Beginner pattern- inside loop to outside loop tran

The beginner pattern gives a pilot the option of entering the outside loops upright or inverted. Which is preferred?
If the answer is inverted, what is the best way to transition from the inside loops to inverted flight?
I have been entering the outsides upright. In the second lap after the inside loops I climb gradually to 45 degrees, fly at that altitude for 1/4 lap and begin the outside loops. I find this flows well.
However, the 45 degree entry altitude is more subjective (in perception) than the altitude of level flight. Thus, that first half outside loop comes down to level flight altitude and any misjudgments here are quite obvious (especially if it's 6 feet too low). I'm wondering if the overall impression of the outside loops might be improved if I started inverted from level flight and climbed to the more subjective 45 degrees?
Thanks for your help.
Derek Moran

I suppose the best way is to do an additional half inside loop then pull inverted into level flight, fly your two level laps inverted and then fly the outside loops. This is similar to what you will do when you move up to Intermediate and start flying the regular pattern.

In Old Time Stunt there is the option to enter the outside loops at the top (upright) or at the bottom (inverted). I used to enter from the top because I thought it was more impressive, but now I enter from the bottom because I can fly the first loop much better by doing so. I think you will find the same in flying the Beginner pattern.

I think that if you can fly inverted, you should enter them inverted. It will be easier to nail the first loop, at least. It does bring up a potential point of controversy, tho. Remembering that the pattern points require the flier to enter and exit the maneuver correctly, do the correct number of loops, etc., in order, adequate level laps between tricks and all under the flight time limit. As I see it, in Beginner, where you don't do the inverted laps between the insides and outsides, you are not exiting the insides correctly, or exiting the outsides correctly, if you just do it the way the full pattern is done. One then COULD make a case for not awarding pattern points.

Now, I am not saying that is right, but that it could be a point of contention. I do Judging duty at least as much as I fly in contests, and I would not consider this to be a good thing for judges to do. To be absolutely correct, I would personally do my insides, pull out upright, fly 1/4 lap or more, then go inverted, fly two + laps inverted, then do the outside loops and pull out inverted again, fly 1/4+ lap inverted and then half-loop to upright.

The same thing happened in OTS at the NW CL Regionals, where a certain vile individual did his outsides from inverted and recovered with a concentric half outside to upright. Not correct, no pattern points. I think this would be a bogus thing to do to a Beginner.

Around these parts, we mostly have to throw Beginners and Intermediates together, but even if we seperate them, we let the Beginners fly all of the standard pattern that they can do. They cross off the stuff they can't do, and if they do what's left correctly, they get pattern points. For example, they can do a single (cross off the "reverse") wingover, no inverted, three insides, a clover leaf (or whatever), land, and get pattern points. Steve

I would suggest entering the outside loops in the same method as you will when you fly the "complete" AMA pattern....from inverted. If you can fly six laps interted, do that, too.

This may help prevent "brain farts" when flying Intermediate and Advanced. Experts NEVER forget anything...lol!

See Ya

Steve,

In Old Time Stunt rules, there are only two items which will allow no pattern points...

a. that maneuvers are flown out of order
b. that you go over eight minutes
c. to OTS rules I was taught that you could crash after the climb
and dive and still receive pattern points
d. this is just a part of the OTS rules
e. you may do what you desire with pattern points if you advertise
that fact in advance in your contest flyer

This was taught to me by Bill Zimmer(mulitple Nats judge and OTS guru.

I do prefer to enter the outside loops inverted as it allows you to show where the bottom is and I do exit them any way the pilot meeting suggests as to what the judges desire for that day.

Entering the outside loops inverted also allows the pilot to practice the entry into the actual inverted flight maneuver when it comes up later in the pattern.

The best way to learn inverted flight is to start doing lazy eights. These get you moving the handle up and down and you get the habit of pulling "down" to recover from the inverted attitude.

Control line lazy eights are not the AMA Horizontal Eights, nor are they the FAA Commercial Lazy Eights. To do a lazy eight, start into a regular loop. Just over the top, neutralize the handle, let the model gently drift down, then recover with half an outside loop. Lazy eights do not twist the lines so you can do as many as your heart desires. The manuever itself is fun and gets you into a certain rhythm.

Gradually stretch the drift down portion of the lazy eight out until you are flying a lap inverted. Voila! You can fly inverted.

Some people learn to fly inverted by turning the handle horizontal. There was a separate thread going about this somewhere on this Forum.
You cannot hear it outside the circle, but I constantly talk to myself (loudly sometimes) when I'm flying. When I'm inverted, I simply remind myself over and over what I'm doing and what I'm supposed to be doing next.

I agree with everyone else here. The best course of education is to learn these maneuvers in the proper order.

Judges should read the rules before judging. The 1951-52 OTS rules state that the outside loops may be started and competed at top. Nothing is said about the exit and the diagram does not support the idea that anything but a concentric half loop is the correct exit. I have no objection to other exits, as none is specified.

This year at the VSC the judges asked for some inverted flight before the exit. This in not in accordance with the tules, nor prohibited by the rules, as I see it. Because they specified this in the pilots meeting, noone had a problem with it. If you are going to deviate from the rules, you should tell everyone up front. If it is a serious deviation, it should appear on the contesf flyer.