current IAC member and who also has earned an Achievement Award (Smooth or Stars) that is at least ONE category above the Smooth award being sought is capable of determining whether a designated figure would earn a qualifying point grade. The qualified CFI will therefore not assign a grade, but notate a "Q" (stands for Qualifying), on the award application.
All other criteria of the Smooth award, such as minimum altitudes, figures completed in one day or several, completed in a variety of airplanes and flown in compliance with FAA regulations will still apply as indicated in the previous Smooth award guidelines in Method A.
 
Jeanie said:
I'm not sure what you are asking. I didn't qualify as a CFI. I got the primary level as a beginner aerobatic pilot.

There are CFIs that specialize in acro training and I think some are listed on the IAC web site.

Rich specializes in that, Jeanne MacPherson in Montana does, Greg Koontz does, Adam Cope, Debby Rihn-Harvey has a school in La Porte TX... There are a number of them. Who knows, maybe one day I will be.

I have had a not so great experience with one guy. If you want the info you can PM me I'm not posting it in public.
Click to expand...
He's local to me. Maybe one day....
 
Jeanie said:
There are smooth awards and star awards. The first is non competition flying. The latter occurs only at contests. I'm not interested in competition....
Click to expand...

why not? I flew a 172 in the 'local' IAC competition last year and had a lot of fun! It was an aviation event I had never experienced before and it was really cool to see all the planes and pilots doing their thing for two days.
 
Actually, Tony, I have decided to participate in the hill country hammerhead at the end of august in llano Texas.

How could you use a 172 for acro, I didn't think they were so good at slow rolls :)
 
oh cool, tell Larry hi from me, we really enjoyed the glider contest at Llano last year.

I was flying a towplane, a friend of mine was competing in his aerobatic glider. It was a lot of fun and now I get to tell everyone that I flew a 172 at an aerobatic contest!
 
Ok, I get it,now that's funny Tony! I will tell Larry hello for you. Jeff Poehlmann is here in alpine this week. We'll be flying rosy together some and he will ground critique me if the Wx permits.
 
Both the original reason you went there and the smooth award are very cool Jeanie.
 
Sounds like a lot of fun. I would like to fly a 180 sometime too!

I have been flying a super decathlon lately but have been confined to the pattern as I am focused on the TW endorsement. A real shame knowing what the plane is capable of!
 
Jeanie said:
I just finished a few days of flying with Rich Stowell in McCall Idaho in his decathlon. I was in the back seat... Trying to see if I can:
A. Fly maneuvers well enough from there to maybe get started towards teaching and see if I want to even consider it
And
B. Learn new stuff of course

Well, while we were at it he asked if I wanted to see if could qualify for the primary smooth patch. I thought you had to fly in front of a judge on the ground but he said that the newer rule is that a qualifying CFI can pass you while you fly together. So we did and I passed.

While that is not a big deal to many out there it certainly feels like a big stepping stone to me. And I was in the back... So the "on heading" was with his head between two peaks :rolleyes:

Also, I got to fly a Cessna 180 in the back country which was certainly new and different.
Click to expand...

I already knew you were a smooth operator, but now you have proof! Congrats.
 
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