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| By : Karen
Diamond |
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FINLAND
In the past, aerobatics were mainly flown in the Air Force and
by some individual show pilots.
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About twenty years ago, Mr Seppo Saario, who had
three firsts in Europe-the first Pitts S-1, Christen Eagle II
and Ultimate 300-and led an aerobatic team called "Red Birds"
(two Pitts S-1 led by a Christen Eagle), began to instruct aerobatics
to some enthusiasts. The Aerobatic Club of Finland was established
in 1983 and the first Nationals held in 1986. From the very beginning,
the IAC category system was observed both in instruction and competitions.
Surely this is one reason for our impeccable safety record - no
accidents, even minor ones it twenty years.
We do not have an IAC Chapter in Finland, but many of us are individual
members of IAC. The Aerobatic Club of Finland has about 60 members,
of which about 25 are active aerobatic pilots. Depending on Aircraft
situation, wok and family commitments, between 10-18 pilots show
up in the Nationals, which are flown in Sportsman, Intermediate
and Advanced. Additionally we have a few meetings in winter time
and one or two training camps in the summer. Our member Petteri
Tarma has three times participated in the WAC and continuously
made good progress in the final standings.
We have presently One Extra 300 and Ultimate 300, three Christen
Eagle II's and Pitts S-1's, two Bellancas and a few Cessna Aerobats.
The first Sukhoi SU-26 is due to arrive in the early spring.
Our country is fairly large on the European scale, but scarcely
populated (5 million). Thus we have very little, if any environmental
problems like noise etc. The Finnish Aviation Authority has a
positive attitude towards aerobatics and normally avoids and undue
limitations regarding aircraft and pilots. The most limiting factor
is the weather. Despite warm summers we have cold winters and
the effective aerobatic season lasts from early May to late September.
Lately the biggest problem has been the lack of experienced instructors
and available aircraft for the basic aerobatic training. The old
instructors retire and the young pilots do not seem to have any
time available for instructing any more.
There is a good cooperation is aerobatics between the four Nordic
countries - Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. We have Nordic
Championships, which are conducted according to IAC rules. Until
now, the Champion has been the winner of advanced category, but
the time of Unlimited is approaching rather fast. All contests,
training camps and judges schools are opens for every Nordic nation.
In order to coordinate these activities we established two years
ago "MANIAC"- Meeting for Annual Nordic Information and Aerobatic
Coordination-that meets in early January to agree on the schedule
of events of the year.
Getting more aerobatic aircraft with good performance and solving
the instruction problem are our biggest challenges in the near
future. The Finish participation in Advanced World on European
Championships in one goal. I look optimistically to the progress
of aerobatics in Finland. Look at the Formula 1 and Rally results.
Finns are a bit craze this way!
- Osmo Jalovaara
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AUSTRALIA
Aerobatics Is growing in Australia, but practice area's in
the major cities is no longer possible. We have had to change
the way of bringing members together - ie., weekends flying
in a country town. |
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We have only a few high performance aircraft; three Extras, one
Cap, two Sukohis, four Yak 55's. Most of our pilots fly Pitts and
for the first time in many years, we have the most competitors in
Basic, Sportsman, etc. Hopefully this will continue and the growth
will move up through the grades.
Generally, our competitions are growing and 2000 should see our
first AWAC team.
Total members in the Australian chapter is 145. There are four chapters:
South Australia with eight members; Victoria with 39 members; New
South Wales with 60 members; and Queensland with 29 members. One
national camp is held each year and one state camp.
- Roxanne Moon |
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UNITED KINGDOM
Traditionally, the UK has been a very "involved" nation in aerobatics.
The Lockheed Trophy contests, held in England in the 50's and 60's
were a precursor to modern competition. |
Subsequently, two WAC's have been in England - 1970 and 1986.
The nations organizing body in the UK is the British Aerobatic Association.
This has 250 to 300 members of whom 70 to 80 actively participate
in competition. The BAeA organizes perhaps seven or eight contest
weekends during the summer season, two of which are exclusively
for glider aerobatics.
We have an electric range of aerobatic aircraft, old and new, cheap
and expensive. Our major problem is both to train effectively and
to co-exist happily with our neighbors.
- Alan Cassidy |
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SLOVENIA
Aerobatics was revitalized in 1995 Slovenia after 13 years of
absence. There are 14 sport airfields in Slovenia. Of 50 clubs
(4,000 pilots) eight have aerobatics.
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At the moment, we organize national championships every year and
one international contest. In Slovenia, there are 12 pilots competing
actively and 25 pilots flying aerobatics actively. We have Sportsman,
Intermediate and Advanced level pilots and glider pilots as well.
The sports is growing progressively, with an increasing number of
pilots, aircraft and events on aerobatics.
In Slovenia, the following aircraft are flown: Zlin 142, ten Zlin
242's owned by the military and one by a club, Zlin 526 and 726,
Pitts S-2B, Extra 230, Yak 52, Fox-glider and several B-4 Pilatus
Gliders. There are inquiries are for few aircraft such as the YAK
55 and Sukhoi 26.
We want to host the CIVA meeting in 2000 and the Advanced World
Aerobatic Championships in 2002 in Murska Sobota. One of the greatest
challenges in the organization of AWAC, if we are awarded this event
by CIVA.
- Igor Zrinski and Martin Burjan |
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SOUTH AFRICA South Africa has a small aerobatic community
of about 75 pilots. It is centered in three main places: Johannesburg,
Durban and Port Elizabeth. |
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The nationals, currently held in Hluhlune, in Zululand, attracts
between 30-60 pilots in four categories - Sportsman and Unlimited.
For the first time this year, an additional class of classics
was added for older aircraft without inverted system, such as
the T6 Harvards, Chipmunks, Stampes, etc. The Unlimited class
is contested by Sukhois (There are six in RSA). The late peter
Celliers was successful in an Extra 300L. Zlin 50's, about eight,
are popular in the other classes. YAK 52's are now providing popular
in the sportsman class, although Pitts, Zlin 142's, etc., also
compete with success. Presently, a Pitts Model 12 has been completed
and flown, but as yet has no competition history.
South Africa has actively supported the World Grand Prix of Aerobatics
by almost exclusively supported (voted by CIVA board) the chief
judges : Quinton Hawthorne, Piet Nutt and john Gaillard.
- John Gaillard
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ITALY
The main aerobatic clubs in Italy are in Milan , the largest club,
Lugo, Cuneo and Viterbo. The total number of pilots participating
in the competitions in the four categories is about 65 including
nine in Unlimited. |
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There to six competitions are held per yet in each category.
The CAP 10 and 20 are the main mounts for the lower categories,
Sportsman and intermediate, and the Sukhoi 31 and 26, CAP 31 and
Extra for upper categories.
Remarkable is the airport of Bresso (Milan) where more than 15
aerobatic planes are located (including my Pitts). From a 100%
original B cker to Sukhoi, Extra CAP 20 and one CAP 21, therefore
being able to bring pilots from Sportsman to Advanced with club
planes.
The Italian team placed third at the recent EAC in Cordoba in
September, 1999. Six Italian pilots (one female) participated
in the third AWAC in July, 1999 in Mnichovo Hradit,,, Czechoslovakia.
- Giorgio Marangoni
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FRANCE
1999 activity represented 400 members in France Voltige; 10,000
hours of aerobatics flown throughout France, including 6,500 in
CAP 10; 60 aero-clubs with a partial aerobatic activity or entirely
devoted to aerobatics: |
Three professional schools (Centre Passion Catherine Maunoury,
Romeo Golf Aerobatic, Magic Voltige).
The progress of the pilots is organized through a series of contest,
from the lowest level to the highest. A pilot is authorized to compete
at a given level (from the "National biplace" level onwards) if
he has previously proven himself at the formal level, by having
been scored over the definite threshold (example: above an average
score of 7.0).
The denomination and structure of the levels are slightly different
from the international standards. They are :
"Espoirs" level equals "Sportsman" (no previous selection necessary).
"Francis Desavois" level (no previous election necessary) AND "National
biplace" level both equal approximately "intermediate". (Participation
is authorized in "National biplace" after selection in a previous
"Francis Desavois" championship).
"Marcel Doret 260 CV" level equals approximately "Advanced" (but
only with engine power inferior or equal to 260 hp). "Marcel Doret
unlimited" level equals approximately Advanced (with to machine
restriction). (For both, participation is authorized after selection
in a previous "National biplace" championship.) "International"
equals exactly "Unlimited". (Participation authorized after selection
in a previous "Marcel Doret" level championship (260 CV or unlimited,
no matter.)
"Espoirs", "Francis Desavois" and "National biplace" levels are
strictly reserved to two-seaters aerobatic aircraft. The load factor
("g") is officially limited and checked after each flight during
the contest (penalties for a pilot if he overpasses the contest
limit of +5, -3.5 g). Each year, we organize :
- An "Espoirs north" cup and a "Francis Desavois north" cup at the
same time (45 pilots in 1999, four day from Wednesday to Saturday
evening).
- An "Espoirs south" cup and a "Francis Desavois south"
cup at the same time (35 pilots in 1999, four day from Wednesday
to Saturday evening).
- A single "National biplace" championship
(34 pilots in 1999, four days from Wednesday to Saturday evening).
- A set of Championships "Marcel Doret 260 CV", Marcel Doret unlimited"
and "International" at the same time (32 pilots in 1999, Four days
from Wednesday to Saturday evening).
- A great friendly contest
called "Cup of France", which gathers all the levels at the same
time (115 pilots in 1999, five days).
- 12 friendly contest during
the single weekend, from Saturday 1200h to Sunday 2 PM, which gather
all the levels at the same time. (Mean number of participants: 25
- minimum one flight program, without officially training or Q,
because of the short duration.)
These numbers have remained approximately the same for the last
10 years. Presently, there are 53 pilots who are authorized to fly
"unlimited". This year, 30 judged at least one program during at
least one contest.
Gilles Maniglier is the current President of France Voltige - AFVA
and Claude BessiËre is our current national trainer.
We select both French teams (Unlimited and Advanced) through a Selection
Committee. The selection is progressive through the training camps
and the national contests. This committee selects the pilots according
to: 1. results in the past 2. results in the current national championship
3. technical progression during the training camps 4. technical
growth potential etc.
Our results are the following World Champions: Catherine Maunoury
- 1988; Claude BessiËre - 1990; Xavier De Lapparent - 1994; Christine
Genin - Zanetta - 1994; Patrick Paris - 1998.
Main challenges for the future :
- We must have our sport persist in spite of constant urbanization
growth around airfields, and the subsequent difficulties with the
noise that we are doing over the neighborhood (a general problem
is western Europe).
- We must make improvements on helping and motivating female pilots.
- We should better optimize the integration of the international
"advanced" level in our progress scheme and team selection process
(our levels "Marcel Doret are a bit more difficult than advanced,
with vertical flicks rolls and same negative flick rolls, because
now we consider that our "Unlimited" level pilots must be selected
on a higher standard of flight than today's advanced level).
- We must make improvements in the quantity and qualify of judges,
in order to maintain the quality of our national series of contests
(training, selection, motivation, etc.).
- Gerard Bichet |
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RUSSIA
There about 900 aero-clubs, 300 aerobatic pilots, and 15 top pilots
in Russia. Aerobatic aircraft manufactured are YAK 55 and 54, Sukhoi
26, 31, 29. Every year national championships are held. |
Activity is falling down a bit due to money and state support,
which is now weak.
- Kasum Nazhmudinov |
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CANADA
Aerobatics in Canada includes eight chapters with membership in
the chapters independent from the national organization. Some chapters
have more members than the national organization. |
For example, Chapter 8, Vancouver, has 60 members and the national
organization has 55.
The aircraft flown are mostly Pitts and various prototypes. Also
a few Extras, One Design - the same variety as in the USA.
Growth seems to be stunted (pardon the pun) at the moment. This
is mostly in organizational matters, not in flying. Quite a few
fresh faces are surfacing.
Competitions include Nationals and the Can-Am.
- Carole J. Holyk |
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CZECH REPUBLIC
We were proud to start the World Aerobatic Championships in the
post-war period in 1960. In those times the Zlin 126 was a beautiful
plane. |
We are happy that contest and world and proceeding successfully.
Presently, we are active in all aerobatic categories (from Basic
to Unlimited, gliders, WGPA). During the year, two or five contest
are held with an average of 30 pilots.
We have already organized five World/European championships and
six world titles are from Czech Republic (two Advanced World Championships,
four times Unlimited). Basic and intermediate/Advanced aerobatics
are performed in some 40 clubs; higher levels of Advanced/Unlimited
at the Air Sport Centre at Moravsk Tebov.
- Jirl Kobrle |
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BRAZIL
Despite the troublesome economic situation most countries are facing,
among which Brazil is no exception, aerobatics can be considered
a growing sport. |
Almost all aerobatic activities in the country are regulated by
ACRO, The Brazilian Aerobatic Association, which has currently around
250 active members. Part of the actual boost in the sport has come
as an incentive from D.A.C (local FAA, if you believe it…) in form
of five new aerobatic trainers (ACA Super Decathlons) which were
acquired by the government and leased to ACRO with the mission of
providing itinerate aerobatic courses and training. These airplanes
are traveling around the country with designated instructors, spreading
the world on aerobatics and allowing pilots who never has access
to aerobatic training to do it an orderly and safe manner, in a
new airplane and with a recognizedly competent instructor. These
courses are designed to take the pilot up to the Sportsman level
in competition and also there is the commitment of ACRO on having
at least one of the airplanes at every contest held so the student
is always assured to have an airplane to fly at the contests. This
has been a new and very good experience, which has boosted a lot
the participation in Basic and Sportsman.
The Brazilian Aerobatic Championships are comprised of several IAC
style five category contests, usually four per year. We use a ranking
system in which for bid to host an event. The idea is toi mix some
traditional sites, like Ribeir,, O Preto (just ask Matt Morrisey
and Susan Darling about it) and contest at new places, usually in
different parts of the country so more and more people are exposed
to aerobatic flying.
Brazil has seen sort of a resurrection of aerobatics in the country,
which started around 12 years ago. This new phase in aerobatics
owes much of it to the work of well-known IAC friend Rudy Penteado,
who at first was a direct link between IAC and the Brazilian pilots
and, at later stage, on his efforts to bring the Unlimited category
to the country and having a complete Brazilian Team flying at WAC,
which ultimately happened in Oklahoma in 1996. This led to the importation
into the country of several Sukhoi airplanes and the possibility
of staging camp training with international trainers like Nikolay
Timofeev and Sergei Boriak. This knowledge eventually is filtering
down to thew other categories and aerobatics as a whole is improving
in level and style.
For the future, we would like to see aerobatics grown more on a
local level. Hopefully the pilots training in the ACRO Decathlons
get bit by the aerobatics bug and are set on the way of buying their
own airplanes. We are seeing a shortage of airplanes for the Intermediate
and Advanced categories. There are some Pitts, Eagles and other
types in the country but they are still few we'd like to see more
of them. Unfortunately, the Government is not akin to repeat its
noble gesture of acquiring some more new airplanes for ACRO so we
are left with private efforts in that respect.
Contest will tend to grow on a local or regional level, Since Brazil
is a big country and more and more pilots will be participating
the sports.
Who knows may be in the next few years we may be in the position
to bid to hoist AWAC or even WAC ? Wouldn't it be nice, for example,
to mix the beauty of Rio de Janeiro with the sights and sounds of
international competition ?
- Luiz G Richieri |
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USA
The IAC has finished the '90's decade with over 6,000 members, about
900 or whom are active in competition. Although the IAC is the US
aerobatic club, it has remained open and welcoming to membership
from all over the World. |
IAC members live in over twenty - five countries and many are
contributing authors of articles for the dramatically enriched and
expended monthly SPORT AEROBATICS magazine. The US has 58 active
chapters spread throughout the country that serve as sponsors for
about 60 local and regional sanctioned contest cash year. Regular
competition highlights have included the IAC Championships and the
US National Aerobatic Championships for the past 30 years, and starting
in 1998 the IAC has also hosted the new FAI Continental Championship
of the Americas. Near record activity has been spurred by the introduction
of many new aerobatic aircraft in the U.S. including the Zivko Edge,
Staudacher, Aviat Pitts S-2C and 110 Monocoupe, Velox, Giles and
DR-series. Add to this the ready availability of YAK, Sukhoi, CAP,
and Extras, and you have performance and excitement that will propel
the sport for many years. US enthusiasts have also been drawn to
medium performance aircraft such as the factory-built Champion Decathlon
and Great Lakes, and home-built Stardusters, Acrosports, Eagles,
and Skybolts. Add a sprinkling of Buckers, Stampes, Stearmans, Zlins,
and Cubs, and the sport remains diversified and very interesting.
Although most contest offer the traditional five U.S. categories
(Basic, Sportsman, Intermediate, Advanced, and Unlimited), there
is a growing trend to create unique contests based on a single model
or based on all Unknowns, etc. The IAC still concentrates on encouraging
gross-roots development and emphasizes safety and responsibilities
in all activities. The biggest challenges in the future will be
to sustain growth in competition and to attract purely recreational
aerobatic enthusiast with new membership benefits.
- Doug McConnell |
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