How do you find the top of the circle?

This is a post Jim made in a different location. I thought it might be better as a new post.

Since you asked, hehehe How do you figure out where vertical is when looking up during manuvers and then re-orient youself to that exact vertical axis on numerous occasions in the pattern, ie, Reverse-Wing Over, Tops of Verticals Eights, The top of the Hourglass and finally the Overhead Eight? That's the one thing I have a really hard time doing. Some people make it look so easy though.

Jim Pollock

>How do
>you figure out where vertical
>is when looking up during
>manuvers and then re-orient youself
>to that exact vertical axis
>on numerous occasions in the
>pattern, ie, Reverse-Wing Over, Tops
>of Verticals Eights, The top
>of the Hourglass and finally
>the Overhead Eight? That's the
>one thing I have a
>really hard time doing. Some
>people make it look so
>easy though.
>
>Jim Pollock

I have seen different people do different things. I have seen a lot of errors made when people try to rotate at the top of the circle. For that reason we face about 90 degrees left of the entry to the first wing over and then plant our feet. We just bring it over, turn at the bottom and come around in front, and then bring it over again. By doing this you have positioned yourself to being able to see your exact entry and exit points so that you don't make that "turn" at the top that so often happens when you rotate.

For the overhead eight, a lot of people will lean way back. Some will even use the bill of their cap as a reference point.

I will be interested to hear what others care to add as to what they, themselves, do under these circumstances.

To me, it's a great way to gauge a flyer's age: the older the flyer, the less "overhead".

See Ya

That might work for the wingover if you are right handed, but if you are lefty (i am) I can't find a good way to set my feet, so I don't have to turn.

On the ground, about 2 feet apart works for me. (Everybody likes a little a**, nobody likes a smarta**)

Some older folks do pretty well so maybe a more appropriate statement would be the fatter and badder the back the lower the top of the circle-now perhaps we are known as range of motion challenged. Actually,for me the top of the circle is as far up and back as I can get it without falling down.

Larry

Whatever method you use, it worked yesterday. Congrats on your 3rd place finish in Advanced PA yesterday (1st time in advanced, I think).

I do it much the same as Leonard described with an addition, but... This was taught to me by Big Art. When you make the first turn into a vertical don't raise your head right away but follow the airplane with your eyes. This gives you a much better reference to vertical because your watching from a stationary position. Once you know the model is really going vertical, raise your head and follow it through. Some people like John Sunderland don't even watch the airplane over the top, once he's got it straight he turns and watches the other side of the circle for it to reappear. I'm not sure, but I think this also helps make the bottoms more consistant since you are already looking horizontal and can turn the model into your field of vision instead of trying to "anticipate" the ground to make the turn. I'm not altogether sure about this, but I plan to experiment with it this summer since my bottoms are so inconsistant. For me reference to the top center is more a matter of timing. With the ground out of site completely there is no reference to go by, so time to the top is my method. Don't know how good it is, but it's all I have. It's pretty accurate I believe if you compare it to say a square 8. When all is right there is a definite rythm to the corners and you can almost count it off to perform the maneuver, same with square loops. Straight up in achieved at 1/2 the time it takes from turn to turn.

As far as a southpaw goes, I'm not sure what you'd do, GMA was lefthanded but flew in the Clockwise direction and didn't have that problem. He did theorize however that a lefthander flying C-Clockwise had an advantage because he led the airplane into all maneuvers rather then trailing it like most right-handers do. Big Art again showed me that you need very much to keep the handle in front of you instead of off the right shoulder like I used to so. It's helped me alot, but it takes alot of concentration.

I can see what it takes to do a reverse wingover for a lefthander flying C-Clockwise, I guess the half turns are the only way to do it.

Just "look up".

Thanks, you didn't do too badly yourself in OT with third place!

IF I was a lefty, I would rotate my feet/body faster leading into the reverse wingover, plant my feet maybe 10 degrees shy of being in line with the wingover, and start the wingover with my left hand in front of my right shoulder, and looking about down the lines, head turned to the right. Then it's up, over, back and up and over again, not moving the feet until after the upright pullout. That is, if my back is not any worse than normal, and I can actually bend my neck to watch the model go over the top. Luckily, I'm right handed, but can crank a baitcaster with either hand just fine. Ok, I know two local guys that fly with "down" is "up", which just boggles my mind. I keep amazing myself with how thick the rust is after only 30 years. Steve