08/08/2024
FESTIVAL OF FLIGHT COUNTDOWN: 4 DAYS
SPOTLIGHT ~
Before the BIG Air Show, we wanted to share some interesting information about the different types of Aerobatics used throughout the aviation industry.
AEROBATICS OVERVIEW: flight is all about exploring the full flight envelope of your airplane in all three dimensions of space. Its roots come from dogfighting in World War I when were inventing tactical maneuvers to evade enemy fire or to position themselves to fire at an enemy plane. Aerobatics quickly spread to civilian pilots as an exciting and fun way to fly, and has become an extremely visible part of aviation. Throughout the world, air shows are most people’s first introduction to . Many aerobatic pilots consider there to be three basic styles: “Gentleman’s” aerobatics, competition aerobatics, and air show aerobatics.
Aerobatic flight requires training and proficiency, especially with regards to spin recovery and unusual attitude recovery, before pilots should attempt it solo. It also requires an that is built to withstand the G-loading and torsional stresses of the figures that are being flown. A conservative attitude towards aerobatics is the only reasonable way to embark on this portion of your flying journey.
GENTLEMAN’S AEROBATICS: Gentleman’s aerobatics is usually described as smooth aerobatics flight that is graceful and simple in construction of figures and usually is performed with relatively light, and almost always positive, G-Loading. This is the style of aerobatics that one would fly to give an enjoyable ride to a friend or relative. Many pilots with “aerobatic airplanes” like the , , or a will introduce friends to aviation with a flight that includes a , , Hammerhead, and a Cuban 8.
COMPETITION AEROBATICS: Competition aerobatics is a very popular worldwide motorsport that provides pilots a venue to refine their flying throughout a wide range of skill levels. There are five categories to choose from as a competitor: Primary, Sportsman, Intermediate, Advanced, and Unlimited. Both the Advanced and Unlimited categories have a world championship competition that is held every other year. aerobatics is a very structured environment, and therefore a great way to learn aerobatics, that focuses on precision ex*****on of pre-defined aerobatic figures. Much like figure skating, a competitor will fly three programs: a Known or compulsory , a Freestyle flight which a competitor gets to design their own sequence, and an Unknown sequence which is provided to the competitor and the contest.
AEROBATICS: Air shows are the most visible form of aerobatic flight. They are all about smoke trails and lots of engine and prop noise with the primary goal of entertaining and inspiring the family audiences that are attending the event. Air show organizers put together the most diverse set of acts that they can ranging from the Cub comedy act, the bi-plane acts and the extreme flying of the high tech , to the awesome power of a military jet team and the amazing maneuverability of the F-22. According to many sources air shows rank 2nd in spectator sport attendance figures in the U.S. every year.
AEROBATICS RESOURCE: There are many on-line resources to help learn and improve their aerobatic skills. The International Aerobatic Club (a division of the EAA) web site at www.iac.org is an excellent place to find information on getting started and where to find aerobatic instruction as well.
Performers:
• all female skydiving team will be returning!
• Stephen Covington - flying
• Skip Stewart - flying " The Flying Machine" Biplane
• Erik Edgren Comedy Show - flying the “ ”
• - flying a Multi-ship performance
• - a local Rock band playing live at noon & performing the National Anthem at the start of the air show.
37th ANNUAL AIR SHOW/OPEN HOUSE INFO:
• DATE: Sunday, August 11th
• TIME: 9am-4pm
• ADMISSION & PARKING: FREE
• AIR SHOW: 1:30 - 3pm ~ plan to arrive early
• ADDRESS: 6500 PATTERSON PARKWAY, WATERFORD
• Event Info: https://bit.ly/2024FestivalOfFlight
