aerobatics

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The UK Utterly Butterly display team perform an aerobatic maneuver with their Boeing Stearmans

Red Arrows Hawks in Concorde formation

Indian Air Force's Sarang helicopter aerobatics team

Aerobatic glider DFS Habicht

Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight.^[1][2] Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment and sport. Some helicopters, such as the MBB Bo 105, are also capable of limited aerobatic maneuvers.^[3]

Most aerobatic maneuvers involve rotation of the aircraft about its longitudinal (roll) axis or lateral (pitch) axis. Other maneuvers, such as a spin, displace the aircraft about its vertical (yaw) axis.^[4] Maneuvers are often combined to form a complete aerobatic sequence for entertainment or competition.

Aerobatic flying requires a broader set of piloting skills and exposes the aircraft to greater structural stress than for normal flight.^[5] In some countries, the pilot must wear a parachute when performing aerobatics.^[6]

While many pilots fly aerobatics solely for recreation, hundreds worldwide choose to fly in aerobatic competitions, a judged sport.^[7]

Overview

In the early days of flying, some pilots used their aircraft as part of a flying circus to entertain. Maneuvers that had no practical purpose were flown for artistic reasons or to draw gasps from onlookers. In due course some of these maneuvers were found to allow aircraft to gain tactical advantage during aerial combat or dogfights between fighter aircraft.

Aerobatic aircraft usually fall into two categories—specialist aerobatic, and aerobatic capable. Specialist designs such as the Pitts Special, the Extra 200 and 300, and the Sukhoi Su-29 aim for ultimate aerobatic performance. This comes at the expense of general purpose use such as touring, or ease of non aerobatic handling such as landing. At a more basic level, aerobatic capable aircraft, such as the Cessna 152 Aerobat model, can be dual purpose—equipped to carrying passengers and luggage, easy to land, as well as being capable of basic aerobatic figures.

Flight formation aerobatics are flown by teams of up to sixteen aircraft, although most teams fly between four and ten aircraft. Some are state funded to reflect pride in the armed forces whilst others are commercially sponsored. Coloured smoke trails may be emitted to emphasise the patterns flown and/or the colours of a national flag. Usually each team will use aircraft similar to one another finished in a special and dramatic colour scheme, thus emphasising their entertainment function. Teams often fly V-formations—they will not fly directly behind another aircraft because of danger from wake vortices or engine exhaust. Aircraft will always fly slightly below the aircraft in front, if they have to follow in line.

Aerobatic maneuvers flown in a jet powered aircraft are limited in scope as they cannot take advantage of the gyroscopic forces that a propeller driven aircraft can exploit. Jet powered aircraft also tend to fly much faster which increases the size of the figures and the length of time which the pilot has to withstand increased g-forces. Jet aerobatic teams often fly in formations which further restricts the maneuvers that can be safely flown.

Training

Aerobatics are taught to military fighter pilots as a means of developing precise flying skills and for tactical use in combat. Aerobatics and formation flying is not limited solely to fixed wing aircraft, helicopters are also used—the British Army, Royal Navy, Spanish Air Force and the Indian Air Force, among others, have helicopter display teams. All aerobatic maneuvers demand training and practice to avoid accidents. Such accidents are rare but can result in fatalities; safety regulations are such that there has not been an airshow spectator fatality in the USA since the 1950s. Low-level aerobatics are extremely demanding and airshow pilots must demonstrate their ability before being allowed to gradually reduce the height at which they may fly their show.

There are many aerobatic training schools in the U.S. and other countries. A detailed list is available at http://www.iac.org/begin/schools.html

Patty Wagstaff show at JeffCo Airport

Competition

Competitions start at Primary, or Graduate level and proceed in complexity through Sportsman, Intermediate and Advanced, with Unlimited being the top competition level. Experienced aerobatic pilots have been measured to typically pull +/-5g for short periods while unlimited pilots can perform more extreme maneuvers and experience higher g levels -possibly up to +8/-6g ^[8]. The limits for +ve g are higher than for -ve g and this is due to the ability to limit blood pooling for positive-g maneuvers, but it is generally accepted that +9 g for more than a few seconds will lead to loss of consciousness (also known as GLOC).^[8][9]

Performance

The Australian Roulettes in formation

Aerobatics are most likely to be seen at a public airshows. Famous teams include:

• Asas de Portugal (Portuguese Air Force)
• August 1st (People's Liberation Army Air Force)
• Black Eagle (Republic of Korea Air Force)
• Black Knights (Republic of Singapore Air Force)
• Blue Angels (United States Navy)
• Blue Diamonds (Philippine Air Force)
• Blue Eagles (Army Air Corps—United Kingdom)
• Blue Impulse (Japan Air Self-Defense Force)
• Cartouche doré (French Air Force)
• Cruz del Sur ("Southern Cross"—Argentine Air Force)
• Diables Rouges (Belgian Air Force)
• Elang Biru (Indonesian Air Force)
• Esquadrilha da Fumaça (Smoke Squadron - Brazilian Air Force)
• Frecce Tricolori (Italian Air Force)
• Halcones (Falcons-Chilean Air Force)
• Hungarian Sky Hussars (Imitated Dogfight with MIG-21 bis - Hungarian Air Force)
• Green Hawk (Bureau of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation, Thailand)
• Midnight Hawks (Finnish Air Force)
• Orlik Aerobatic Team, White-Red Sparks (known also as Team Iskry), Scorpion (aerobatic team) (Polish Air Forces)
• Patrouille de France (French Air Force)
• Patrouille Suisse (Swiss Air Force)
• Patrulla Aguila, Patrulla Aspa (Eagle Patrol; Blade Patrol—Spanish Air Force)
• Red Arrows (Royal Air Force—United Kingdom)
• Red Checkers (Royal New Zealand Air Force)
• Red Pelicans, Rothmans, Silver Falcons (South African Air Force)
• Rotores de Portugal (Portuguese Air Force—Helicopters)
• Roulettes (Royal Australian Air Force)
• Royal Jordanian Falcons (Royal Jordanian Air Force)
• Russian Knights, Strizhi (Swifts), Rus (Russian Air Force)
• Sagar Pawan (Indian Navy)
• Sanmueang (Royal Thai Air Force)
• Sarang (Indian Air Force)
• Saudi Hawks, (Royal Saudi Air Force)
• Sherdils (Pakistan Air Force)
• Silver Falcons (South African Air Force)
• Silver Swallows Irish Air Corps
• Snowbirds (Canadian Forces)
• Surya Kiran (Indian Air Force)
• Team Jupiter (Indonesian Air Force)
• Team 60 (Swedish Air Force)
• Thunder Tiger (Republic of China)
• Thunderbirds (United States Air Force)
• Turkish Stars (Türk Yıldızları) (Turkish Air Force)
• Ukrainian Falcons (Ukrainian Air Force)
• Wings of Storm (Croatian Air Force)

Former teams

Stunt flyer flying low in a Curtiss Pusher plane, California, circa 1927

Martin B-57B-MA Serial 52-1560 of the 71st Light Bomber Squadron - 1957. This aircraft was also one of the "Black Knights" aerial acrobatic team. After its withdrawal from France in 1958, this aircraft was eventually assigned to the 8th Tactical Bomb Squadron at Phan Rang Air Base South Vietnam and flew combat bombing missions into the late 1960s.

• Yellowjacks (UK, RAF)
• Black Arrows (No. 111 Squadron RAF, 1950s)
• Blue Herons display team (UK, Royal Navy, FRADU)
• Blue Diamonds (No. 92 Squadron RAF)
• The Tigers (No. 74 Squadron RAF)
• The Firebirds (No. 56 Squadron RAF)
• The Red Pelicans (UK, RAF)
• Simon's Sircus (UK, Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm)
• Fred's Five (UK, Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm)
• The Red Knight (Royal Canadian Air Force)
• The Goldenhawks (Royal Canadian Air Force)
• Golden Centennaires (Royal Canadian Air Force)
• Acrojets (USAF Fighter School at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona 1949-1950)
• Acrojets (USAFE at Fürstenfeldbruck AB, Germany in the mid-1950s)
• Skyblazers (USAFE at Fürstenfeldbruck AB, Germany from late 1940s to 1962)
• The Black Knights (38th Tactical Bombardment Wing, USAFE, 1950s)
• Flying Jokers (Squadron 332, Royal Norwegian Air Force)
• Golden Sabres (Philippine Air Force)

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aerobatics

• Aerobatics (radio-controlled aircraft)
• Air racing
• Aresti Catalog
• Competition aerobatics
• Flight dynamics
• Flypast
• HASELL
• Aerobatic maneuver
• Aero GP
• Aerobatic pilots

Notes

References

External links

• Audio of an aerobatic ride with air show performer Brett Hunter in a Pitts S-2C
• Audio of an aerobatic ride with air show performer Michael Mancuso in an Extra 300L
• Aerobatics and Formation in New Zealand
• Aerobatic maneuver website
• Aerobatic Display Teams Blog

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