Competition Aerobatics is not what the Airshow public may think.  There is very little showmanship or razzmatazz involved; in its pure form it is not ideally geared to entertainment; and there are very seldom large crowds in attendance.

Yet, it could legitimately be argued that some of the best, most demanding, most intense and most precise flying ever seen anywhere, happens above a deserted unmanned airfield late on a still Sunday afternoon, where an intensely focused pilot is practicing hard alone the cockpit striving for an obtainable perfection, with maybe one or two people critically watching from the ground.  This is the world of competition aerobatics, often lonely and always deeply personal.

If airshow flying is compared to a great aerial circus with its core purpose being to thrill the crowd, then competition aerobatics can be compared to aerial gymnastics. 

While gymnastics may be interesting to watch, competitors in that sport know that to win one must be technically accurate above all else. Or put differently, competition aerobatics is more about technique and science, than it is about art and showmanship.   But it is not all science, and only the true masters are able to blend science with a little art.

“It’s a competitive sport with a number of human challenges”

​It is difficult to think of a competitive sport that encompasses so many diverse elements and human challenges that have to be considered and managed at the same time, for example – like car racing, engine performance and machine set-up play a huge role in aerobatics;  and like figure skating good choreography (or sequence design as we refer to it in our world) can often determine who will win; like golf, technique makes a big difference;  
like yachting, even the slightest breeze becomes a critical factor;  
like track and field, physical fitness is essential;
like a squash player, quick reactions and sound eye muscle coordination is key;  
like a chess player, strategy and being a step ahead of the game is a necessity;  
like target shooting, a still hand and cold calm accuracy is required;
like gliding, energy management is a must;
like almost any competitive sport ‘match temperament’ is very important;  and like ballet, flow, rhythm and grace are paramount.  

The learning curve

The learning curve in aerobatics starts off very steeply, one has so much to learn in a short space of time.  But once the basics are all learnt, the curve gets very shallow, and it then takes a very long time to make the slightest progress.  

It is for example said that to go from a someone who has never flown an aerobatic competition to being able to regularly score 75% is less challenging than trying to progress from scoring 75% to regularly scoring 80%. 

“The small subtleties make the difference”

This is because at the more advanced levels everyone has the technique sorted, it is therefore the small subtleties that will now make the difference.  Considerations like flow, rhythm and grace are also so frustratingly intangible thereby making understanding let alone mastering competition aerobatics so challenging.

There is no doubt that this sport gives up its secrets very slowly and unwillingly.  There has been more than one occasion when a small comment or little trick that I picked up from someone somewhere years ago, and remembered at just the right time has won me a trophy.   

In addition, the skill of aerobatics has to be one of the most perishable ever, a layoff of just a few weeks will result in a huge degradation in flight accuracy. 

In my mind, I “play the game” in three levels all at the same time. I have gained this competitive mental framework from training, flying and speaking with several past world champions.  I look forward to discussing these three levels with you in future articles. 

In summary, the difference between competition and airshaow aerobatic can be understood as the difference between applied maths and pure maths.  An competition ‘athlete’ must be technically perfect, and an airshow ‘artist’ must make difficult tasks work spectacularly and safely.

Many (perhaps even most) pilots at some stage do both, but a few purists would never cross the competition / airshow divide. As competition aerobats, we sincerely respect and admire our airshow cousins, their challenges and objectives, whilst different are equally demanding. 

Disclaimer: The information provided in these tutorials is suggestive of reasonable operating philosophies. It should not preclude sound airmanship and proper decision making and should apply to the appropriate sphere of operation being addressed.