Category: Punching holes in the Sky

The Dance – mental preparation for aerobatics

Anyone who’s been to an airshow or aerobatic competition, may have seen participating pilots do what is called “the dance” before strapping into their airplane. There are several objectives when mentally preparing for a flight. The first is to ensure that you know the sequence perfectly. A pilot needs to be able to rattle off all the figures very quickly without a second’s hesitation. If you can’t get it right on the ground, there’s little chance you’ll know what to do in the air.

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November 22, 2020

Master the tailslide

A good tailslide begins with as much speed as possible and the aircraft pitched as close to a perfect vertical as you can get it. Achieve this with a sight gauge or by looking at the angle between the wing tip and the horizon.

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November 17, 2020

Playing for Keeps

In the mid 80’s the late Peter Celliers organized a “World Masters Aerobatic Competition” that was hosted at the La Mercy Airfield on the Kwazulu Natal Coast of South Africa. He invited some of the best competition

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August 11, 2020

The Rules of the Game

There are intriguing topics about aerobatics that I believe will interest Smoke-On-Go readers. For example, designing sequences that create high scoring illusions, or discussing the mysteries of mental

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July 16, 2020

All About Smoke Systems

Aerobatic displays, be they solo, synchronised, or in formation, are usually the highlight of any airshow. The thick plumes of white smoke that trail behind the aircraft as they fly through their display routines

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July 7, 2020