2012 Schedules Released
by John Glezellis [email protected]
As I am writing this column, the 2012 International Miniature Aerobatic Club (IMAC) schedules have recently been released. Although each of the five IMAC classes—Basic, Sportsman, Intermediate, Advanced, and Unlimited—contains 10 maneuvers, each class differs greatly in complexity.
In the Basic routine, there is a Hammerhead. Unlimited also contains a Hammerhead, but instead of performing this maneuver with nothing on the upline or downline, the pilot is to enter inverted and perform one-and-a-half negative snaps followed by a half roll in the opposite direction on the upward segment of the Hammerhead. Then, on the downline, a four-point roll must be executed before pushing to an inverted exit. What began as a basic maneuver can become tedious to perform!
Because these programs change on a yearly basis, I would like to dedicate this column to learning a new sequence. As described in the Hammerhead example, elements can become difficult to remember, especially when 10 maneuvers must be performed in a specific order.
In the past, I have discussed the importance of having a caller—someone who will read off each individual maneuver to you throughout the course of a given flight. This is great and certainly needed for a competition flight, but it is sometimes not possible if you are practicing alone.
I would like to discuss the methods that I use, as well as a few practices that have been done by other pilots. Now, let's begin!
The Right Sequence for You
If you haven't already done so, visit the official IMAC website, listed in "SOURCES," and print off your schedule.
If you are just getting started, I'd advise that you begin with the Basic routine.
Flying competition aerobatics requires time and dedication. I have dedicated a great portion of my life to flying, beginning with competing in Precision Aerobatics at the age of 11, and in Scale Aerobatics at the age of 14. I am 27 years old.
I urge you, though, that even if you are a skilled pilot and can perform maneuvers from the Intermediate routine (for example), you should start from the beginning and work your way up. Important fundamentals are learned from competition.
Before I began competing in IMAC, I had a background in Precision Aerobatics and was actually in the Masters class; however, I still started off in the Sportsman class in IMAC. Take your time and never rush out of any class. Learning each fundamental is critical to ensure success in the future.
Now, let's see how your memorization skills stack up!
Memorization
I understand that when it comes to memorization skills, everyone is different. When a new sequence comes out, I urge you not to become overwhelmed.
When I first see the routine that I will fly for the year, I either write the sequence down on a piece of paper or type it on the computer. I look at the Aresti figures shown and translate each maneuver into text that I would like my caller to read to me when I am flying the routine. By studying each maneuver and taking time to write the sequence down, I become familiar with that given routine.
If time permits, I spend some time on the flight simulator reviewing the sequence and familiarizing myself with the orientation of the airplane at different segments of each maneuver—after all, repetition is key for familiarity! To prepare yourself for your first session at the field with your airplane, I recommend that you bring a copy of the Aresti diagrams for your class, as well as a written description of the sequence so a fellow club member can read your sequence for you while you are flying. Even if you are familiar with Aresti, not everyone is.
To help you out, download the IMAC Lite application for your smartphone. This application has a lot of useful information regarding sequences and even includes a written description of the sequence. Check it out for your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.
After you look at the application, compare the Aresti sequence with the written description and familiarize yourself with each symbol. Learning Aresti takes some time, but having a text description and an actual Aresti sequence to compare it with will help you out greatly, especially if you are just starting out!
Before we move on to the next segment, I will reveal a neat trick that I saw on a recent trip to the flying field. My father has an interesting technique that he uses when practicing his routine alone. He prints the Aresti on a 3 x 5 piece of paper by simply scaling down the size of the sequence. He laminates and attaches the paper to the transmitter's antenna with two small pieces of Velcro. If he needs a mental refresher of what maneuver is coming next, he can quickly glance at the transmitter. This technique works well!
At the Field
Now that you have your schedule typed out and you have spent some time on a flight simulator, becoming familiar with that given routine, it is time to go to the flying field and begin practicing.
On your first few flights, I recommend that you try each maneuver separately. Don't overwhelm yourself by taking off and starting the entire routine. If the routine appears to be tedious for you at a specific time, stop the sequence and start from the beginning.
The 2012 Basic routine begins with a basic roll. The second maneuver is a Half Cuban 8 with a half roll down, and so on. I recommend that on your first flight, you practice the roll until it is either perfect or nearly perfect. That means establish your baseline at a fixed altitude and parallel to the runway and perform the roll centered on yourself as the pilot. Execute the roll so that the aircraft is inverted when the airplane is directly in front of you and so the rate of rotation never changes.
When you have become familiar with this maneuver, practice the second maneuver, which is a five-eighths pull to a 45° downline with a half roll, centered on the 45° line. Once you can properly execute this maneuver, move on to the third one.
After you have flown all maneuvers in that given routine, perform the first maneuver and then the second maneuver, one after the other. As you start adding maneuvers within a given routine, you may become "rushed," which means that one maneuver starts immediately after another.
To illustrate this for the Basic routine, a pilot who is new to IMAC may perform the roll after the aircraft passes the pilot's position. The pilot will be forced to go into the second maneuver almost immediately. This should not be the case. It is important to maintain a constant pace throughout the routine and give each individual maneuver the proper amount of aerobatic space required for the best possible presentation.
Now that we've discussed presentation and timing, let's look at cross-box maneuvers. Because I am flying the Unlimited program, maneuvers have directional elements that may change for a given flight. For example, Maneuver 4 from the Unlimited program is a one-and-a-half-turn positive spin followed by a three-fourths negative snap with a pull to an upright cross-box exit.
If the spin is performed in one direction, the snap will be in that direction and will determine whether the airplane will be coming in or traveling away from the pilot because it is what is considered a "cross-box" maneuver. This term simply means that the airplane will be traveling on the Z-axis rather than the traditional X- and Y-axes.
If an incoming crosswind exists, the pilot should perform the maneuver so that it is exited traveling away from the pilot and into the wind. If this is not the case and the airplane exits coming in, the pilot will be rushed to perform the next maneuver because the wind will also be pushing the airplane closer to the pilot.
Closing Thoughts
I have shared a few tips that should help you memorize your new routine. If you have gotten aerobatic competition fever, I hope that you take and apply some of these key fundamentals.
Spend time looking at the sequence from both directions, and examine any cross-box elements. The Basic class does not contain any cross-box components and is the ideal introductory class to basic aerobatics. It is important to be able to perform your sequence in all types of winds.
As I mentioned earlier, many individuals who are just getting started in IMAC sometimes have difficulty reading Aresti symbols. Throughout the years, I have written a few columns discussing full routines or individual maneuvers and what is meant by each symbol.
If you are looking at a particular symbol or figure and still experiencing difficulty even after you look at the IMAC Lite application, either post a question on the IMAC website under the Forums section or write to me!
Until next time, fly hard!
SOURCES
- IMAC
- Aeroworks
(303) 371-4222 www.aero-works.net
- Android
- Apple
- Extreme Flight RC
(770) 887-1794 www.extremeflightrc.com
- Hangar 9
(800) 338-4639 www.horizonhobby.com
- Velcro
(800) 225-0180 www.velcro.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
