The Hammerhead Times
An IAC 36 Publication
Volume 1 Issue 3
March 2007
www.IAC36.org
CHAPTER OFFICERS
Randy Owens
President
[email protected]
Pete Thompson
Vice-President
[email protected]
Gray Brandt
Secretary
[email protected]
Bill Hill
Treasurer
[email protected]
DIRECTORS
Bill Bancroft
[email protected]
Reinaldo Beyer
[email protected]
Dennis Foster
[email protected]
Jenner Knight
[email protected]
Malcolm Pond
[email protected]
PRESIDENT EMERITUS
Bob Branch
[email protected]
WEBMASTER
Randy Owens
[email protected]
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Yolandi Jooste
[email protected]
RUN JOSH!!! THE MINI IS COMING!!!
In this Issue
*The MiniFest
* A note from the President
* A Lesson from Bill Hill
* Snaps and Tumbles
* FYI
* And the Other Stuff
* A Note from the Editor
The San Diego
Hammerheads
IAC 36
THE MINIFEST:
BORN 1990, STILL TICKING
Here comes the first Chapter 36 contest of
2007: April 13-14.
The Borrego MiniFest has been a Chapter
fixture for so long it may seem as much a tradition
as the Akrofest itself. In fact, the chapter had been
hosting Regional contests for almost fifteen years by
the time the first Mini was announced in 1990.
The Mini was the dream child of five influential
chapter members: Bob Branch, Bruce Laurie, Finn
Jensen, George Eaton and Bob Thiessen, all Advanced pilots. Although the idea was not entirely
novel, it was new to the southern California aerobatic community: start the year off by hosting a contest
for the least experienced competitors, just Primary
(called “Basic” then) and Sportsman. The aim was to
create a less intimidating environment than offered
by the standard Regional.
You’ve seen it: gangs of Unlimited pilots striding down the ramp, pushing lowly Sportsman hopefuls
into the grass.
One unique element among Primary-Sportsman contests—the Chapter would apply for IAC
sanction, a move that had significant consequence. It
meant the contest would have full IAC recognition and
the insurance coverage required by the County of San
Diego, but at a price: the Chapter would have to cover
the standard costs of a Regional, despite a Mini-sized
competitor list.
In addition to promising financial loss, it was
also clear the contest would be a labor of love—none
of the competitors would qualify to work, and none
the workers would qualify to fly.
How would we get anyone to show up and
volunteer? Enter Sportsman II—an unknown sequence
scheduled to be flown after the last Sportsman flight
on Saturday. The pilots would be the Intermediate and
Advanced contest volunteers; the prize would be bragging rights.
Yes, I won Sportsman II. No, it’s not Sportsman. It’s—well, let me explain…
As was the case for the first four or five Mini’s, the
first event was a two-day affair, run much like a
standard Regional. The contestant list is probably lost
forever, but I do remember Sportsman II. It was four
Intermediate unknowns, flown back-to-back by each
competitor. New to Intermediate, I was up against a
slew of Advanced pilots, with little hope of success
and the likelihood of lots of zeros.
Until several of the Advanced crew—including
Branch and Laurie—decided they would try their luck
in a Decathlon, square loops, snaps and all. That decision tipped the scales, and I got lucky.
Through the years, the Mini has proved its
worth time and again by giving dozens of new competitors a low-impact starting point. The trophy wall
at Sunrise displays lots of tributes to the success of the
concept: past winners include notables Jon Nash, Tom
Wade, Dennis Foster and Steve Smith, all of whom
stayed in the sport and added considerable value.
In the late 90s the decision was made to limit
the contest to Saturday only, in the hope that a shorter
contest would attract more pilots and volunteers. Three
flights in a single day require lots of stamina on both
sides of the starting line, but the concept has proven
workable. An unfortunate casualty of this decision was
the Sportsman II event.
Three years ago, Joanne and Bill Bancroft
started a grand new tradition: the contest banquet/party
was held at their magnificent Casa Fabulosa del Desert
Aeropuerto. You have to be there to understand the
value.
If we call it a tradition, Joanne and Bill will
have to do it forever.
And finally, a new twist for 2007: thanks to
good attendance at the recent Intro to Judging school
at Sunrise, it looks like we will have five brand new
aerobatic judges on the line this April. So the contest
will serve to christen not only new pilots, but new
judges as well.
New judges always score really high, so this
will be great!
As always, we need pilots and volunteers.
Come on out—practice all day Friday and fly into the
record books on Saturday. See you there!
Why do they always have to have the briefings
at 7 AM?
-Michael Church
A Note From the President
Borrego Minifest Dreams...
My first contest was the Borrego Minifest back
in 2000. I was ready to go. I had completed the Basic
Aerobatics course at Sunrise
Aviation and was starting the
Intermediate Course with one
of my favorite instructors of
all time: Bill Hill.
Bill talked me into attending that first contest. He
told me that it would be a lot of fun and it was a great
first contest. I thought to myself that I didn’t really
know if I cared to compete. I mean, why do it? I had
no aspirations of glory.
I thought about it, and I think I decided to
compete for the same reasons that I learned to fly in
the first place: the fun and the challenge. It’s an interesting combination of motivators, and for all us noncouch-potato-types, those two things are huge motivators.
I hitched a ride out to Borrego with my business partner who had just completed his instrument
rating. There was actually a little bit of “actual” on
the way there. I think he was just as nervous about the
clouds as I was about competing.
When we got to the contest, good old N5535K
was already there and waiting for me. At the time, this
was the premier Decathlon on the
line at Sunrise. It was Bill Hill’s
baby and he kept it as nice as any
rental ever was.
N5535K and I had been
out to the Blockhouse just about
everyday for a week before that
first contest just to make sure
we were both ready. I wanted
to make sure I knew the plane, and I wanted to have
that sequence down (all 5 figures: a spin, a loop, a 90
degree 90, a slow-roll, and a 270 turn, if I recall correctly).
Sitting through the briefing the first day, I was
wondering if I really understood everything (could
find the hold, can I keep it in the box, etc.). I had a
couple of dumb questions for Bill and he answered
everything in his normal calm and patient manner.
My turn came around and I remember flying
in from the hold (yes, I did find it). On the way in, I
thought, “judges: who cares? This flight is for me.” It
was a blast. Somehow flying at the contest made the
activity more fun than it already was.
It was over before it began. I was back on the
ground, and I had a huge smile on my face. I have a
couple of pictures of me next to N5535K just after that
flight, and I’m ear-to-ear.
I was surprised to see the results come out:
I was in first place after that first flight and I stayed
there for the whole contest. My week of “hardcore”
practice in the Blockhouse paid off!
Fast forward to the present day: I fly Intermediate and I need to practice a lot more than the week
prior to the contest to even come in the top half of the
field. I can’t remember the last time I flew a Decathlon, and if I flew one now, it probably wouldn’t be
pretty. I think a reasonably competent Sportsman
Decathlon driver would chew me up and spit me out.
Even though I no longer compete in the
Minifest, I still look forward to that contest every year. It’s my first opportunity to get out to a contest and
reconnect with many old friends who I might not have
seen since the last contest in October. The fun that I
mentioned earlier is still to be found
at the Minifest.
Every year, I’ve come back,
I’ve volunteered, doing whatever
needed to be done, and I usually end
up on the judging line as an assistant. This year, I expect that I may
have that judge’s credential in hand
before the Minifest comes around. Now, my new challenge: being a fair and critical judge
to all the contestants.
As in all prior years, I am looking forward
to the Minifest. If you compete at the Sportsman or
Primary level, come on out. If you are thinking about
competing and haven’t yet, this is the perfect first contest (I speak from experience): come on out. If you
don’t want to compete or fly Intermediate or above,
there’s still plenty of reasons to come on out and enjoy
the day in Borrego with friends and airplanes.
I hope to see you there!
-Randy Owens
A LESSON FROM BILL HILL
Bill Hill is an Aerobatic Instructor at Sunrise Aviation, based out of John Wayne Airport, Ca. He has 12 years experience flying competition aerobatics in a Super Decathlon and has
logged over 2000 hours of aerobatic
instruction. As an aerobatic instructor
and competitor, he has encouraged a
lot of pilots and got them interested
in competition aerobatics. Some of
these pilots have moved on to be
National Competitors. If you missed
Bill Hill’s last article, you can read
it at www.IAC36.org, under the Club Newsletters. His first
article starts on January 2007.
AEROBATIC INSTRUCTOR
During the descent I execute my three (3) wing dips
starting signal, level off at whatever airspeed (NOT
The International Aerobatic Club (IAC) official conTO EXCEED 200 mph IAS) I attain in the descent to
test rules encourage each competitor to signal readi3,000 feet AGL, and focus on entering the aerobatic
ness and intent to start a sequence using wing dips.
box wings level on heading. A common mistake is to
“However, no penalty shall be incurred if this signal
begin the first figure before reaching the aerobatic box
is omitted. The standardized signal to the judges is a
boundary line. In the Super Decathlon you are not indistinct dipping of the wing (3) times immediately one side the box until the visible box boundary line corner
after the other and maybe permarker on your left or right side is
A
common
mistake
is
formed in horizontal, climbing, or
behind the rear wing strut.
descending flight”.
to begin the first figI start the first figure, the 45-degree
ure before reaching the line up looking straight ahead and
The most common wing dip is
to roll the airplane from side-tocounting off 3-seconds after enteraerobatic
box
boundary
side, for example left wing down
ing the aerobatic box. During the
followed by right wing down and line.
3-second count off I lock in my
repeat three times. An alternative
heading with rudder, lock in wings
wing dip is to roll into the crosswind (windward) with level with lateral stick (aileron) and hold level flight
top rudder (left roll, right rudder) to hold your headwith longitudinal stick (elevator). The most common
ing on the x-axis then back to wings level and repeat
error here is using left aileron (bank) instead of left
three (3) times. The one direction wing dip will give
rudder to control heading. Right yaw will occur when
you more time to assess your position relative to the
the airplane is in a high speed, 1-G environment. This
aerobatic box boundaries. There is no criterion for the right yawing tendency must be countered with left
amount of bank used during the wing dip, but from
rudder, not left aileron.
the judges’ perspective, more is better. The wing dip
is what your instructor called a “Dutch roll”. It needs
At the end of the 3-second count-off I make a brisk
to be practiced. Being able to maintain heading while
4-G pull up and freeze the stick position. I am lookrolling to bank angles of 40 - 60 degrees should be
ing to “spike” the 4-G mark on the initial pull and
your goal.
not to sustain 4 -G’s throughout the pitch up (loop)
to the 45-degree line. During the first 20-degrees of
When flying the Primary Sequence, I approach the
pitch up I use my peripheral vision to monitor the area
box on the x-axis into the contest wind at 4,000 feet
approximately 20-degrees left and right of the nose
AGL with full throttle and trimmed nose down. Most
to keep the wings level. During the pull the nose will
competition aerobatics pilots trim their airplanes nose
always want to yaw to right due to the propeller’s
down (nose heavy). This forces you to hold back pres- gyroscopic precession. This right yaw is countered
sure on the stick to fly a level (constant altitude) line
with left rudder, not left aileron. If you use left aileron
using the sight picture through the windshield. It will
prior to the pull to counter the right yaw associated
guard against inadvertent climbs in turbulence and
with high speed and then incorrectly use more left
will put the airplane in better trim for vertical up lines aileron to counter the right yaw caused by gyroscopic
and inverted attitudes. In the Super Decathlon I trim
forces during the pull, the airplane will be in a sigfor a full throttle, hands off, descending 140 mph IAS nificant left roll/right yaw condition as it approaches
with the propeller set at 2600 rpm.
the 45-degree up line. As soon as there is nothing but
sky in the front window, I immediately shift my focus
There are no heading penalties outside the box. Once
from dead ahead to the left horizon. You must learn to
I have corrected my position for the expected drift
control pitch, roll and heading/yaw while looking 90
across the box as I fly the Primary sequence along the
degrees away from your flight path by referring to the
x-axis, I line up heading parallel to the x-axis boundrelationship between the wing tip or sight gauge and
ary line and prepare to enter the box. I begin my
the horizon.
descent at full throttle when the dive attitude to the
far end y-axis aerobatic box boundary is 45-degrees.
During and after the pull to the 45-degree line, pitch is
always controlled by longitudinal stick and the relationship between the left wing tip chord line or sight
gauge 45 degree reference and the horizon. Roll is
always controlled by lateral stick and the relationship
between the left wing tip or sight gauge and a spot on
the horizon. Yaw is always controlled by rudder and
the fore and aft movement of the horizon along the left
wing tip chord or sight gauge 45-degree reference.
Upon reaching the 45-degree line up I freeze the pitch
attitude. Fixing pitch attitude errors during the climb
will result in further grading score deductions. I continue to monitor the relationship between the left wing
tip or sight gauge and the horizon for pitch, roll and
yaw until I push to level flight. The next figure is the
spin, so I cap off the 45-degree line up at an airspeed
that sets me up for the spin
entry as soon as I close the
throttle. In the Super Decathlon I hold the 45-degree
line up until the airspeed
bleeds down to 80 mph IAS. During the push to level
flight attitude I switch my focus back over the nose.
The nose will always want to yaw to the left due to the
propeller gyroscopic forces, so be ready to use right
rudder to maintain heading. I keep the wings level and
briskly push over just enough to maintain a 200 fpm
climb. Too much pitch over the top will result in a
descending line before the spin. Too little pitch and the
airplane will slow down and sag below the level line.
The judges are looking for either of these mistakes. It
takes practice and coaching to achieve a consistent and
proper cap off to the level flight attitude. The 45-degree line up should be completed in the first third of
the aerobatic box with an altitude gain of about 500
feet. Level off in reference to airspeed and not altitude.
I will enter the spin at or about the center of the aerobatic box with no perceptual climb or descent before
or during the yaw into the spin. Grading points will be
deducted if you allow a noticeable pitch up on entry.
At no time does the aerobatic pilot want the airplane
to settle in a maneuver, and in the case of the Super
Decathlon you will achieve the cleanest spin entry out
of a 200 fpm climb. I cap off the 45-degree line up in
a gradual climb, close the throttle and enter the spin
at a speed of 55 – 60 mph IAS. The climb does not
last long enough for there to be a noticeable altitude
gain in the eyes of the judges. Spin entry is a brisk full
rudder input followed by full back stick. The airplane
yaws and the airspeed decays rapidly into a clean stall
with no pitch up. This produces a smooth unforced
entry into the spin’s autorotation. If you allow the Super Decathlon to sag into the spin entry or stall before
it yaws, the result will be a sloppy hunting entry into
an initial steep spiral that will probably not go into
autorotation within the one turn. The result will be at
the very least a low score and a zero if the judges do
not see an autorotation.
At the ½ turn point I ease the stick forward to lower
the nose and accelerate the spin rate. Passing the
¾ turn point, I apply full opposite rudder and upon
reaching the one turn heading, it’s forward stick to
break the stall and set the vertical down attitude, full
in-spin rudder back to rudder centered, full throttle,
and hold the vertical down line to 140 mph IAS. Then
I make a 4-G loop entry pull to level flight and exit the
spin at about 160 – 180 mph IAS ready for the next
figure in the sequence. During the spin recovery, if you
do not develop the habit of inputting in-spin rudder
before centering the rudder the
airplane will not always stabilize
wings parallel to the ground (horizon). This is more of a problem
during the one and one quarter
spin recovery, but you want to
practice the best techniques from
the beginning. Do not hesitate
advancing full throttle when the spin rotation stops.
This will stabilize the vertical down line and accelerate the airplane to your exit speed with the least loss of
altitude. I expect to loose 500 – 1000 feet in the spin.
The cleaner and quicker the spin entry is, the smaller
the altitude loss.
It is important that you be able to spin equally well
to the left and the right. Always yaw into the y-axis
crosswind and if there is no crosswind, yaw toward
the judges’ line. The spin entry to the right will be
quicker because propeller precession pushes the nose
down. This results in a more vertical down attitude
and a faster rotation rate in the first turn. Things happen faster to the right, but the transition to the vertical
down attitude is easier because the airplane is closer to
vertical when the wing unstalls.
How do you know when the airplane is vertical? The
only way you really know what vertical is to the judg-
es on the ground is to have your critiquer or coach tell
you over the radio when the airplane’s attitude is vertical down. Until then, there are ways to get it close.
The vertical line is established by the zero lift line,
which in the Super Decathlon is the wing tip chord
line, the line between the trailing edge and the leading
edge stagnation point. If you have a sight gauge, lay
the vertical reference on the horizon.
It is not a good idea to look away from the ground
when you are pointed at the ground, so I would practice setting the vertical line at altitude, power-off and
then looking over the nose and memorizing the vertical line sight picture. In the Super Decathlon, the cowl
and spinner will be past vertical. With practice and critiquing from the ground you will learn what the down
line vertical attitude is looking over the nose.
maneuvers include: the knife edge spin, tumbles to a
torque roll and the end-over-end tumble.
My father started to teach me to fly when I was only
11 years old. I soloed a glider at 14, and earned my
private pilot certificate in a powered airplane at 17.
During the early years aerobatics remained a dream;
I had to wait more than a decade before forming an
association with Michael Church at Sunrise Aviation
to shape the reality of championship aerobatic performance.
Introduction
I have learned many things about aerobatics from
flying Unlimited over the past 10 years. One of the
biggest learning points came several years ago while
training for the U.S. Nationals. I was getting very
That’s it for this month. Next month I will discuss the
frustrated with my snap rolls. It seemed the harder I
½ Cuban and more.
tried, the worse things became. The revelation in this
instance came when I realized the mechanics I was
-Bill Hill using were causing the airplane to tumble, not snap. However, those same control inputs with a different
timing caused the airplane to snap fast, clean, and stop
effortlessly on point. I knew the key was close and I
By Jon Nash
have been working ever since to unlock the many different factors that influence snap rolls and tumbles.
Snaps and Tumbles
Biography
Competing primarily in a Pitts S2B, Extra 300, and
Edge 540 I have been ranked among the top 10 U.S.
Unlimited Pilots and medaled
five times in the California
Championship Series from 1993
to the present. In 1999 I placed
second in the U.S. Unlimited
Point Series and Flew Warmups at the 2003 World Aerobatic
Championship. Along the way,
I earned his flight instructor certificate and a place on the Sunrise
Aviation staff as an active aerobatic instructor.
Since 2001 I have flown the Edge 540 in regional and
national competition and has extended these skills to
the extreme arena of airshow performance. My continuing mastery of aerobatic competition delivers crisp
and accurate lines, coupled with slow flight virtuosity and amazing high speed tumbles. My signature
As most of you know, the longer you train, the longer the learning plateaus seem to become. Plateaus
are those periods of time when your skills are not
progressing as fast as they could be. In this column I
hope to shorten those plateaus for you by passing on
some of the key learning points, and hopefully removing some of the mystery behind snaps and tumbles. We will explore the mechanics, aerodynamics, physiological factors, and competitive issues facing your
progression starting with basic snap rolls all the way
through Unlimited competition and 4-Minute Freestyle
performances. Learning correctly and safely from the
beginning will help to streamline your progression and
advance you through the ranks quicker.
The following chapters will take you through a logical
progression from basic concepts to advanced techniques. I’ll reserve the right to modify the order and
content based on your feedback. I’m sure as we work
through these concepts, questions will come up that
need to be addressed. 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Aerodynamics for Aerobatic Pilots
Spins and Recovery
Snap Basics
Inside Snaps
½ Snaps
45 Line Snaps
Vertical Snap Rolls
Combination Rolls
Outside Snap Rolls
Basic Tumbles
Advanced Tumbling Techniques
The 4-Minute Freestyle
Air Show Performance Design and Safety
As with everything aviation I want you to do some
homework prior to practicing the skills. Safety is a
critical component of all flight instruction and this is
especially true in the area of competition aerobatics. So you will notice the first two subjects deal with the
equipment i.e., the airplane and its environment. Second, how to recover from some of the possible situations you may find yourself in as an aerobatic pilot. Starting next time with Aerodynamics for Aerobatic
Pilots I hope to review with you some of the more
important areas of aerodynamics necessary to master
your sport and enhance your skills. Some of these
items will be a reminder serving to “knock off the
cobwebs,” other areas may be new to you. In any case
the topics I have picked to review are: Flight Dynamics, Weight and Balance, and Relative Wind. Next
month’s article will be an interesting and necessary
foundation for later discussion on Snaps and Tumbles.
As I mentioned previously I want to hear from you. Feel free to reach me via e-mail with your questions:
[email protected]. You may also book aerobatic
instruction with me at Sunrise Aviation.
Thanks! -Jon Nash
THE FYI
WHAT? The Borrego Mini Fest...
WHERE? Borrego Springs, CA, L08
WHEN? April 13 and 14th
WHO? Power Primary and Sportsman
WHAT TIME? 0900 – Sunset
WHERE TO STAY?
Accommodations:
La Casa Del Zorro Resort: (800) 824-1884 & (760)
767-5323
*Borrego Springs Resort: (888) 826-7734 & (760)
767-5700
*Palm Canyon Resort: (800) 242-0044 & (760)
767-5341
The Palms at Indian Head: (760) 767-7788
Hacienda Del Sol: (760) 767-5442
Oasis Motel: (760) 767-5409
Stanlunds: (760) 767-5501
* Rooms reserved for this contest and discounts
for mentioning San Diego IAC Chapter 36 and the
aerobatic contest.
Car Rental: Desert Car Rental (Airport ManagerVicci Cole and staff) (760) 767-7415
For More Information:
Visit the Chapter 36 web site and pre-register at
www.iac36.org
Or contact the Contest Director: Joshua Muncie
E-Mail: [email protected]
Chapter 49 Judges School
Jon in his Edge 540
CP Aviation will also be hosting a Regional Judging
School on March 24-25th. Anyone interested contact:
Steve Weidler at [email protected].
SUNRISE AVIATION TRAINING CAMP!!
When? April 11-12
Who? Any pilot that needs coaching
for primary or sportsman
Where can I sign up? Registration is at
http://www.aerobats.com/meetingreg.html
Who do I contact? Michael Church at Sunrise
Aviation (949)-852-8850
CONTEST DATES...
[email protected]. Check with Dennis
frequently for information about the box and
how to open it. Things can always change*
CHAPTER 49 & 26 NEEDS YOUR HELP!!!
We are asking anyone, and by anyone
we mean ANYONE to go out and help out the
contests in Delano and Apple Valley. They
especially need help with set up and tear
down duties, so if you are able to come out
a day early or stay a day later to lend a hand
please mark it on your calender and contact
Randy Owens at [email protected] for
more information. Any help will be appreciated and well received.
Some of these contest dates might not
be firm just yet, but to aid with your planning for 2007 here they are...
And The Other Stuff...
The Next Four Weeks...
Borrego Minifest: April 14th
Apple Valley: May 18th and 19th
Paso Robles: June 8th and 9th
Delano: September 1st and 2nd
EVERYONE IS INVITED!!! To where you ask?
Well, practice days of course, or other special events!!
Are you going to be alone? NO!!!! Your fellow pilots will
join you in critiquing and helping you. This is YOUR club,
so make use of it. If there is something you are dying to
know about a hammerhead...there will be people to ask
and questions to be answered...
Borrego Akrofest: October 19th and 20th
But how do we get information
on all these events? Contact the
person in the know.....Gray Brandt
at [email protected]. He will
tell you where, when, what time
and what to bring.
Practice and Registration, of course, is
the day prior to the contest dates listed above
and the rain day is the day after the listed date.
Please refer back to IAC36.org for up-to-date
information on all contest dates*
The box in TNP is a valuable practice
area....
HOWEVER... You must open the box
every time you go
there!!
How? Well, contact Dennis Foster
who is just the
person to do it..
Contact Dennis at
Here are the scheduled dates and events for your planning purposes. March 2007
Saturday 24th @ TNP...................Practice and critiquing
*Reminder...Borrego aerobatic box is closed.
Saturday 31st @ TNP...................Practice and critiquing
*Reminder...Borrego aerobatic box is closed.
*Weekend switched from 3/31 and 4/1 to accommodate
a training camp.
April 2007
Saturday 7th @ TNP.....................Practice and critiquing
Wed. 11th - Thus 12th @ L08.......Sunrise Training Camp
Mini Fest Competition
Friday 13th @ L08....................Practice and Registration
Saturday 14th @ L08..................................Competition
Sunday 15th @ L08.........................................Rain Day
Saturday 24th @ TNP...................Practice and critiquing
REMEMBER, times and dates are subject to
change, as mother nature has a way of changing events,
so contact Gray a few days in advance to know who is
going and what time to get there.
Check for updates and yearly calendar of events
at www.IAC36.org. Look under the events calender icon.
IAC 36 and Sunrise Aviation
Judges School
On February 24th and 25th, Sunrise Aviation hosted a IAC 36 Introduction to Aerobatic
Regional Judges School. There were 15 students
in attendance for both days that now are prospective new judges. On the last day 2 National
Judges joined the fun and relaxed environment
to remain current as Judges. Who was teaching
the class? Well, a friendly guy name Doug Hansmann. He took students with little knowledge of
the sport and turned them into the new aspiring
judges for 2007. Included in the class was our
IAC 36 club president and IAC 36s’ newsletter
editor.
New Aspiring Judges for 2007 and the late one...
Thank you Doug for a great Judges School!
Biography
Doug Hansmann
PhD, earned
his private SEL
certificate in
1972 at Santa
Monica Airport.
Since then he
has earned a commercial rating for SEL, SES,
CFII and glider. Along with his ratings he is also
a USPA Sport Parachuting Instructor. In real life,
he is the Chief Operating Officer for a medical
device company in Seattle called EKOS Corporation. Doug is a Aeronautical/biomedical engineer.
The first aerobatic chapter he joined was IAC
Chapter 36. He took his first ‘competition’ lesson with Michael Church in his Great Lakes Biplane, N6220L, in 1983. That beautiful sunburst
biplane is still based at SNA (with his former
partners).
His wife, Nancy Hansmann, and he were Contest
Directors for the Borrego Akrofest in 1992.
In 1993 they moved to Seattle where they joined
IAC 67 and Doug began flying a Pitts S2-B in the
Washington Regional Contests; Ephrata (Washington) Apple Cup and the Pendleton (Oregon)
State contest. He won Sportsman in 1995 along
with the Highest Score Trophy. (Move Up!!).
Shortly thereafter, the Pitts became unavailable
(owner became involved in the airshow circuit)
and he has been without aero steed ever since.
Instead, Doug and Nancy fly in their Rockwell
Commander, judge local contests and, in 2000,
they both became National Judges. Shortly
thereafter he started teaching the “Intro to
Aerobatic Judging Class”. Doug intend to restart
flying contests again but, in the meantime, this
keeps us involved with the sport and connected
to our numerous aerobatic friends.
Doug and His wife Nancy now live on Bainbridge
Island, WA.
An Introduction to RV Aerobatics
User fees. TFRs. High fuel prices. Increasing regulation. A tight insurance market. It seems
everywhere we turn these days,
there’s a new challenge for
general aviation. And that goes
double for our aerobatic community, which by its very nature
has additional noise and public
relations issues with which to
contend. IAC membership is
down. Here in Southern California, we’re being relegated
to ever smaller and more distant chunks of airspace in
which to legally do our “thing”.
How depressing! There are days when I question whether this avocation of ours will survive. So it
was with great pleasure that I accepted an invitation
last month to
present a seminar on aerobatics at the Socal
RV Rendezvous, a regional
gathering of
homebuilt RVs. Fifty seven
aircraft and
more than 100
people showed
up. The event coincided with IAC’s recent push to be
more inclusive of recreational aerobatics, and the RV
Rendezvous reinforced in my mind the wisdom of that
shift.
According to Vans Aircraft, 5,024 RV-series
airplanes have been built and flown thus far. Thousands more are under construction around the country,
and the rate at which they are achieving flight status is
increasing rapidly as the build time drops.
Aside from the 350 RV-9/10 models, every
one of those 5,024 airplanes is designed for aerobatic
flight. This represents the largest aerobatics capable
fleet in the world. Compare these 5,000 RVs to
perhaps the most ubiquitous competition aircraft, the
Pitts. According to Aviat, approximately 700 factorybuilt and 600 homebuilt aircraft are in that fleet world-
wide. The Extra? I counted 258 of those on the U.S.
registry.
I’ve been involved with the RV community
since a friend of mine started building his RV-7 in
2001. I pounded rivets on his plane and had a chance
to watch one come together from the ground up. My
general impression is that these aircraft are quite conventional and well designed.
I’ve flown the RV-4, RV-6, RV-7, and RV-8. I
wouldn’t consider them to be well suited for competition, primarily because the clean design, flush riveting,
and careful fairing of the draggy bits mean the airspeed will build quickly when pointed downhill. But
they are splendid for recreational aerobatics. RVs are
light in roll but somewhat heavier in pitch. Reminiscent of a Pitts, though not quite as heavy in the lateral
axis.
Speaking of drag, an aerobatic flight in an RV
will open your eyes to just how draggy most of our
competition airplanes are! All that horsepower under
the cowl of your S-2B or Sukhoi is designed for vertical penetration. Speed is, to a certain extent, an enemy
when you’re competing. It will carry you through the
box too quickly. The RV
was designed
for speed
because they
are used for
cross country
transportation. Put that 300 hp
engine in an
Harmon Rocket II
RV and it will
go a lot faster than any Extra 300, Edge 540, or Velox.
I’ve flown a wide variety of Sportsman-level
maneuvers in RVs, and they perform remarkably well
as long as the energy is properly managed. Spins,
aileron rolls, loops, immelmans, cubans, hammerheads, barrel rolls, and the split s are easily done in an
RV within a +3.5/-0G range. This is well within the
designer’s stated design limits of +6/-3G (and ultimate
load factors +9/-4.5G). Airspeed limits such as Vne,
Vno, and Va are high enough that RVs can fly through
these maneuvers without danger of over speeding
the aircraft. Throttle management, unusual attitude
training, and a clear understanding of the RVs slippery
aerodynamics are key to safety in these birds.
Unlike certificated airplanes, RVs come in
many flavors. Different engines, props, canopy styles,
landing gear configurations, etc. Much like a Citabria,
Stearman, or
Cub, most of
them do not
have inverted
fuel or oil systems, so I will
modify maneuvers like the
half Cuban by
rolling upright
as soon as the 45 degree inverted point is reached in
the loop. Remember, we’re just talking about recreational aerobatics. These guys aren’t going to fly
competition in their pride and joy. They just want to
be able to safely perform basic figures.
On the topic of safety, my primary goal at the
Socal RV Rendezvous was to encourage RV pilots
seek out quality instruction before attempting acro in
their aircraft. This is smart advice for any aspiring
aerobat, but it’s especially true with the RV for two
reasons: first, the aforementioned sleekness of the
airframe. And second, builders are often out of the
air completely for several years while they focus on
construction. Their Phase One flight testing may have
been prepared for with recurrent flight training, but
very infrequently does that training include aerobatics. Yet aerobatics must be included in the flight testing if
it’s going to be added to the approved maneuvers in
the airplane’s operating limitations.
A Note From the Editor
Another month has passed and the newsletter is growing. We welcome a new columnist to the
newsletter, Jon Nash, as he adds his wisdom to our
monthlies. Look for Jon Nash’s article about Snaps
and Tumbles.
This is your Chapter and
we welcome any articles or ideas
you would like to share with your
fellow aerobatic community. We
also welcome outside articles from
different chapters in the IAC family. Please feel free to contact me
via e-mail at [email protected].
The Borrego MiniFest is coming, so feel free to
come on out and watch the beginning categories kick
off the California Competition Season, Saturday April
14th in Borrego Springs, Ca. I will be there volunteering, you should too!! (Actually I am Volunteer Coordinator…So you should come out to Borrego so I can
put you to work)
**This newspaper will be a monthly publication**
Which means it will come out every month... If you
are someone that would like a hard copy of all the up
coming newsletters, please e-mail me with your name,
address and contact information and I will send them to
you. Even if you are going on vacation somewhere for a
month or too and worry about not being “in the know”
you can always view them on www.IAC36.org.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
-Albert Einstein
-Yolandi Jooste
On the way home, I couldn’t help but marvel
at the strength and energy in the RV community. We
could use a little of that in our local IAC chapter, don’t
you think? There are five thousand of them out there,
so let’s start recruiting! And if you have the opportunity to take an aerobatic flight in an RV, don’t pass it
up. I’ll bet you’d be pleasantly surprised with what
those little kit planes are capable of.
-Ron Rapp
N1191 Flying Home From TNP
IAC Chapter 36 2007 Membership Application/Renewal Last Page
Visit us at www.IAC36.org
You must read and abide by Borrego Box
Rules published on the web at iac36.org
Hey! Have you paid your dues for 2007? The
Borrego box is reserved for current IAC 36
Members....
Call Bill Hill at (949) 852-8850
e-mail [email protected]
renew on-line at www.iac36.org
or print and use the form below
IAC Chapter 36
2007 Membership Application/Renewal
Name ___________________________________
Address ________________________________
Dues (per calendar year) $30.00
Competition Experience:
City ____________________________________
State ________________ Zip ______________
IAC# ________________ EAA# _____________
Home Phone ( ) ________________________
Work Phone ( ) ________________________
____None ____Basic____Sportsman ____
Intermediate ____Advanced
____Unlimited
Are you an IAC approved Aerobatic
E-mail address _________________________
Aircraft Type __________________________
Referred By ____________________________
Judge?
____No ____Regional ____National
Send your dues payment to:
Bill Hill
Care of: Sunrise Aviation
19531 Campus Drive, #7
Santa Ana, CA 92707