Five-day aerobatics training course, taught by Jason Stephens in the beautiful, nimble MDM-1 Fox, at Arizona Soaring (Estrella Sailport).
Ground school:
Hookup:
Takeoff roll:
On tow:
Release and maneuvers:
Flying the aerobatic maneuvers (as I understand them; don't try any of these moves on your own without an instructor, preferably Jason Stephens!):
Loop: Pitch down 45 degrees until you reach 100 knots, pull up to 4G, tilt head back, relax back pressure when the inverted horizon begins to rise over your head, glide over the top, pull through the bottom at 4G, pitch nose above horizon to return to normal cruise speed. (If the embedded video clip will not play, view the original video clip on YouTube.)
Cloverleaf loop: Same as loop, but as the nose crosses the horizon as you start up, look 90 degrees to one side and initiate a 90 degree roll in that direction so that the wings are level in inverted flight at the top of the loop 90 degrees off of the original heading. Recover 180 degrees from the direction you rolled. (If the embedded video clip will not play, view the original video clip on YouTube.)
Rolls to and from inverted: To inverted: roll, keeping nose level with the horizon and in one place using the rudder. Inverted flight: push nose up, more than it feels like you should, or you will overspeed when you roll upright. From inverted: nose should describe a circle. As you reach knife-edge flight, you need top rudder, both rolling to inverted and rolling from inverted. Rolling to inverted is easier than rolling upright from inverted. (If the embedded video clip will not play, view the original video clip on YouTube.)
Aileron roll: Put the two halves together. This is harder than it sounds, especially if you roll quickly. (If the embedded video clip will not play, view the original video clip on YouTube.)
Half Cuban Eight: Like a loop, but entry speed is 105 knots. After gliding over the top inverted, pitch to 30 degrees below the horizon, roll upright, recover. I did not get far enough to learn this one; Jason himself is flying it as a demo in the video clip. (If the embedded video clip will not play, view the original video clip on YouTube.)
Approach and landing:
Debriefing and moving the glider back to its hangar:
©2013, 2014, 2017 Mermaid Underwater Photographic. All Rights Reserved.
This page sponsored by Mermaid Underwater Photographic. Contact us at mermaid@underwater.org.
Last modified 14 April 2017