Videos

Gang --

Two questions:

First, do you think the videos on the market are useful in setting a personal performance standard for the pattern? If so, which would you choose? I am talking about flying only, not the building videos.

Second, do you have someone tape your flights? If so, what is the most valuable self critique position for the camcorder? Stationary where the judges would sit? Or from the center?

Larry:

I have watched a TON of Windy's video tapes, and, in my opinion, a tape is NOT a good coaching tool. EXCEPT for measuring lap time and "listening" to the motor run.

Bill Rich uses videos a bunch, but he's the exception, I believe.

These toy aeroplanes are extremely hard to follow with a camera: and stationary, they tend to fly from the field.

A camera on a tri-pod 180 degrees from maneuver center might help a bit, but I think that you'll be better off taping the flyer, and studying his/her hand, foot and general body movements.

See Ya

You can't beet watching it for real as you have 100% editorial control over what you want to see. I found that spectating at the UK Natioanls last year did more for my flying than watching any video.

Peabody's observations about watching the flier and not the plane strikes a chord. I picked up more about how to control a palne by watching the pilot rather than watching the plane. I learned to relax a lot more and my movements bacame more fluid resulting in smoother flights from my planes. My 'squares' are still octagons though

I think videos do help! I video taped a practice session last summer. I had the camera directly upwind and was able to catch the entire circle. It showed how I was missing my intersections and the shapes of my overhead eights. I then taped just myself flying the patterns to see how I stand, body english, hand movements, etc. The tape was very enlightening. I usually fly by myself so this was a big help for me. Try it and see for yourself. I'll do it again next flying season and compare the two to see if I'm getting any better.

Sometimes it is just good to be able to see for yourself what you, yourself do. We are planning on using the video camera to tape some of Matthew's practice flights this year so he can go back over them and see for himself what I have written down on my critique sheets. Having the critique sheets is one thing, but seeing for yourself what you are doing can be even more helpful. Then you can watch your body "english" while you fly, and try to determine why you do what you do. Towards the end of last year we caught several flaws in Matt's technique in the center of the circle that was affecting what the airplane was doing on the outside. The video camera can catch all of this for both the flyer and the coach. (If I am watching the plane, I can't watch him. If I watch him, I can't watch the plane. How do you put the two together? Replay. Watch the replay.)

Watching videos has helped me a great deal. I have Frank Mcmillon, Bob Hunt, Bill Werwage & several other top pilots on tape & I've watched them many times. I especially pay attention to thier bottoms & thier intersections, also how they correct when they're a little off without doing anything that really catches your eye. Sometimes I'll rewind & watch Bob or Frank or someone else fly a maneuver over & over. Sometimes it's good to watch someone who's not an Expert so you can see the mistakes. Going to contests is the BEST way to improve your flying that I know of, but the videos are a great tool for polishing your pattern, especially if you don't exactly live in "Stunt Mecca". While the information gained at a contest is extremely helpful, you can't rewind a contest flight, unless, of course you have it on tape. Scott Riese tapes a lot of flying from directly upwind & back far enough that he can get the whole flight. They come out very well. He tried to tape me once but the wind wouldn't hold still :/ Tape shot following the airplane with the camera doesn't seem to show me much, btw. Use the tapes to help learn what maneuvers are supposed to look like & then try to make them look like that every time you fly the pattern. Listen to the suggestions given to you at the field by the Judges & the Experts. Fly the pattern again as close as you can to the way the Experts do it. Repeat one thousand times. Your flying will improve a lot. Mine did.

I would agree that video taping your flight, especially if you fly alone, can help. One problem that I keep finding is that you really need to have two cameras rolling to catch potential errors. One needs to be where the judges are, this will indicate the shape of the pattern, and another at the side to determine if the tops are at the correct position. Making good shapes is one thing, making them with the tops in the correct place is another.

45º

I usually view my vids during the cleaning session following the flight. This way, my plane gets clean and inspected and I get to see how it flew. If there are problems, there is no better time to take care of them

Another thing that we need to watch, and we can do that from the side, is the position of our hands. A lot of errors are caused because we held our hand wrong or didn't follow the flight of the airplane or moved our body too soon. It is one thing to know that you made an error. It is still another to learn why you made that error and determnine how to correct it.

Videos help a bunch. I set up my tripod up wind and turn it on just before takeoff. You can listen to motor run and watch your shapes and intersections. I try to do this every other time out. Later on in the evening before I retire if review them and critique them. You really find the flaws and can work at correcting them. Video is an great tool to help get better especially when you are the only flyer in an area.

YOU BET!! Video is the ONLY why to go. If someone tells you different There NOT a stunt flyer!!! I watched Windy's video on how to trim a plane. It's the BEST tape out there on getting the IDEA on how to set up your plane before you fly it. I also wanted to know how to run a tuned pipe. WINDY set me 12 hours on how to set up the Jett 50. Bob hunt videos are so good that you must watch them TWICE to get all of the info. His viedos on how to re-time a engine for stunt and how to make a Plastic tank work are super. Also, since I've gone from beginner to expert in less than FOUR years viedos of my flying are a must. I can see what the judges see and make the corections. So get VIDEOS and study them I DO! scott