Aerobatics

[MichaelP]

It's alright for me I get to fly Chipmunk, Decathlon, Citabria, RV6, and all sorts of odd aeroplanes from time to time... and when they run out, so will I

There was no greater culture shock for me than to come back from Thailand where they party and dance at the slightest excuse, via Taipei where the New Year's fireworks lit the skies as we departed, to a dead Ladner with a solitary unmarked police car patrolling the streets in case any fool dared to venture out in a car...
This place is becoming a police state with so many rules and regulations it's beginning to choke me.
I actually hate seeing so many police patrol cars, is it a statement of the increase in crime?, or are we to be treated like naughty school children? Controlled until we gasp in submission.

I am told that Canada Day was celebrated with greater intensity and joy in Trafalgar Square than anywhere in Canada itself!
At least the police are a lot less likely to put a bullet through the back of your head for opening a can of beer in public in England... Especially as you can still do this in England!
Does anyone know the outcome of that case against the RCMP officer who shot the kid in the back of the head in the Okanagan police station? Or was it quietly swept under the carpet as we respect the police who are always right?

We are allowed to risk in fewer and fewer endeavours...
Take bicycle helmets. Did anyone do an analysis to determine whether there's an increase in accidents wearing them???
Should we really be wearing crash helmets in light aircraft as these crash more often than bicycles?

Vancouver has been labeled the "City of no fun".
1999 - 2000 the police closed the city to non residents as there was a bomb scare in Seattle.
The whole world partied while Vancouver was dead... The police do not have the right to do this under British law, but then again British law was taken away from Canadians and replaced by laws that give Quebecois more rights, and take away many freedoms.

So I sit in the pub where a friend says "there's a certain comfort in operating Cessna 152s like everyone else...".
Sorry that doesn't go down well with me at all.
Why would anyone start a 'business' doing something anyone else does?
It's always better to create your own niche, and that's why we operate better aeroplanes than the run of the mill types.
To have the aerobatic fun aeroplanes you need a culture that has joie de vive...

I flew for 18 years before I turned professional, and if I never turned professional I'd still be flying, and I'd still turn the world upside down laughing as I do so, for flying is one of the few freedoms we are allowed....

[Hedley]

To have the aerobatic fun aeroplanes you need a culture that has joie de vive

That's an interesting point. Quebec has a much more active
aerobatic scene than say Ontario, where people who fly aerobatics
are often viewed as a problem by the vast majority of it's dour
inhabitants.

I've often thought it a fascinating insight into the character of
(say) Toronto that it cannot support even a single aerobatic
trainer aircraft. Many have tried over the years, and all have
failed.

For some reason, I am reminded of the following joke:

A Frenchman, an American and a Canadian were each
asked to write an essay about the elephant.

The Frenchman's essay was (naturally) titled, "The Sex
Life of the Elephant"

The American's essay was titled, "The Elephant: For Fun
and Profit".

And the Canadian's essay was inevitably titled:

"The Elephant: A Federal or Provincial Problem?"

This silly little joke yields more insight into the character of
Canadians than anything else I have ever seen or read.

[MichaelP]

It's interesting, this examination of Canadian culture, I have been shot down many times for saying anything about it at all.
The worst question is "isn't Vancouver the best place in the World" or some such thing... You had better not have any critical thing to say otherwise the easily bruised egos will react in an explosive way telling you to leave!
It's a media led culture that believes every politically correct thing spouted out.

On the one hand the media says Vancouver is the best place to live, all the experts say so, and on the other they say it's the City of no fun. So what do we as human beings really want in life?

With the media in mind, how many entertainment shows are there on North American television?
Almost all comedies are reruns, yet in jolly olde England they still produce more and more comedies.
So a political scandal involving the sex trade is seen in a humorous way in the UK while being deadly serious here.
We all need to laugh a bit more, and the more dreadful the World gets the more we need to laugh.
Life is a balance after all, so the dread has to be balanced by the joy!

Quebec... I still remember the riots outside the (CBC?) television station in Montreal. Riots? Protests? What could it be all about?
They had decided to take Monty Python off the air

Canada is a country of diverse communities and is proud of it... You can set up your own polygamous society like Bountiful, or live as Amish... So what about an aerobatic society? Perhaps we can get a government grant to maintain and fly our aeroplanes to keep our distinct culture alive.

[Grantmac]

I think this is all very true. I made contact with someone who owns a Skybolt in Victoria and I think I may be able to convince him to take me for a spin in it. I'm thinking I may try to get into something a bit less edgy for a first plane though, perhaps just get a partnership in a Citabria or something. Maybe even a non-aerobatic taildragger for a few years until I'm really comfortable using my feet.
Anyway, to get back to what this topic has evolved into: Canada does seem to lack joy and opportunity for individualism in it's flight-training environment. Just about every school and club I've visited isn't interested in anything more than getting people in the door and working on a PPL. There is no real continuing education that isn't specifically towards a Multi-IFR and commercial license.
I almost wish we had a LSA type of endorsement/aircraft up here because there are schools cropping up all over the place south of the border with interesting and entertaining aircraft.
Well thats it from me tonight. I think I will just have to bite the bullet and spend a few days in Vancouver flying my brains out on the Citabria.
Cheers,
Grant

[Hedley]

Just got this emailed to me:

1978 Factory Pitts S1S for Sale-$34,500
N44EW - SN 1-0058
March 2008 Annual
in Arizona
1350 TT
350 SMOH
Lycoming AEIO-360-B4A
kimberly020668@yahoo.com

You can't buy a 172 for that! This is a certified,
factory aircraft. The S-1S has four ailerons and
the round wing that everyone likes, so it does
negative G quite well.

That's not a bad price, to take you to at least
Advanced category competition.

Again, I am greatly puzzled as to why everyone
doesn't have a single-seat Pitts and a liter sportbike.

The price/performance ratios of both are unbelievable.

[SkyWolfe]

Maybe even a non-aerobatic taildragger for a few years until I'm really comfortable using my feet.

I'm down for that.


I would really love to see a school that doesn't just teach puppy mill basics. Something that has tail draggers, aerobatics, and bush skills. Ie landing on a small dirt strip, taxiing on gravel, using tundra tires, etc.

I guess none of this would please TC or the masses. But it would be something really great to see and learn, you know, for the people that would like to go above and beyond.

Cheers,

Wolfie

[Grantmac]

I might have a line on a Tailorcraft for cheap around here, but it's still way up in the air. Perhaps we should get a Citabria, there is one for 27K in Alberta. I still think that aircraft are just going to get cheaper unless fuel prices drop dramatically.
I will as always keep myself glued to the various internet classifieds.
Cheers,
Grant

[Big Pistons Forever]

My personal opinion of the taylorcraft is not very high. I found it had poor visbility, an uncomfortable cabin and quite possibly the worst ailerons of any airplane I have ever flown. My 0.2 cents: buy a Citabria.

[cervelott]

Can anyone comment on a PA-12 Super Cruiser? What does it fly like, bad characteristics, maintenance, etc...
I'm fairly tall and have a hard time getting the knees under the panel of a Super Cub.

[MichaelP]

Isn't the Super Cruiser a widened Super Cub with a bench seat for two in the back?
It should have the nice flying characteristics of the Super Cub, and you can splay your long legs a bit, knees near the side walls

Yesterday I did that Cathay preflight in the Decathlon... The flight went well with only two low level aircraft in the Glen Valley. Inverted, loops, aileron rolls, a Cuban 8, roll off the top, a couple of barrels, quarter upward clover leaf and we were done.

I had to put some fuel in the aeroplane first, at the self serve fuel pumps.

Yesterday I had an e-mail... We try to do everything properly but Canada is a country of "Can't do" and we have a whole load of regulations for everything... If you look at the regulations, how is it legal for pilots to fill their own aircraft at an unattended fuel pump?

[Strega]

My personal opinion of the taylorcraft is not very high. I found it had poor visbility, an uncomfortable cabin and quite possibly the worst ailerons of any airplane I have ever flown. My 0.2 cents: buy a Citabria.

Its a taildragger! is poor vis a bad thing?

[Big Pistons Forever]

My personal opinion of the taylorcraft is not very high. I found it had poor visbility, an uncomfortable cabin and quite possibly the worst ailerons of any airplane I have ever flown. My 0.2 cents: buy a Citabria.

Its a taildragger! is poor vis a bad thing?

A chipmunk is a taildragger and it has outstanding visibilty in almost every direction.

Ironically the taylorcraft actually has pretty reasonable visibillty over the nose on the ground, the problem is in flight, you sit with yours eyes about even with the bottom of the wing so to look out the (not very big side ) windows you have to duck down and then roll the wing up. The windshield is even with the front of the wing so leaning forward won't let you see around the wing and the top of the windshield isn't very high so you can't see ahead and up very well. I don't know about you but I like to be able to see out of airplanes I am flying, it tends to add to the enjoyment of the flight.

[fantome]

MichaelP -

Cathay use a CAP 10B to determine whether the cadet will have the stick and rudder skills they desire.

Trying to remember the issue of Flight or Flight International that had the review and flight test. Had the CAP in flight on the cover. The piece was titled "Rarely, rarely comest thou, spirit of delight". Dear old Percy Byshhe. Who could forget a quote from him though he knew no plane? (Was the author/pilot Cliff Barnett, who came to grief in Germany with Steve Piercy doing air-to-airs periously close?) Pardon the drift. He did say strong winds on the port bow, Neddy.

[MichaelP]

I have the book Aerobatics, Principles and Practice by David Robson, on my shelf. It is written in English with a CAP 10 on the cover.
A very good book with good diagrams.
For the less literate there's a version written in American: Sky Dancing, it's the same book but translated from English.
It has CAP 10B on the cover as well.

I've spent many a happy hour in the CAP 10, a delightful aeroplane if you're not too full of joie de vive in the French fashion... They clapped their wings a few times as a flick roll is better if it's a few knots faster than the maximum recommended!.... NO
The CAP 10C is stronger and ideal if you are an American, like the one who having been shown how gentle this aeroplane is, proceeded to pull 6.3G and set the G alarm off
I was there because the owner had trouble looping this aeroplane, one of the easiest in the World to loop!
Perhaps American women have to be big to put up with the rough handling their men do to them... A French women appreciates a gentle caress, a sensuous touch, and responds delightfully, and so caress your CAP 10 and she will dance in the sky brilliantly.

Just before my last acquaintance with this CAP 10C, I had returned to have to reset the G meter again as the same fellow had once again pulled 6.3 G; at least he's consistent.
Then I went on the test flight before it was boxed for England.
It's been replaced by an Extra 300 the delights of which I have not yet had the pleasure.

[fantome]

MichaelP, digressing from aerobatics -

With the media in mind, how many entertainment shows are there on North American television?
Almost all comedies are reruns, yet in jolly olde England they still produce more and more comedies.
So a political scandal involving the sex trade is seen in a humorous way in the UK while being deadly serious here.
We all need to laugh a bit more, and the more dreadful the World gets the more we need to laugh.
Life is a balance after all, so the dread has to be balanced by the joy!

Quebec... I still remember the riots outside the (CBC?) television station in Montreal. Riots? Protests? What could it be all about?
They had decided to take Monty Python off the air.

Also digressing, on national TV in Australia the show The Chaser's War On Everything is an extreme, piss taking, clever, totally original program. Everyone, from PM down (or up) is fair game. If the killjoys are taking over parts of Canada, it's time to migrate. (These clowns went with a mic through the New York CBD asking "Do you remember what month was 9/11?" And that threw more New Yorkers than you'd believe. "Wasn't that in July? Hell. A while back now anyway.")

The Chaser was founded in 1999 as a fortnightly satirical newspaper produced out of a spare bedroom by initial editors Charles Firth, Craig Reucassel, Julian Morrow, Dominic Knight, who were later joined by the far more talented Andrew Hansen, Chas Licciardello and Chris Taylor. Since those humble beginnings, the Chaser team has lost its humility and has produced Classic™ comedy in all media, including print, online, radio, television and Christmas crackers.

The Chaser team also produced the official Sydney Olympics parody site http://www.silly2000.com and have brazenly recycled material in a series of books: The Little Read Book (2000), Bradman: The Cremated Years (2001), The War on Error (2002) and most recently Embedded with The Chaser (2003). The War on Error received the Outstanding Humorous Book prize at the inaugural Australian Comedy Awards in November 2003.

http://www.chaser.com.au/content/view/15/52/

Footnote - What name comes to mind for a flying school flatly opposed to aerobatics?
In Sydney (Australia) in the sixties two prominent men in aviation were going into partnership.
Their names were Bryce Killen and Frank Minjoy. Killjoy Aviation was used solely as a vehicle
to lampoon the stuffed shirts who gave them a hard time. While the serious sides to their
affairs were incorporated variously as Helicopter Utilities, Airfast and Flight Facilities.

In New Guinea Airfast got the name Stuckfast or Areldite Airways

[Hedley]

pull 6.3G and set the G alarm off

uh, that's really not very much G. Most of the solo
airshow (and unlimited contest) pilots are routinely
pulling well in excess of +10G's. IIRC Sean Tucker
sustains +12G in a series of multiple snap rolls in
a vertical downline.

As for negative G, don't even ask. You simply can't
comprehend that much -ve G.

[MichaelP]

The alarm's set for the certified G limits of +6 -3... It's really annoying, beep beep, beep beep, every now and then to let you know you exceeded these limits. At the same time the indicator goes to where you went... Look at what you did you naughty naughty person! (PC).
Type in the code and you can reset the beep beeps, but the computer remembers the indiscretion forever.
Glen Valley was quiet again today, we were up in the Decathlon again.

[Old Dog Flying]

I've just signed on to this site and find it interesting...and humorous. Particularly the bad mouthing of everything Canadian by MichaelP. I've known this clown for many years and the rant is always the same.

I've editted the rest of the comments just to keep it civil.

Old Dog

[fantome]

Old Dog Flying -

I've just signed on to this site and find it interesting...and humorous. Particularly the bad mouthing of everything Canadian by MichaelP. I've known this clown for many years and the rant is always the same.

Welcome Old Dog Flying to these here congenial columns. MichaelP will surely find your civil remarks a trigger for a major rethink. Let jingoism be the catchcry, (and if you dare, 'bugger you' your bywords.)