Great response Jim! Great K factor article.

One way I practiced over the winter was lots of flights of just practicing lines. Straight through the box to an immelman straight across the top. Split S then repeat. Then big square loops and 45 's through the middle then repeat all inverted. Then add lots of half rolls, change turnarounds, etc.
The key is knowing were the plane is at all attitudes and all parts of the box. I also practice the sequence above or below the class I'm flying every so often to force me to do different stuff.

You guys are really helping me learn to fly pattern! None of these responses from all of you are wasted. Since I started this thread I have burned through almost two gallons of fuel, practicing a lot of the suggestions that have been said here. The good news is I am improving!
There are no active pattern flyers in my area so this thread has been my school.
Perception, perception, perception.... right on! At my stage of learning, the only way I can tell whether or not the wings are perfectly level is when I pull and find out too late that the heading is going bye bye. But I am getting better at flying the airplane and not the sticks. One thing I am going to try is putting a dayglo stripe on each wing tip to better see where the wings are as the plane passes through box center.
Thanks again for all of the help. This thread is being printed out as it builds for continued study.
By the way, Hover King, last years masters champion at the Nat's was 15; so believe me, I pay attention to what you say regardless of age.

Ken, Anthony,

Thanks for the kind words - heres what you should consider:
1. Box: You NEED a box to practice pattern. From your habitual pilot station, setup some 60 degree lines, even if temorary. Place some poles or flag markers out about 25 meters along these lines and a center marker (or do it at the 150 marker is your club allows). These can be something you take home if you wanted. If you do this, and your centered maneuvers are still rushed, you are simply flying too close.

2. Fixing your Perception: Fly at a baseline height where "level" flight means you can just see the bottom of the outside wing panel. This is much easier to hit consistently than a lower baseline hieght where you only see the wing tip. Maybe 40 meters up for a quick number. Then, fly straight passes. Use the 1/2 reverse cuban 8 for a turnaround manuever. Just before starting the manuever, induce a miniscule wing dip, and then start the manuever. Do this small wing dip both directions. One side will look really BAD, one side will look BETTER. Repeat the BETTER looking angle on the next pass, and make refinements so that when you "pull" the turnaround manuever, you need little to no rudder correction. Repeat this until you can exit one turnaround maneuver, fly the straight line, and start the next turnaround mauever, with little deviation in heading or roll. Bets are that doing this at the baseline height you "see" the bottom of the outside wing will train your vision to que into the true wings level position. Making these adjustments on the turnaround manevuers is good for the visual que, because your eyes can see the wings position better at the ends of the box.
3. Centered loop: With your new found level flight position, try a gentle centered loop. In my opinion, lots of folks do not keep the "outside" wing down. In that, they sort of roll the plane so that the "see" the top of the wings too much, and make up for this with larger amount of rudder input, and the plane heads in after the loop. I think you will be surprised at how much different a loop looks if you keep the outside wing down. Further more, your rudder work through the loop will be cut in 1/2 when you keep the correct wings level position through the backside of the loop. One way to easily determine if your wing are level "through" the loop, is that upon exit, do you need to make an aileron correction? Fact is, if you need an aileron correction at the bottom of the loop, you probably needed it much earlier than you "saw". - learn to NOT need to see the top of the plane as a comforting factor.
4. TOP OF THE BOX: IMHO, flying at the top of the box, wings level, on heading is hard! How many times have you, or at least seen, huge deviations is exits and straight lines. A typical top of the box error I see (and I make), is to head in when going across the top. For instance, 1/2 square loop with 1/2 roll: At the top of this, when pushing the exit radius, make sure the plane does not head in. Typically, I see lots of people (including me) head in and decend. Try to recognize this early. Other than practice, I don't know how to help with this one.

1. Straight flight: keep baseline where you see the bottom of outside wing panel
2. entry radius: work adjusting your wings level position until you can pull into it with little to no rudder.
3. Centered maneuvers: keep outside wing down, resist urge to see top of plane.
4. Anyone else help with the top of the box stuff??????????????
Jim Woodward

Jim,

Just wanted to personally thank you for your latest involvement in the pattern discussion on RCU. As a moderator of the pattern forum, I am expected to know the answers to alot of this stuff you are explaining, and often I may have a clue,often times I do not have a clue. or cannot put it to words. This is where you are excelling. I have read over your comments about trimming and you comments on practicing many times now. Your explanations were just what we have been needing for a long time in pattern and here on RCU its a welcomed addition.

There are often comments about why nobody discusses how to fly pattern, and the answer is "Its tough to tell someone how to do something that is second nature".
You have did this in a way in which the novice and mid level pilots will have a better understanding of what we are trying to accomplish with these planes. I will be trying some of your ideas this weekend. Keep up the great discussions.

Jim, is it possible for you to post a photo or diagram so that we can better visualize this keypoint you're making ? Thanks for the great "back to the basics" discourse !

Don't have diagram but beings we are standing on the ground and essentially looking up at some angle, we should be able to see the bottom of the outboard wing. If we cannot, the wings are angled to such as we look up, in other words not level.

The appearance of wings level is different, working back to the word Perception, depending on the different altitude we are flying. The higher up we are, the more visible the outboard wing should be.

If I were 10' tall(I'm not but) and the plane was being flown at 10' high, all I should see is the wing tip, but neither top nor bottom of wing as the wings are level with my eyesight. If the plane was flown at 50' up, and all I saw was the wingtip as before, the inboard wing would be lower than the outboard wing, hence not level because of the angle I would be looking up towards the 50' level.

Hope thismakes sense. Every plane presents differently, and the only way to figure it out is to fly level and do the pull and push exercises mentioned above, to learn what the correct sight is for our individual planes.

Ed

Hey Jim,

I know what you mean about heading "in" at the top of the box, typically say after an immelmann. I always thought that if my heading was correct I'd have an easier time of it (i.e. heading straight before the pull up, then after it wouldn't come it). But it still happens - some days it's not so bad, some days it pretty severe. What I try to do to help myself, is sneak in a touch of rudder on the last 1/4 of the half loop (just a breath!) - always pushing the nose just a little out. That way, even if I was really heading for trouble, by the time I complete the half roll I don't require as much rudder correction as I would have w/o the sneaking in of rudder. It's much stealthier that way that correcting after the half roll. Hope it helps! (Can't tell if it will...ALL my maneuvers look pretty ugly).

Cheers,
Ken

Ooops, just realized what a dumb post/answer mine was, Jim. Never mind. Usually guestimate whether I need to touch in a bit of rudder. Point really is PERCEPTION again, ain't it?

Cheers,
Ken

Hi Jim,
I remember a conversation about smaller half squares at the Nats. Can't take my own advice however. Really having problems with this one, especially sinking into the spin and speeding up and wich makes for an ugly entry. Have also been flying some reaaallly big square loops lately.
Think I need to use less power on the up line adding power only after the roll. Smaller radii would probably help too. Any other suggestions.

rajul, that link is amazing. I added it to my favorites list. It will take me weeks to absorb all that.

I'm also learning to use rudder. Funny that I have 15 years experience and never REALLY learned to use it. With all this advise, I'm going to start drilling with the sim and at the field. I have already noticed that small rudder corrections are becoming more natural and automatic (at least up right).

I would also add that it is possible to over drill. As your mind becomes fatigued, you just start burning-in bad technique. I always start a flight with a shake-out, drill several passes, fly the sequence a few time, and shake-out at the end. This helps me stay relaxed and prevents the sequence from becoming an adversary. Remember, it's supposed to be fun too.

I'm currently practicing for the US F3A Team Trials. My practice sessions consist of 3 flights in the morning and 3 flights in the late afternoon. Also, I try to have a caller as often as possible to help give me positive criticism.

There's a couple of reasons I don't go out for one long practice session. First, I get tired if I practice more than 3 or 4 flights at a time. The quality of the flights go downhill after putting forth the intense mental focus it requires to fly well. Secondly, in North Carolina right now it's humid and warm by noon. If I'm at my field at 9am, I can 'beat the heat' and get a more efficient practice session. Then in the afternoon I do something else other than flying to give myself a break and allow time to 'rest'. Around 5pm, I'll go out again when it's somewhat cooler and put in 3 more quality spent flights.

Some fields aren't always great with the sun, along with other variables, so I can understand why some people can't practice exactly how I do.

Finally, I get my dad to call for me b/c he can see the big picture when I'm flying - such as constant radii, centering, etc. I recommend getting someone to call for you as much as you can, even if they can't coach you on the technical things. If you are fortunate enough to have someone who can coach you, one on one discussions are the best for understanding 'how to fly a maneuver'. Sometimes it's hard to translate words into how to fly b/c it's such an intricate process.

I think all the replies on here have been great...keep it up everyone! Burn fuel efficiently!

Pete -
Best of luck to you this summer with the Team Trials! What planes are you taking with you?

Jim W.

thanks jim...i've got 2 fully finished partners on order from PL Prod...the first one was suppose to come april 1st and the second may 15th, but neither has come so i'm gonna be flying a Phenom. it's a new design from a couple of guys in winston-salem, NC...it flys very well