Last practice flights today before the 1st contest of 2013. Had a couple Advanced pilots looking over my shoulder today and I think I made some great strides. I pretty much nailed down the reason why I am having to "fly" soo much. My inside wing was low the entire flight. As you all know, pulling or pushing without wings level starts everything off on the wrong foot. Now you transfer that wing error into yaw correction and now you are correcting yaw and you miss the vertical or 45 and now you are trying to correct for yaw and angle (elevator)...

needless to say, the maneuvers where I entered with my wings level went much better

Wish I had a few more flights to really fix my perception of what "wings level" looks like, but I am on the right track. Thanks Dean and Bill for the help.

If you look at my "part 4" blog, I posted a link to a video from the cockpit looking forward. The video looking down the right wing is rendering and will be up there also. You can see the wing problem in those. Did not get video today, just flew.

Also, still did not get any "unknown" sequences in. I have no idea how bad that is going to be? I have a book full of Sportsman unknowns and wanted to try and practice a few unknowns before my first contest - but I guess I will just have to wait and see how it goes.

Good luck at the contest HAVE FUN !!!!!

If this is your first shot at Sportsman, don't worry about the unknown. Try and memorize it, but ESPECIALLY have a good caller for you! Relax and fly it.

Have lots of fun!!!!!!

Earle

Originally Posted by mtndewdewd

Also, still did not get any "unknown" sequences in. I have no idea how bad that is going to be? I have a book full of Sportsman unknowns and wanted to try and practice a few unknowns before my first contest - but I guess I will just have to wait and see how it goes.

The Unknown is the most exciting, nerve wracking, fun part!!!!

Murry and Pistolera nailed it... Have fun!!

It is IMPOSSIBLE to practice for Unknowns since that's exactly what it will be when you see it for thefirst time on Saturday night. Then it's time to pull the stick plane out and get the roll directions nailed down to make sure you don't exit something in the wrong direction.

It SURE is fun writing them!

Originally Posted by Yakov

It is IMPOSSIBLE to practice for Unknowns since that's exactly what it will be when you see it for thefirst time on Saturday night. Then it's time to pull the stick plane out and get the roll directions nailed down to make sure you don't exit something in the wrong direction.

It SURE is fun writing them!

Well, then I am in TROUBLE =\

Up until now, I can only assume flying an UNKNOWN will be like the 1st time I tried to fly the 2013 KNOWN. I practiced it on the SIM (can't do that for a contest obviously) and knew it by heart and in my sleep - and when I tried to fly it for real the first time I couldn't get through it. I had to break a bunch of times and start over... if my unknows are like that - they may ground me for safety reasons and not let me fly

Originally Posted by mtndewdewd

Well, then I am in TROUBLE =

Up until now, I can only assume flying an UNKNOWN will be like the 1st time I tried to fly the 2013 KNOWN. I practiced it on the SIM (can't do that for a contest obviously) and knew it by heart and in my sleep - and when I tried to fly it for real the first time I couldn't get through it. I had to break a bunch of times and start over... if my unknows are like that - they may ground me for safety reasons and not let me fly

Hi John.. If you really wanted a step forward in the Unknowns, you could get the Sportsman Unknown catalog from Aresti and try flying many of the figures so that you get a "feel" for what you may be seeing in the various Unknowns.

The IMAC Sequence Committee has just finished working on all the Unknown Catalogs and submitted them to the Aresti Systems Inc. for publishing. Mr. Aresti advised us last week that they are now ready.

Here is a direct link to their website http://www.arestisystem.com/

When you stand on the line with tight knees & a churning belly..... do what was mentioned above... try to relax and LISTEN to your caller. Ease back on the throttle during horizontal flight to set up for the next figure....
ENJOY!!!
Wayne

Thanks guys - we will see how it goes. I was hoping that flying a bunch of old (past knows and past TAS unknows) would get me familiar with all the possible maneuvers and how to fly them and put them together. Hopefully this first one is easy and has a lot of familiar elements so I don't zero ALL of them

That will certainly help, but this close to the actual contest, I'd just focus on the known and get it nailed...every time!!!

Earle

Originally Posted by mtndewdewd

I was hoping that flying a bunch of old (past knows and past TAS unknows) would get me familiar with all the possible maneuvers and how to fly them and put them together.

Nope. There are just too many possibilities. What it does do is get you in the habit of listening very carefully to your caller, getting it straight what you want to do, then doing it.

It's a skill that you'll develop. We'll be practicing that in the near future. We'll also just make up maneuvers as you're flying so you have no chance to memorize anything and you HAVE to listen.

Originally Posted by Dean Bird

Nope. There are just too many possibilities. What it does do is get you in the habit of listening very carefully to your caller, getting it straight what you want to do, then doing it.

It's a skill that you'll develop. We'll be practicing that in the near future. We'll also just make up maneuvers as you're flying so you have no chance to memorize anything and you HAVE to listen.

I plan to do a lot of memorizing early on My dad is hopefully going to call for me this year. Not the best thing for great scores - but a great chance to spend lots of time and road trips together He may hate it and I'll let him off the hook, but hoping he likes it. He called for me in my first contest (Basic) and seems to want to do it now - we'll see how it goes. His house is full of aresti documents and stick planes

Originally Posted by mtndewdewd

My dad is hopefully going to call for me this year.

Not the best thing for great scores - but a great chance to spend lots of time and road trips together

That will definitely be part of achieving your "fun" goal this year.

Originally Posted by Dean Bird

That will definitely be part of achieving your "fun" goal this year.