Spin Training

[Big Pistons Forever]

Yup, we need to give PGI, but it does not have to be
immediately before the flight.


Less thinking, more doing. With proper training, once
people start performing a task, they will do just fine.

+ 1

[tractor driver]

I recall Leland (God rest him) telling me about having this video made after the loss of another friend. Knowing Wayne and having flown with him in the Raven, I have witnessed his ability and sincerity, and couldn't think of a better spokesman. Good to be reminded of the basics, and when people of this calibre feel it's important, it's very good to listen.
Thanks for bringing it out.
g

[eaglepilot]

As you're ~30 degrees through the turn at the top, do you slowly reduce the throttle to idle?

Yup. You wouldn't believe how easy it makes the
hhead. You aren't fighting the prop in the pivot, with
your ineffective flight controls (at near-zero airspeed)

And, it reduces your pivot radius (bonus). I discovered
this during formation hheads. I pulled my throttle, but
my father didn't, and I could always pivot tighter than
him

A quick question Colonel, have you ever done ( or seen) this technique in a IAC competition, and if so, did it change the grade on the hammerhead?

I know that the judges are only human, and if you do a maneuver using different, unfamiliar methods (although the airplane is traveling through space in the approved directions), do they might give you a downgrade? I know the rulebook says no, but what has history shown?

[Colonel Sanders]

Beats me. Anytime I was at a contest, the pilots
were doing well not to fall out of the hammerhead.

I have a geriatric copy of the IAC "Red Book" which
I haven't updated since the contest queens went
bananas and had me dragged through court for four
years to satisfy some primal ligitious urges.

Anyways, in "judging criteria" for hhead it says:

Ideally the aircraft pivots around it's center of gravity

So, a tighter pivot is a better pivot. The Red Book
does not say HOW the aircraft is to pivot, it only
tells you WHAT the aircraft is to ideally do, and it
says to deduct a point per half wingspan of bridging.

The Red Book goes on to say that the rate of
pivot is immaterial. I think it's online, if you want
to download it.

[Colonel Sanders]

PS I keep talking about how the upright flat spin
is the one that makes me the most nervous, esp
at low altitude.

Well, here's a fatal crash - deceased contest pilot
was flying an Extra 330SC - and look at what
maneuver killed him?

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=831_1370215440

[cgzro]

A quick question Colonel, have you ever done ( or seen) this technique in a IAC competition, and if so, did it change the grade on the hammerhead?

Its pretty common for the smaller planes like the S1 especially with a metal prop. Don't see it much with the monoplanes because the hh is much easier than in a short coupled plane. Never seen points deducted for powering it back and certainly better than exiting off heading.

Ive only once seen a botched hh (ie half turn spin out of it) at a contest and i've seen a lot of contest flights. Mostly we get off heading on the exit or bridge it too much.

If i were doing airshows I'd either deliberately bridge the hh or power back once the nose was well on its way down from the pivot as its much safer, at least in my aircraft.