ORIGINAL: DMichael

All,

While I have a fair amount of aerobatic competition experience (about 8 years of IMAC), I have never flown a pattern plane or competed in a pattern contest. I have just recently aquired a competitive pattern plane and am thinking I would like to come out to a local contest next weekend and enter in the intermediate class.

I have a few questions to ask about the sequence:

- is there any kind of time limit to get in the air? Is there any limitation on the number of trim passes before entering the first manuever after takeoff? After the take off you have one pass of center line mostly downwind unless the pilot chose to take off downwind (upwind pass). There is a 3 minute time limit to take off.

- "Humpty Bump with Options". What does "with options" mean? I assume this means I can choose any kind of humpty I want? I can, for example, pull, push, half roll on down line and pull to level or I could pull, half roll on up line, pull top and pull bottom, etc.? Whatever I want as long as it's a humpty and I come out upright and heading back toward the center of the box? 1/2, or 1/4 up & down.

- "Non Rolling Triangle Loop" I assume this is just a plane 'ol triangle loop, yes? 1/8 loop into 45-degree climb, 3/8 loop to level inverted, 3/8 loop to 45-degree down line, 1/8 loop to level up & down line should be same line. start & end same position.

- Manuever 11: "Split S". Is there any criteria about how quickly the half loop must start after the half roll? For example, can you do the half roll, draw a line and then enter the half loop? If so, is there a minimum or maximum length of time for the time between the half roll and the half loop? Or, should the half loop begin immediately after the half roll ends? It is 1/2 roll in level flight immediately followed by 1/2 inside loop to level flight in opposite direction as entry.

- Manuever 12 "Straight Inverted Flight". I believe I am exiting the preceding manuever upright- and entering the following manuever upright. If I am correct, does this mean for manuever 12 I enter, do a half roll to inverted, fly inverted (assume I am centering the inverted portion of the manuver) then do a half roll to upright at the end, yes or no? Is there any kind of criteria as to the length of the inverted flight? Yes, you are correct. minimum of 4 seconds inverted flight.

- Maunver 16 "Two half rolls in opposite directions, pause in center": Is there any criteria about the minimum period of time the pause should be? Conversely, is there any kind of maximum length for the pause?
manuever description says " Model rolls 180 degrees to level, inverted flight, pauses, then rolls 180 degrees in the opposite direction to recover in level flight. Center of manuever is middle of inverted hesition." Downgrades: 1 point / 15 degrees on over or under rotation of rolls. heading or altitude change. roll rate, model does not hesitate at inverted.

- Finally, after the manuever preceding landing, what is the requirement regarding what you can do - do you have to immediately land or can you fly a couple of passes, do a turnaround manuever, etc., before landing? Since Intermediate sequence ends in downwind, I've seen some people just starting landing sequence. I don't remember how many passes were allowed, but I usually start the landing after the last manuever. A certified NSRCA Judge should know better than me. I couldn't make to the judging seminar this year.


Thanks in Advance,

Dave

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