What exercises for utility Category?

Good morning everybody, flying on my friend’s RV7 I discovered that I love to do aerobatics, but at the moment I can’t afford an aerobatic airplane, I’ve started a fund for that but it will Take "a couple" of years to get there.
I currently own a low engine hours American Aviation 1971 AA1A which I really love, except for the fact that is only Utility Category rated, now I know that True aerobatics maneuver are out of discussion for this airframe, but I was wondering if you aerobatic expert guys can suggest me if there are some exercises that I can perform with this airplane that may be useful to improve my piloting skills toward aerobatic purpose.

My experience as a pilot is about 600 hrs of which 450 in Gliders where I had some basic aerobatic training like loops, rolls, spins, hammerhead turns and I than exercised on those whenever I had some altitude to burn.

My recollection is that most Utility Category airplanes are good for +4.4G and something like -1.5G.

I got started learning how to do Lazy-8's out to 90 degrees of bank as a coordinated maneuver. Those are fun.

You can try rolling to one 45 bank with the nose on a point, then rolling to the opposite 45 while keeping the nose on a point, then back to the first 45, etc. That exercise will require that you work the rudders in coordination with the ailerons.

Aerobatics involves a surprising amount of slow flight, although often not upright. So get really good a low speed control, which means coordinating the rudder.

Other than that, the Commercial manuevers of Chandell's, and steep 720's are about all you can do in that ship.

Grummans have well documented issues (see NASA reports) with spins so you do not want to go there. If you coordinate well with the rudder while slow you won't.

Best of luck,

Wes
N78PS

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Originally Posted by Fabry

but I was wondering if you aerobatic expert guys can suggest me if there are some exercises that I can perform with this airplane that may be useful to improve my piloting skills toward aerobatic purpose.

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The standard commercial pilot proficiency maneuvers - lazy 8, chandelle, steep turns, etc.

I neglected to ask - have you joined the International Aerobatic Club yet? IAC Chapter 19 is in Cary, NC and IAC Chapter 3 is near Atlanta, GA. A little far away but if you can use your airplane to attend a chapter meeting now and then you can learn a lot by networking.

Best of luck,

Wes

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WLIU

I neglected to ask - have you joined the International Aerobatic Club yet? IAC Chapter 19 is in Cary, NC and IAC Chapter 3 is near Atlanta, GA. A little far away but if you can use your airplane to attend a chapter meeting now and then you can learn a lot by networking.

Best of luck,

Wes

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Thank you I will investigate IAC

"I currently own a low engine hours American Aviation 1971 AA1A" Think about selling it. Prices for a decent AA1A seem to be about the same as a Pitts S1C to lower end S1S.