CAA: GA News, "Aerobatic pilots' loops, rolls done in pursuit of perfection"

["Stephen Irwin" <Stephen.Irwin@pmail.net>]

Tuesday, March 28, 2000

Aerobatic pilots' loops, rolls done in pursuit of perfection
By Bruno J. Navarro
The Arizona Republic


Pilots specializing in aerobatic flying spend so much time upside down they
have a term for it: "hanging by the belts."

Nearly 80 pilots will spend some time doing just that this week at the
International Aerobatics Club championships at Chandler Municipal Airport.

The competition will include such maneuvers as loops, drops and rolls by
pilots in propeller-powered airplanes that are faster, lighter and more
agile than most small aircraft.

But don't call them daredevils.

"The truth is, nobody here thinks of themselves as a daredevil," said Mark
Kinder, a pilot from Cave Creek. "This is the same group of people you get
to see at a PTA meeting.

"The challenge here is to be perfect, not to do something the other guy
can't do."

Safety makes all the difference, said Kinder, who has been involved in
aerobatic flying for the past 10 out of 15 years he has been a pilot.

Competitive flights take place at a certain altitude to give pilots time to
correct mistakes, Kinder said.

Education, too, is a big part of the sport.

For instance, the IAC distributes information to its members about some of
the possible effects of aerobatic flying -- such as "gray-outs," which
affect peripheral vision, and "the wobblies," or a loss of equilibrium --
and how to avoid them.

Kinder said he became hooked on flying as a 9-year-old who built working
model airplanes.

"I remember my first flight," he said. "It gave me a real sense of
accomplishment."

For Bubba Vidrine of Lafayette, La., aerobatic flying was always a family
affair.

Vidrine, a member of the national team headed for competition in Germany
this summer, his dad and brothers are all pilots.

This year, Vidrine showed up to defend his title in the advanced category.
He said he thought his chances were pretty good.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't think so," he said.

This week's event actually combines the Championships of the Americas, which
includes pilots from North America, Central America and South America, and
the annual U.S. National Championships. The event is divided into five skill
categories from beginning to "unlimited."

The more advanced levels involve more complex maneuvers, which are also more
physically demanding, said Curt Langenhorst, a Chandler pilot. At speeds in
excess of 200 mph, aerobatic pilots can experience up to 10 Gs -- 10 times
the force of gravity -- in moves more violent than what Air Force fliers
experience, he said.

American, German and Russian planes in a wide array of colors sat on the
tarmac Monday afternoon, awaiting pilots to take them aloft today in the
second day of the competition.

John Walkup, president of Chandler Air Service, said his company got to host
the event for the first time this year.

"It's a great way to promote the city's general-aviation airport."

The event runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, weather permitting. It
will be taking place east of the airport runway and is free. Food, drinks
and souvenirs are available.

Attached Photo: Vicki Cruse, a pilot from Thousand Oaks, Calif., climbs out
of the cockpit of her Zivico Edge 540 aerobatic monoplane at Chandler
Municipal Airport. She will be participating in the Championships of the
Americas this week, a separate event at the International Aerobatics Club
championships being held at the airport.

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