Piston-airplane aerobatics anyone?

[Archer]

Something I've always wanted to do...get and aerobatics endorcement and fly an Extra 300L with a friend...

anyone flown the Extra 300? ...or the more common Pitts?

your experiences?

 

[avbug]

Pitts S2B. I couldn't afford to fly an extra. It looks like fun, though.

 

[00Dog]

I got a ride in an Extra 300L and got to fly it for a couple of minutes. It really is an incredible machine able to handle plus or minus 10 G's, I think.

 

[TriDriver]

As a part owner in a Pitts S-2B, I can tell you it's some of the most fun flying I do. Don't get me wrong, I love all the different types of flying I've done throughout the years, but when I go out for about 45 minutes in the Pitts, I forget about everything else going on in life and just fly, fly, fly. And it's FUN, FUN, FUN!!!

I enjoy just doing recreational aerobatics, and I especially like teaching aerobatics. I went to one meet, but to get really good at competitive aerobatics is a lot of hard work, and I'd rather do it for the recreational pleasure and satisfaction. I do want to fly maneuvers properly and precisely, but to do them to competitive standards requires a coach on the ground with judging experience to really critique your flying.

Aerobatics is good for all your other flying. There's no such thing as an "unusual attitude" after you've rolled, looped, been upside down and in inverted flat spins and have done lomcevaks.

I haven't flown the high perfomance monoplanes like the Extra, but the Pitts can do everything needed to keep my aerobatic and tailwheel proficiency up.

I would recommend that every pilot try some aerobatics.

TriDriver Bob

 

[ShawnC]

Aerobatic's is fun. It's alot of fun to fly it in the more sedate planes such as the Super Decathlon. Second flight in an airplane, "You want to preform a couple of rolls?" Obviously you couldn't get me in the parachute fast enough!

If your in Florida call up the ERAU Sport Aviation club, they have a Pitts S-2B available for rental for cheap.

BTW - Never heard of an aerobatic's endorsement in the states, there is the tailwheel endorsement, which is required since most aerobatic airplanes are tailwheels. There is also a waiver that you can get to preform aerobatic's at airshows, a low alititude waiver, I think it's called.

 

[frqntflyr]

gotten to fly both the extra and a pitts s2c. Both awesome airplanes!!! Extra is faster and lets you pull more G's (+8.9/-4 was enough for me), but the experience and fun factor was about the same! Most fun I've had with my clothes on

 

[Archer]

What does one need to be able to rent a Pitts or Extra and go out and perform some aerobatic maneuvers besides a tail-tragger endorcement and knowledge of where and when you can and cannot perform aerobatics, and all the rules and regulations (such as can't do aerobatics below 1500 ft AGL I think....not 100% on that though)

I saw some places you can do a 10 hour aerobatic training course...to be proficient in basic maneuvers...


As far as safety goes...when you do loops and rolls and what not...are you not increasing your chance of an accident by quite a bit?

ARcher

 

[ShawnC]

What does one need to be able to rent a Pitts or Extra and go out and perform some aerobatic maneuvers besides a tail-tragger endorcement and knowledge of where and when you can and cannot perform aerobatics, and all the rules and regulations (such as can't do aerobatics below 1500 ft AGL I think....not 100% on that though)

I saw some places you can do a 10 hour aerobatic training course...to be proficient in basic maneuvers...


As far as safety goes...when you do loops and rolls and what not...are you not increasing your chance of an accident by quite a bit?

ARcher

Well you can't just rent any of those aircraft, the insurance on the ERAU Pitts is sky high, and on top of that they require 1,200TT 100 hrs tail dragger, and 25 hrs in a Pitts S-2B ( not A, C or S-1 time). I would assume that an Extra has simialr insurance requirments.

But to do it legally all you HAVE to know is the regs, but if you don't have formal expirences, you won't get the reactions that are nessary to save your life. All types of aerobatic manuevers can end with you either overloading the aircraft (going to fast), or stalling and spinning the aircraft.

No FBO is going to let you take out an aircraft solo without you doing some type of aerobatic crouse (whether formal or not) with them, even them most will not let you check it out for aerobatics solo at all.

I will post a bit more later I don't have the time right now.

 

[Archer]

I imagined that if FBOs required a lot of experience and training with them for multi-engine and HP/complex airplanes...they would probably require a lot more for aerobatic aircraft...

But wouldn't be such a pain to do aerobatic training at every FBO you want to rent an aerobatic airplane in?

at least 250 hours TT (if not more) are probably a must though even before considering aerobatics...

Archer

 

[ShawnC]

I imagined that if FBOs required a lot of experience and training with them for multi-engine and HP/complex airplanes...they would probably require a lot more for aerobatic aircraft...

But wouldn't be such a pain to do aerobatic training at every FBO you want to rent an aerobatic airplane in?

at least 250 hours TT (if not more) are probably a must though even before considering aerobatics...

Archer

Not true there are acro students at ERAU that have barely finished their PPLs that do very well in the basic catagory at compeitions. But mind you this is with a well trained instructor in the back of the S-2B.

Most FBOs don't have an aerobatic aircraft, and the few that do have Cessna Aerobats, and Super Decathlon's (which are fun planes that can compete up to intermediate). Finding Pitts and Extras you have to find the acro schools, Aerosport in St Augistine in a choice so is ERAU Sport Aviation Club, and there are many more places.

Best bet would be sign up for the IAC (if your a member of the EAA) visit their website
http://www.iac.org

Also visit the ACRO website:
http://acro.harvard.edu/ACRO/

It has a mailing list where you can get alot of information (I subcribe, don't write much there though).

Learning Aerobatics, and even competeing a bit, will really improve your flying, and it will be the most fun you will ever have. I believe someone described it like having sex during a car wreck. To get started I would suggest that you goto a local IAC meeting, they would be able to direct you to local ACRO rescources.