AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2011 - 86

Basic aerobatic maneuvers, such as the loop (right), hone stick-andrudder skills and focus the pilot’s attention outside for visual cues. Unusual attitudes and G forces make aerobatics exciting to perform, however the maneuvers require precision that will give any pilot a welcome challenge.

control inputs to how the body will feel to what it would look like from the ground. The maneuvers that the Citabria can do range in complexity, and nearly all are based on the loop and aileron roll. Each emphasizes stick-and-rudder flying and forces the pilot’s attention outside for positional awareness. For safety (and per the regulations), all must take place above 1,500 feet agl, and the occupants must wear parachutes. The chute, strapped tightly around the legs and chest, provides a sense of security (although the thought of using it is terrifying, especially prior to flight when learning how to jettison the cabin door, get out of the airplane, and pull the rip cord). In the 150-horsepower Citabria, loops start with a dive to 140 knots and 2,500 rpm and then transition into a full-power climb until the aircraft is inverted at the top. Relaxed back-pressure on the stick while inverted rounds the top of the loop. Power is reduced while descending on the back half of the maneuver so that the fixed-pitch prop stays below its rpm limit. During an aileron roll, the pilot dives to 130 knots before pulling up 30 degrees above the horizon and then simultaneously applying full left aileron and coordinated rudder, the body pressing against the lap belt while inverted. Forward stick pressure while upside down maintains altitude until the roll continues around to upright.
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Once these two maneuvers are learned, the pilot is ready to rock and roll by mixing various segments of each. Hammerheads begin like a loop, but the climb pitch should stabilize at 90 degrees, or straight vertical. “The rudder on the side of the turn is applied with opposite aileron, and the airplane will pivot on the wing tip and cut a straight line through the horizon,” Buckley says. This leaves the aircraft pitched down and turned 180 degrees (and gives new meaning to a 180-degree turn). The Immelman combines the first half of a loop with a half aileron roll at the top to return to upright straight-andlevel flight—while the Cuban eight adds half rolls to two loops, creating the track of a horizontal figure-8 in the air. Diving, climbing, and rolling in the Cuban eight overwhelms the senses at first. Sights of the ground, horizon, and sky flash by seemingly as quickly as tumbling in an Orbitron ride. Timing for both of these maneuvers is key. As Buckley described the Immelman, the pilot needs to know the right “nanosecond” to push the stick forward before rolling upright. In the Cuban eight, the roll from inverted to upright must occur while the aircraft is upside down at a 45-degree angle to the ground. Rolling late will cause the aircraft to gain too much speed. Federal aviation regulations do not require formal training or an endorsement

for aerobatic flight, but after experiencing it—with drastic pitch and bank changes and new sensations associated with higher-than-normal G forces—taking lessons to learn the maneuvers (and what to do in case of a mistake) is a wise, safe investment. The International Aerobatic Club (IAC), a division of the Experimental Aircraft Association, maintains a list of schools that offer aerobatic training (www. iacusn.org/schools). Spin it Spins, while taboo for many pilots, are taught, practiced, and encouraged in aerobatics. (The snap roll maneuver is a horizontal spin.) “If you get into trouble, put it into a spin,” instructors counsel during aerobatic flight. Too often, spins are taught to be avoided, and spin recovery is a rote memory exercise. Practicing spins takes the fear and mystery out of the maneuver and boosts confidence. Buckley teaches spins and spin recovery during the first of two aerobatic lessons, and that practice came in handy on the second. After messing up a hammerhead, the Citabria settled into a spin. The familiar rotation made the situation quickly identifiable and easy to rectify. G whiz A concern for some might be the effects of Gs and unusual attitudes on the body. Of the maneuvers the Citabria

86 • FEBRUARY 2011

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2011