Every figure starts with a
potential 'perfect' mark or grade of 10 points. |
Each Judge deducts points (to the nearest ½) from
the starting 'bank' of 10 for errors seen, to arrive at his or
her personal final mark for each figure. This is a fault
driven process - you're not marking "goodness". |
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On the "A" or main
box axis (into or out-of-wind) every figure MUST be flown in the
correct direction relative to the official wind. Figures flown
in the wrong
direction MUST get a 'Hard' zero mark. |
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On the "B" or cross
box axis the direction of flight is not a judging criterion, the
pilot can choose either way. At a restart after a break however
the original direction of flight MUST be maintained. |
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Figures must start
and end in erect or inverted level flight on the "A" or "B"
axis. Powered aircraft must fly with a perfectly horizontal CGT,
whilst gliders can fly with their CGT at a consistent angle of glide-slope to
maintain speed. |
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The first figure of any sequence starts as
the aircraft leaves horizontal flight. For all subsequent
figures, the figure finishes as soon as the aircraft achieves
horizontal flight. All flight thereafter belongs to the next
figure. |
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For
every 5° of yaw, pitch or roll by which the aircraft CGT or ZLA
differs from what is required when starting, at all 'key' points
and at the exit from each figure, you should deduct one point. A
cumulative error in any figure of more than 45° must by
definition result in a mark of 0.0 |
In the diagram above:
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Radii 'A'
and 'E' need not be the same, but 'E' is flown much more
slowly. |
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Lines 'B' and 'D'
must be the same length. |
~ for a 2/1 ratio |
: deduct 2 marks. |
~ for a 3/1 ratio |
: deduct 3 marks. |
~ no line at all |
: deduct 4 marks. |
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For example . . . .
If the aircraft above starts the figure with 5° nose-up, no yaw
and between 5° and 10° of bank....
.... during the figure it is pitched OK but yawed 5°
and rolled 10° off axis at a key point .....
.... and it ends with 5° of yaw, between 0° and 5°
nose-down and no bank angle....
The result is: 10 points - 1 - 0 - 1.5 .... - 0 - 1 - 2
..... - 1 - 0.5 - 0 =
3 marks for that figure |
A very important point to remember is that
the whole aerobatic judging system : |
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Does NOT reward how
"good" a figure looks - this would just be wow-factor
judging.... |
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It DOES downgrade from a
fixed "bank" (10) to penalise specific / observed errors
by fixed amounts. |
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