Newcomers welcome!

You need just three things to learn aerobatics – a current pilot’s licence, the commitment to learn and the motivation to achieve excellence.

After years of comprehensive training most pilots in the commercial sector have realised that automated flight does nothing to enhance basic handling skills. There is good reason why courses exist in greater abundance for upset recovery training. Witness the number of incidents where fundamental piloting errors have been a factor in determining cause and effect.

Private flying doesn’t have any such pressure applied. Most of the time it’s the simple pleasure of getting airborne that counts. But sound decision making is still needed, especially in unexpected situations or poor weather conditions.

The concept of knowing the range of movement available in flight, and the dynamics of controlled but measured confidence while flying, remains the yardstick of good aerobatic tuition. Perhaps the true meaning of Pilot-in-Command!

You need just three things to learn aerobatics – a current pilot’s licence, the commitment to learn and the motivation to achieve excellence.

Everybody has different expectations and a unique learning experience when mastering the art of aerobatics from scratch.

As well as establishing your basic aircraft handling skills and spatial awareness, the trick is for both of us to understand from the outset those aspects of your personality that you want to express, your strength of purpose and how far you can comfortably stretch your perceived limitations. Overcoming the fear of the unknown is top of the list!

By focussing on the principles of flight and the effect of controls, it is easy to master the classic figures that form the basis of all aerobatics such as loops, rolls and stall turns. The next step is to establish a set of classic figures executed with precision and consistency.

One problem I often see is an initial disconnect between what the eyes see and what the hands and feet are doing – sometimes described as being ‘behind the aircraft’. With practice the process becomes instinctive and reliable, and so does your confidence with all aspects of flight and aircraft handling.

You don’t need to sign up to a course – with Skyhawk Aerobatics flexible learning is the key to success.

What’s involved:

Those new to aerobatics need a combination of theoretical knowledge coupled with practical exercises in the air:

  • An appreciation of slow flight and stalls right through the speed range to flying at the aircraft maximum velocity.
  • Getting used to the change in aerodynamic loading, not to mention engine sounds, is a vital part of recognising the performance potential.
  • This also provides a valuable insight to lines and angles that you will need to learn, including what the vertical looks like.
  • Classic figures include Loops, Rolls and Turn Reversals where direction changes start to make sense of linking figures together.
  • In a surprisingly short period, the skills develop quickly to realise your position in the air and working along strong linear ground features such as roads and railways.

These are the building bricks needed to advance handling skills and progress to more intricate manoeuvres.