It looks to me that the majority of comments favored Proposal "C" for Sportsman. Why did the board decide to use Proposal "A"?
Just asking.
SB
It looks to me that the majority of comments favored Proposal "C" for Sportsman. Why did the board decide to use Proposal "A"?
Just asking.
SB
My educated guess is that if you compare 2012 Sportsman Proposal A to the 2011 Sportsman Known, you will find it way too similar. One sub-plot of the design of the Sportsman Known Programs is providing a framework where the Sportsman pilots will master the full range of foundation skills, not just the figures, required to post a good score at a contest. Flying different combinations of figures each year is a small step towards that goal.
You should try writing up new sequence cards with different combinations of figures for each flight, or every small series of practice flights, but the topic of how to practice to build your skills is too lengthy for now.
Regards,
Wes
N78PS
Can I get one of these for the Green Mountain Acrobatic Contest. Showed up and watched one day of practice and one day of competition and no one to ask questions of outside the "Authorized Personnel" only fence.Originally Posted by RetroAcro
Many folks do not realize that there is a sort of aptitude test. Its not formal and no one actually grades it. You did not find anyone to ask questions of at the Green Mountain Aerobatic Contest because everyone was either competing or administering the contest. It takes a LOT of volunteers to make a contest happen. I will also note that just like any other competitive sport, when it is nearing your time to fly, you get your game face on, you up your level of focus to block out everything but your upcoming 4 minutes of fult tilt boogie in the box, and your world starts to shrink down to your airplane.
All of that said, the aptitude test is YOU mustering the hutzpa to walk into the office where the paperwork is flying, or stepping past the fence, and asking a question of one of the participants. I have every expectation that any question that you have will be enthusiastically answered unless you happen to pick the pilot next up into the box. But YOU have to ask. For better or worse, aerobatics competition is a sport for outgoing motivated people. That appears to be the type of pilot who thinka that pulling +6G and pushing -3G in front of a jury of their peers is fun. You are welcome to include yourself in that group. All that is required is to step past the fence. In spite of the sign. No one is holding you back.
Casual aerobatics is a somewhat different activity. Lots of fun, but different from the contest world. There are a larger population of folks who do an occaisional loop or roll or spin. Our IAC chapter hosts aerobatic practice days where everyone gets some time in the box and there are no medals or trophies or egos at stake. You are welcome to go to the chapter web site to see that schedule and then stop by. Much more relaxed. But you will still have to step past the fence.
Not sure where you are based, but the Green Mountain Aerobatic Contest is MY contest. As the outgoing President of IAC Chapter 35, I invite you to stop by a chapter meeting, or step past the fence, and ask all of the questions that you have. The club is inclusive at all levels. You just have to include yourself.
Regards,
Wes
N78PS
Last edited by WLIU; 11-18-2011 at 08:24 PM.
Exactly right. Excellent post.Many folks do not realize that there is a sort of aptitude test. Its not formal and no one actually grades it. You did not find anyone to ask questions of at the Green Mountain Aerobatic Contest because everyone was either competing or administering the contest. It takes a LOT of volunteers to make a contest happen. I will also note that just like any other competitive sport, when it is nearing your time to fly, you get your game face on, you up your level of focus to block out everything but your upcoming 4 minutes of fult tilt boogie in the box, and your world starts to shrink down to your airplane.
All of that said, the aptitude test is YOU mustering the hutzpa to walk into the office where the paperwork is flying, or stepping past the fence, and asking a question of one of the participants. I have every expectation that any question that you have will be enthusiastically answered unless you happen to pick the pilot next up into the box. But YOU have to ask. For better or worse, aerobatics competition is a sport for outgoing motivated people. That appears to be the type of pilot who thinka that pulling +6G and pushing -3G in front of a jury of their peers is fun. You are welcome to include yourself in that group. All that is required is to step past the fence. In spite of the sign. No one is holding you back.
Casual aerobatics is a somewhat different activity. Lots of fun, but different from the contest world. There are a larger population of folks who do an occaisional loop or roll or spin. Our IAC chapter hosts aerobatic practice days where everyone gets some time in the box and there are no medals or trophies or egos at stake. You are welcome to go to the chapter web site to see that schedule and then stop by. Much more relaxed. But you will still have to step past the fence.
Not sure where you are based, but the Green Mountain Aerobatic Contest is MY contest. As the outgoing President of IAC Chapter 35, I invite you to stop by a chapter meeting, or step past the fence, and ask all of the questions that you have. The club is inclusive at all levels. You just have to include yourself.
Regards,
Wes
N78PS
Eric
As an Intermediate competitor I vote for Intermediate proposal "P"
Uh, You are in good company. The IAC Board voted to select P a couple of weeks ago. Some folks have already started practicing.
See you at the box.
Wes
N78PS
That ASK spin restriction was pointed out to the Board before the vote. Their decision is a "dog whistle" that they hope no one can hear. They obviously don't want "your kind" as the Prez put it at the 2010 Nationals. Probably too many furriners for their jingoistic tastes. I don't know why you guys put up with this neverending garbage.
Well, if you think that the rules should be changed, you should become one of us guys and make your voice heard in a forum more relevant than a web thread. I have personally had a few valuable exchanges with Brian Howard, chairman of the IAC Rules Comittee, over the years and like any organization, you get out what you put in. I will note that the rules about the awarding of medals and trophies at Nationals, to foreign national pilots, were modified this year after input from the membership. So if you are an IAC member, I encourage you to become active in your chapter. If you are not an IAC member, I encourage you to become one.
As far as the glider aerobatics rules, I think that the Competition Committee folks have a valid concern that any ship that is placarded against spins has a lower safety margin doing aerobatics at competition altitudes. Blowing a figure into a spin during a competition flight is exciting in a fully aerobatic ship. I can only imagine how awful it would be seeing a hammer blown into a spin in a ship placarded against spins. We all go out there planning to fly a perfect flight, but we hardly ever do, and the glider aerobatic flights that I have Judged at Nationals have shown me that gliders have enough handicaps in the box that I am surprised that pilots out there want to add flying a non-spinnable ship to the list. And all of the power pilots have to spin, so IAC is not discriminating against the glider pilots in general. Its a competition and your showing up with the right equipment is part of the competition.
Hope this logic makes sense.
Wes
N78PS
It did to me. One of the reasons the IAC enjoys such a great record at contests is the overarching commitment to safety from the rules to tech inspections to the design of sequences. Even the first time, Power Primary category competitor has the expectation of being able to safely perform a spin in whatever they brought to the contest. I personally think there's a reason for that which is that being proficient at spins is a foundational skill every single acro pilot must have to safely fly any acro at all!
Hopefully most will see this for what it is - a safety prerequisite to join the ranks of responsible aerobatic pilots. The NTSB database is full of pilots who put off their spin/upset training and/or flew acro in planes not specifically designed for it.
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