Overhead 8?

What is the proper way to enter the overhead 8?

I was reading the Brodak catalog and on page 7 in the section on "Stunt Flight Patterns", paragraph 8, it says, "From level flight, and with the wind at your back, apply up control at point 1 so that the model climbs in the same manner as at the start of a wide inside loop...".

In the section an beginner aerobatics the maneuer is diagrammed beginning on the upwind side of the cilcle, like the wing over.

What is the right way to do it? Does it matter?

>What is the proper way to enter the overhead 8?
>
>I was reading the Brodak catalog and on page 7 in the
>section on "Stunt Flight Patterns", paragraph 8, it says,
>"From level flight, and with the wind at your back, apply up
>control at point 1 so that the model climbs in the same
>manner as at the start of a wide inside loop...".
>
>In the section an beginner aerobatics the maneuer is
>diagrammed beginning on the upwind side of the cilcle, like
>the wing over.
>
>What is the right way to do it? Does it matter?

It is on the upwind side of the circle like the wingover. Here, then, you exit down wind. And, yes, it does matter. You must follow the rule book description.

>What is the proper way to enter the overhead 8?
>
>I was reading the Brodak catalog and on page 7 in the
>section on "Stunt Flight Patterns", paragraph 8, it says,
>"From level flight, and with the wind at your back, apply up
>control at point 1 so that the model climbs in the same
>manner as at the start of a wide inside loop...".
>
>In the section an beginner aerobatics the maneuer is
>diagrammed beginning on the upwind side of the cilcle, like
>the wing over.
>
>What is the right way to do it? Does it matter?

In the PA pattern, the overhead eight must be oriented such that the intersections above the pilot's head are pointed down wind. This means that the model is traveling downwind at the intersections of the eights, directly away from where the judges would normally be located. This also means that the overhead eights are started with a vertical climb from level flight at the upwind side of the circle, in front of the judges who are normally located at the upind side of the circle.

How the pilot stands with respect to the wind is his choice. He can have his back to the wind, face into the wind, either side into the wind or anywhere else. You will see different top pilots do it in different ways.

The overhead eight is one of the four maneuvers the rulebook specifically shows how they are to be oriented with respect to the wind.

>How the pilot stands with respect to the wind is his choice.
> He can have his back to the wind, face into the wind,
>either side into the wind or anywhere else. You will see
>different top pilots do it in different ways.
>
>The overhead eight is one of the four maneuvers the rulebook
>specifically shows how they are to be oriented with respect
>to the wind.

That is a good point, Keith, and one that we often forget. Most of the flyers face the judges for this one and I noticed at the Nats this year that most of the flyers were flying it in front of them. There are no reference points up on top, and unless a flyer bends his head back far enough, he "thinks" he is flying overhead when he is not. It is tilted towards the judges. And those who fly with their backs to the judges will often times bias it in the other direction. I have often wondered how much affect that might have on their scoring, since their presentation, although no worse than the others, would look "out of place".