Man! I coulda taken 2nd in Advanced Precision Aerobatics today...

batjac Sun Apr 14, 2019 7:44 pm

If I'd only brought a plane!

I went to the Spring Tune-Up at Delta Park in Portland today to watch Precision Aerobatics. If I'd just had a plane, I could have taken 2nd in Advanced. Namely, because only one person entered... If I just had a plane, I could have told the judges that I was forgoing pattern points, and I was just doing the take-off, wing-over, and landing, and I'd have gotten the minimum points. But at least I'd finish *a* pattern, and take second. One of the club members offered to let me fly the Flying Clown he had for slow clown racing, but when told the wing-over had to be inverted, he said "I don't think the Clown will do inverted." Just think, if I'd had my SIG Skyray in the car, I could say a Black Widow took second in Advanced PA!

Ah, well. Always next year. But, if I really wanted to be cheesy, I could have done it in Intermediate. NO ONE entered Intermediate, and I could have had First! **

The Non-Competitive Mark

** (edit) Oops! I just realized, that would be a BAD idea. I haven't even competed in Beginners PA, and if I took first in Intermediate, they'd kick me up to Advanced, and then I'd never win another contest as long as I lived...

**RknRusty** Sun Apr 14, 2019 8:40 pm

batjac wrote:** (edit) Oops! I just realized, that would be a BAD idea. I haven't even competed in Beginners PA, and if I took first in Intermediate, they'd kick me up to Advanced, and then I'd never win another contest as long as I lived...

No, Mark,that only applies at the Nats. At local contests, unless you've got a hardass ED or CD, you can fly any class you want to, any time. And believe me, they wouldn't have even wanted you in advanced again next time. So you actually coulda' brought home some nice hardware, and if your Mom is like mine, she'll think you're the greatest expert aerobaticist in the nation, Lol!.
Judge Rusty

P.S. Come on the show and tell us about it tomorrow night, they'll get a kick out of it.

Ken Cook Sun Apr 14, 2019 10:28 pm

One thing to keep in mind if you decide to fly at a contest. You control what level you want to fly in. Just because you win doesn't mean you have to move up and no one at the contest decides that but yourself. One thing that I find a bit disturbing is the beginner pattern. It's a different pattern over PAMPA and once your through it, you have to entirely learn another pattern. The triangles I find are the most skipped maneuver and easiest forgotten. Seeing the beginner pattern doesn't have them, it makes it difficult to remember them when you do fly the PAMPA version. I feel one would be far better suited to learn the PAMPA pattern and forego the beginner pattern. I feel one hones their skills a lot better doing the PAMPA pattern even if one just flies bits and pieces of it. Even at a Intermediate level, one can have a spotter out with you in the circle calling out the order of maneuvers and counting the level laps. This takes the guess work out due to adrenaline overload. A good coach can assist you where to place the maneuvers due to wind and judge location leaving you to concentrate on the plane.

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Man! I coulda taken 2nd in Advanced Precision Aerobatics today...

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