Flew on Sunday. Was pretty windy - 15-20. The wind really messed up my avalanche, but after a few minutes I was handling the lines ok.

Still feel as though I am over controlling. I watch others fly and they seem to be much more "hands off" than I am. I tend to be flying the plane 100%of the time. I'm constantly making corrections. Others fly my plane and say its trimmed well and they can fly maneuvers "hands off". I have a TX tray now and it is helping.

Def need to burn gas. By the end of my 2nd flight I am flying 10 times better than the beginning of my 1st flight. 1 weekend left before the 1st contest. I still have not tried to fly an unknown yet for practice. This weekend for sure.

I also recorded some video, but 1 of the memory cards crapped out and 1 wing didn't record

Hi John, maybe I can help a little. I havent seen you fly in quite a while so you may already be doing this, but most people don't think of the little things and actually practice the same mistakes into their sequence. Try this and see if it improves your flying.
When you first get into the air, ONLY fly half reverse cuban eights on each end. This will be pulling to the 45 up line, half roll, pull 5/8th loop back to level. Now a couple things while you are doing this. On the strait and level line in between these end manuevers, first make sure your plane will absolutely fly hands off strait and level parallel to the runway, make any corrections in trim to achive this. It make take 3 or 4 passes, but make sure you have achieved this first. Now think about your throttle setting you are at when you are strait and level. That throttle setting when strait and level should be where your plane is comfortably flying along, locked in strait and level with only small inputs from you to keep it there.Now here is the fun part. Once you have achieved this, do your strait and level flight, with half reverse cubans on the end. When you get ready to pull to the 45, SMOOTHLY go to full throttle (or 3/4, whatever your upline throttle is), center your half roll on the upline, then make a very easy pull onto the 5/8th loop to keep the geometry nice and even and round, once you get around to about the 2 or 11 oclock position (depending on which end you are on) smoothly pull back the throttle. now here is the important part. Add the throttle back in smoothly so you hit your strait and level throttle position right before you pull onto your strait and level line from the 5/8th loop. What this does is keep a constant speed so the plane does not get slow and wallow around. It is real common for people to add the power to late when they hit the strait and level line. You must be at your strait and level throttle right before you hit strait and level. Do this excersice at the begining of every flight, get to where it is second nature. THEN, go into your sequence, and do the exact same thing, hit your strait and level throttle right before you push or pull onto your strait and level line. Also keep aware of your radius on your loops and pulls and pushes, people tend to pull to tight and that is when you get off line. You will see this on your half reverse cuban eight practice, it you pull the 5/8ths to hard, it will come off line and be heading in towards you. You want a gentle pull to let the plane keep flying, nice and smooth, and dropping and adding throttle at the right time.
I have went through this exact thing with numerous people and it really improves their flying dramaticaly. Once you have this exercise mastered, your scores will go up.
I hope this helps John.

Bill Adams

Thanks Bill. Most of that I currently do, but I will make sure I do it every time before I start practicing sequence elements.

I think my big problem is in making corrections. As an example, when I pull to a vertical on maneuver 1 (hammer)... usually as I hit vertical I am coming into the field (becuase my wings werent level before pulling) and instead of bumping some rudder to correct I apply constant rudder and try to "hold" it there instread of bumping and then bump again if I need more. Then the 1/4 roll comes in (sometimes forget to get out of the "constant" rudder I was holding so now my 1/4 roll looks weird with the rudder in during the roll. I also never got it corrected prior to the roll, or was over corrected so now I am yawing with the canopy towards me so I start correcting that (constant - not bumps) and now I am coming in or out so I have elevator and rudder corrections I am holding (constant).. oh yeah... not I need to hammer - **** - where is the D/R switch for the rudder? By the time I find it, and because I have corrections in or took them out while tryingto find the switch I am out of whack... kill the throttle and hammer... ooops, I was soo far behind the plane I didn't think which was to hammer and hammered with the wind so it looked funky.... correct with elevator and rudder ont he way down... try to get the 3/4 roll in before I hut the ground and pull out (much more steeply than the entry)....ok... now try to get control of the plane again on a straight and level line... oh crap.. now I am 2 miles from the field and need to start maneuver 2 but can't see the plane anymore....

Get the idea? I guess it's good I know what I am doing... and I am slowly correcting and getting better at fixing things - but it's sloooow going

What I described in my first post is designed to keep you from doing so much correcting. If you pull into an up line with your wings low, you are already behind the plane. Have someone watch you fly, and really see if you are doing what I explained. (they will be more objective) If you are flying the strait and level parallel to the runway, and bringing on the throttle to the correct setting right before you hit strait and level, then smoothly going to your upline throttle right before you pull the upline, there will be very little corrections needed (if everything else is set up correctly on the plane) then you can concentrate more on your wind correction angle, and centering the elements. It is a lot of work to fly it well. Keep at it John.
See you in a couple weeks
Bill

Originally Posted by Badams

If you pull into an up line with your wings low, you are already behind the plane.

BINGO! If you watch my flight path from above - it's a taco with the end-box position further out from the runway than when it crosses centerline. I'm always adding right rudder going right to left going out and adding left rudder going left to right heading out. Parrallel to the runway feels like I am "coming in" all the time. Also, my inboard wing is always low... hard to get the picture... it will come - just slower than I would like...

I do appreciate all the help - main reason for this thread!!

Originally Posted by Badams

When you get ready to pull to the 45, SMOOTHLY go to full throttle (or 3/4, whatever your upline throttle is), center your half roll on the upline, then make a very easy pull onto the 5/8th loop to keep the geometry nice and even and round, once you get around to about the 2 or 11 oclock position (depending on which end you are on) smoothly pull back the throttle.

2 and 11 aren't the same on the opposite ends. Are you suggesting 2 and 10, or 1 and 11?

Once we've got that straight, are you wanting him to starting pulling out the throttle at that point that is before or after the apex of the radius?

I'm guessing I'll be helping him a lot (if he's flying at SVF with us ), so I want to make sure him and I are on the same page.

Big Finish and I are planning of flying Sunday afternoon at SVF, weather permitting. I now have 2 flights in since the Colorado contest in August, so I need a LOT of practice!!

Yea the clock metaphor may not be completely correct Dean, as I use a digital clock
As I am sure you have seen many times from the judges chair, a lot of people pull the power too soon, like at the very top of the line, sometimes even before they start to pull the 5/8ths loop. This tendency makes them pull the loop to tight, and other bad things happen, like coming off line. (usually in towards the pilot) I found that if they will keep the power on, make a smooth more rounded pull at the top, and smoothly pull the power after the apex radius, then smoothly add the power back in to arrive at your "strait and level" power setting right before you finish the 5/8th loop and hit the strait and level line, when done correctly, not only will this tend to keep everything on line, and strait and parallel to the runway, but will give them the discipline on the throttle to keep from "ripping" the prop when they are flying strait and level, this may improve the sound scores.
You will be the perfect person to implement this with John. Give it a try with him, and let me know how it goes.
You guys have a great time this weekend practicing and see you next weekend at EVA.
Bill

Here is a video I shot from this session looking forward... I didn't have time to put the aresti sysmbols on there - but you get the idea

jan flight 3 (12 min 54 sec)

As expected - lots of inside wing low

jan flight rtwing (12 min 44 sec)