Hi Richardfast,

You are right, there is not much info on the "how" section of "flying." In fact, "how" to fly a good looking maneuver in any flight direction or with any amount of wind from any direction is nearly unexplainable. The pilot, the criteria for getting a "10" is pretty clear, but how to do it from flight to flight, or day to day is not clear. In order to do this, you need a certain skill set. The skills to perform the manuevers are the easiest to understand.

However, the MOST important skill IMHO is PERCEPTION. And, this skill takes the most time and practice to gain. It is also the first to leave you if you stop practicing. IMHO, these are the most important things to learn:

Again, PERCEPTION, PERCEPTION, PERCEPTION, PERCPTION!

1. PERCEPTION: Learn to the see the model correctly in any attitude. If you are "seeing" it deviated from what you KNOW is the proper attitude, you can LEARN to correct the error. This is an equal combination of usually WATCHING higher class flyers, practice with a coach, and practice grinding it out by yourself (and foul words if necessary). Perception of your model will also allow you to "see" mistakes before they happen. For instance, you have decided to leave a small dip in the wing prior to the start of the next maneuver. You do this so that the judges don't "see" you obviously fixing a small mistake. Thus, I "know" that to pull a radius that "looks" correct (given one wing is dipped), that I will need twice the usual oppisite rudder, and to breathe in the aileron fix 50% through the radius, simultaniously releasing some of the rudder. However, do not release all the rudder, or the tail might waggle (which creates a visual que to the judges that you have done "something" wrong they did not see before). I don't think you can write enough about how important perception is. One trick to give your vision a paradigm shift is to simply double your baseline height for a few sequences.

2. At each class, the next most important aspect of flying skill is (get ready to be bored) (drum-roll please) STRAIGHT, WINGS LEVEL FLIGHT. You absolutely cannot escape this fundamental! The winners of each class from Sportsman to FAI separate themselves not by how good the snap of one maneuver looks, but by the quality of the linking of maneuvers and the mastering of fundementals. What was once a good enough straight line to win the Advanced Nats, looks more like sport-flying at the Masters level. A honing of the fundamentals at each level will reward you tremendously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3. The next most important skill is "entry and exit" of ANY maneuver. Entering the maneuver correctly gives you a "chance" to perform it correctly, exiting it correctly allows you to "link" the whole maneuver set together. In fact, as your PERCEPTION improves, you will continually find errors in how you enter and exit a maneuver. Once you "see" the error, you can "learn" to fix it on the spot.

Thus far:
1. Perception
2. Straight wings level flight
3. Maneuver entry and exit

Finally: As your perception improves, and you learn to get the plane to do what you want, you will start a very important transformation. You need to become "plane" centered instead of "tranmitter" centered. The judges don't care what your transmitter stick positions indicate the plane is doing. The only "que" to the judges is what your plane is doing. Thus, your "que" should be the plane as well. Release your preconcived notions, fears, or hessitations. To fly a straight line, it "might" require use of rudder, elevator, and aileron - thats OK. Flying a perfect loop with a cross wind will UNDOUBTEDLY require flying ALL THREE FLIGHT AXIS - and thats OK. The plane will not fall out of the sky or something if all of a sudden you find that you need lots of control input to get something to look nice. Transforming to a plane centered approach will allow you to be "ahead" of the plane. If you continually focus on the tranmitter, you will always be "behind" the plane.

One reason the real "Master-Grasshoppers" don't post much of the "how" to fly stuff, is that the more "plane-focused" you become, the more "natural" the flying becomes, and the "less" aware they are of making the actual corrections.

Without improving your perception, the maneuvers will always be a mystery and incosistent! This is one reason that attending contests is so important to "learning" how to fly pattern. And now young pattern grasshopper, you too are ready spread your wings and fly!
Jim Woodward
(my pattern wings are still a little wet. I too would like to hear how the big guys to it)