Competitive Spirits
This definition from Australia Aerobatics Club (AAC) sets the scene:
The sport should not be confused with the kind of aerobatics seen at air shows, commonly known as “stunt flying.” Competition aerobatics is a very exacting sport which demands high levels of skill, discipline, and concentration on flying. A predetermined sequence of manoeuvres is carried out in a small cube of airspace known as the “aerobatic box”.
Competition aerobatics, according to Mike Heuer, former president of the International Aerobatic Club (IAC), is like skiing or figure skating “where you first have to learn to stand up, then move, turn, stop, and eventually leap. The more you learn, the more demanding the sport becomes and the more you can enjoy a sense of accomplishment.
“Ask a gold medallist if it’s worth the effort.”
David Pilkington, FRAeS, awarded 2019 Flying Instructor of the Year by Australian Flying magazine and the Royal Aeronautical Society Australian Division, and twice Australian Advanced Aerobatic Champion says “Pilots want to get confidence with the aeroplane, in configurations that don’t come with ‘normal’ flying. It is about being comfortable with extremes of angle of attack and roll and being able to recover from them.”
Rob Akron an Aussie, who is head of training and manages
