Let’s start at the very beginning.
We are very conscious that the experience of pilots attending our days varies so much, but we try and cater for all, and through discussion we will all learn something new. May be all we can achieve is to put the thought in your mind that there is so much that can be achieved by thinking about what you do, and planning your flight well before your model takes off. So much more can be done to bring more satisfaction to your days spent at the field.
Our days have to be based on experience gained over the years, but also we have to base our information on facts, and by relating to international rules issued by the Federation Aeronautic International, (the world governing body of all air sports. See FAI Aeromodelling Commission (CIAM) | World Air Sports Federation ) we are confident that we will not lead you astray. Much of what we refer to is how we make those international rules match what we advise by modifying them to allow any pilot to fly aerobatics in a way it will help them to be more confident, to improve and achieve a higher standing.
Learning to fly manoeuvres has to be done with caution. A pilot cannot learn to fly precise figures by trying to fly a continuous set of manoeuvres referred to as a schedule. It may even be easier to practice parts of a manoeuvre before putting them together to fly the whole manoeuvre. One case would be if you want to perform two consecutive rolls. Complete one roll and make sure you finish the roll at the right attitude and in the correct position, before starting the next roll, (aim for completion of the first roll just before the centre line of your manoeuvring area). With practice you will be able to shorten the straight line between the two rolls until you are able to complete them as one manoeuvre. Flying a schedule can come later as confidence is raised, and after becoming more familiar with your model. If you want to progress to flying a schedule we would suggest the following sequence of manoeuvres is a good place to start, you will need time to feel comfortable flying continuous manoeuvres, but of course you can start wherever you think is suitable for you, see ‘ITA Have a Go’ Manoeuvres.
What are we aiming for?
It is up to you how far you want to go. To aim to have the ultimate control of your model and be able to demonstrate it, brings much satisfaction. It is often said that practicing our mistakes is not helpful and to start on the right track we must refer to the aerobatics section of the FAI Sporting Code as the standard to aim for. This standard of flying will not be achieved by many, but we all fly to try to achieve perfection. This link will give an idea of the basic understanding and what to think about when starting to fly manoeuvres. (Manoeuvre basics)
Some do’s and don’ts
Sorry if some of this advice is obvious, but the points below are worth thinking about and taken from lessons learnt during our days at Buckminster.
Buckminster is a large field and distances can be deceiving. Do not let your model get too far away and therefore too small to easily see the results of every control input, particularly if the model is lower than usual on base leg, or on the landing approach. If the landing approach is longer than usual do not allow the speed of the model to reduce too much to risk a stall on the approach to the centre line. If the model is flying too fast to land near the centre line of the manoeuvring area just abort the landing and go around again, but be sure to take account of the fuel or battery power available.
Modern transmitters are wonderful assets to flying these days but they are complicated. I always carry my instruction book with me and it is worth making a note of any changes made to the settings (so that you can make the changes incrementally or revert to the original). If you need help do not let anyone else adjust your transmitter settings. Ask them for advice but you make the actual changes to the programming once you fully understand the consequences. REASON – If tomorrow changes/adjustments need to be made, you need to know exactly how to make those adjustments and what effect they are going to have. If in doubt there is always someone at the end of a telephone to discuss any doubts you may have.
We will always understand if you want to fly familiarising flights. These may be first flights at Buckminster, test flights of the model or nerve settling flights, however, for safety reasons we would like to check the movement of your controls before you have the first flight. If you need help or advice please ask but if you would rather be left alone for the first flight please tell us. Flying whilst others are watching can be daunting, progress at your own pace and don’t be rushed.
At our Introduction to Aerobatic Days we can discuss subjects in more detail, however:
One of the more important discussions we have is about trimming your aircraft. We don’t propose to be the final authority on the subject, but we hope to give you enough information so that in time and with practice you will be able to decide on your own solutions to trimming to get the best from your model. During my early days with the GBRCAA I developed (with help from around the world) a guide for trimming F3A models. This is a guide and is only somewhere to start, so with practice you can gain enough experience to make your own decisions on what will help you. (Our Basic Trimming Guide). There are other opinions on trimming advice and here is another example:- (a more advanced and different approach to trimming F3A models from Brian Hebert (USA)).
