"Inverted" pattern

LAST EDITED ON Sep-01-03 AT 02:53 PM (CDT)
 
"Inverted" pattern ????

OK, so you're a pretty 'hot shot' pilot !! How about a little challenge?

After what seems like 8 zillion repetitions of the same 15 maneuvers, the excitement of flying the pattern was starting to wane. I found my mind wandering during a flight, not being able to concentrate. Our Sunday morning practice sessions were getting a little repetitious, so I needed something different....something exciting.

"So," I said to myself, "I wonder if I could fly the whole pattern INVERTED?" Just take off, flip inverted, fly clockwise, and start and exit each maneuver inverted (with the exception of the normal inverted laps, which would be upright). Obviously the takeoff and landing would be done in the normal upright position. I "dry flew" through the first few maneuvers, and then said to myself"...what the heck...I'll figure it out when I get in the air..."

So, I fired up the reliable OS 40 Surpass 4-stroke on the old 115% Prowler...the only plane I would dare risk to such an adventure. I told Newell I was going to fly the pattern *inverted*, I tried it, and much to my surprise, I did it!! I took off, flipped inverted, and carefully proceeded to work my way through the pattern, flying left to right, and starting and finishing each maneuver inverted. I had not practiced any of the maneuvers from the inverted position except the triangles, which I learned to do "outside" after watching TF do it at the Nats to unwind his lines at the end of a flight. Now in all honestly, I'm not completely nuts, and this was the first time that I ever tried such a thing, so I passed on the 'square eight' and the 'hourglass' (I'll do them next time). <g>

It may sound a little wacky, and it was indeed very weird, but it's the most fun that I have had flying a CL model in ages. I was laughing out loud when I finished the cloverleaf and pulled out upright.

So, here's your assignment, if you choose to accept it: Fly the entire AMA pattern inverted, with the exception of the takeoff and landing. All other maneuvers will start and finish inverted, except the "normal inverted laps".

Here's the rules:

No practicing individual maneuvers separtely...the flight must be flown as one complete AMA pattern.
Takeoff and landing are in the normal upright position.
Fly as high as you like. You're not being judged, and bottoms are at a altitude that is comfortable (some of mine were around 20 feet).
Take extra level (inverted) laps if necessary in order to visualize what is coming up next.
Don't use a good airplane.

I know of at least one person that will not be able to pass up this challange....Eric V. from the Tampa Bay Line Flyers....he'll try it, and probably succeed. He may have done it already !

I kid you not on this....I actually did it. I know I pulled your leg in the past with the Hughes Stunter thing, but I really am serious this time (I hope I have a little credibility left after that.) My flying buddy, Newell, can testify to the fact that I did it, however he did admit that he had a hard time trying to figure out what I was doing (he wasn't alone).

Wait until you get to the 'cloverleaf'.....you are going to love that one. But if you have gotten that far, you obviously have it figured out, so you shouldn't have any problem !!

Report back here when you have done it.

Cheers, and a whole bunch of fun.

Warren W

p.s. DISCLAIMER ..I accept no responsibility for any damage caused to any airplanes or egos.

Inverted clover... outside,inside, inside, outside. That wasn't so hard.

Warren,
This has been done before. but if you really want a challenge.. Gene Schaffer used to fly the pattern BACKWARDS.. starting with the stem (end of) the clover!

Many of us saw him do it!

Another goodie is the triangular vertical 8. Enter at 45 deg, do an inverted triangle down to 5 ft, then stack an upright triangle on top to hit 90 deg. Repeat in the same place. Exit at 45 deg.

And you thought outside squares were tough....

Sounds like a good way to reduce the inventory of old surplus planes.
Bigiron

LAST EDITED ON Dec-21-03 AT 06:41 AM (CST)
 
What ever happened to the sense of adventure with the F.A.I?? The section of F.A.I info is from the proposed rules for 1964. I wonder what inventive "freestyle" manoeuvres would have been flown to sort the men from the boys!!

In full scale competition aerobatics the first flight is the known, a sequence everyone flies all year long. It is so fundamental that it has become a qualifying flight for the rest of the contest. You are expected to do well in it.

The second flight is a freestyle, where the pilot gets to define a sequence of figures within parameters. This, too is practiced all year long and a serious pilot will know it as well as the known.

The third flight is the unknown, where a sequence is presented to the pilots the night before the competition flights and they can only practice it in their mind and with their hands before flying it for the first time in front of the judges for score.

The Unknown is the real test of competition aerobatic acumen and it has often sorted out the results in an otherwise close contest.

FWIW,

Cy

LAST EDITED ON Dec-20-03 AT 00:34 AM (CST)
 
Whem I was in Helsinki the Sibelius Univerysity had something similar on the auditions for new students,.

The guy would listen to the rythm section playing 2 of 3 choruses of a song he didn't know and then he'd have to improvise on the changes.

Well, any jazz musicain worth the salt he eats outgha be able to do that...

Much, much more challenging, I believe is the "Mirror Meet Pattern". Four pages of maneuvers, including provisions for refueling.

"Bolo" wingovers........

Rich Giacobone won a division of it one year, and was third the year that I have the entire pattern scanned. I'll e-mail it to you in PDF (for the MAC Challenged amongst us.

See Ya

I saw a fellow do the pattern that way during practice at the NATS. I dont remember his name but he is the man that flies the big tri-plane and won intermediate a couple of years ago at the NATS. It really blew me away to see that huge tri-plane performing the pattern but then to see him fly it through the pattern inverted/backwards. It was cool to watch but I dont think I want to give it a try.

LAST EDITED ON Dec-20-03 AT 00:39 AM (CST)
 
George Aldrich told me he could do the pattern both ways (since he had to be able to fly other peoples' airplanes). When flying someone else's plane, all he did was hook the handle up upside down and fly the pattern "inverted" (from his clockwise flying point of view, of course..) - push down for inside loops, etc.

Frankly, I don't think it'd give most people trouble. To fly at the same level in both directions, now that would be a challenge. But to complete the flight without crashing would be within the grasp of almost everyone who can already fly the Pattern.