Mike, that extra is nothing. In the open classes of RC combat, I always fly a solid red airplane, with no markings on the wings at all. I get a lot of guys asking how I can keep oriented, and know what way it's going.

The answer is that I'm flying by "memory" and "feel" and reflex, not by actually thinking about what the airplane is doing.

Once you've been flying for a while, you'll find you need less and less in the way of visual cues. And if you DO "loose it", you can figure it out really quickly. I have had situation where I've taken a plane from someone with out knowing what it's doing, but all it takes is a quick stick wiggle, and the plane "locks in" and suddenly I know exactly what's going on. It's hard to explain, but the long-time pilots I know all have had that same feeling, when the plane just snaps in, and you know what's going on. The half-loop trick will work if you are high enough, but once you've flown for a while, it takes far less than that, just a quick stick wiggle is enough, and you find your self doing it with out thinking about it.