Setting the
scene ... |
The WAC - World Aerobatic Championships (unlimited
Power) - are biennial events, and are run in alternate years to AWAC - the Advanced World Aerobatic Championships. Both
championships are open to teams nominated by national organising
bodies such as the BAeA in the UK and the IAC (International
Aerobatic Club) in the Americas. The WAC are open only to
unlimited level pilots flying single engine propeller driven
aircraft, whilst the Advanced championships are restricted
generally to advanced pilots and there is also a list of
eligible aircraft. The WGAC - World Glider Aerobatics
Championships - are similarly biennial events and are open to
nominated teams flying in the glider 'unlimited' class. These
championships are organised by the FAI, the Federation
Aeronautique Internationale who are the world governing body for
all air sports. Every two years or so the FAI also organise a
World Air Games, a sort of aerial Olympics where all air sports
are represented. The first of these was held in 1997 in Turkey -
in 2001 the WAG will be held in the Andalucia region in Spain,
incorporating WAC at Burgos and WGAC at Cordoba. |
Few sports can be as physically and mentally demanding as
competition aerobatics. Sequences must be flown with
split-second timing, precise speed and altitude control.
Uncontrollable variables such as wind and temperature changes
all have to be considered, requiring dexterity of mind and
precise continuous planning on the pilot's part. A wrong turn,
miscalculation of wind strength, or the slightest
disorientation, could put the pilot out of the running. World
Championship aerobatics pushes to the physical limits of the
human body, with the tremendous 'G' (gravitational) forces are
commonly experienced in modern aerobatic aircraft - in a typical
unlimited sequence the pilot may pull up to 10G and push perhaps
to -8G for very short periods. |
Sequences are flown within a 1,000 metre aerial cube, commonly
known as the "Box". The height and base of this box vary
according to competition level - for unlimited sequences the top
will be 1,100 metres AGL (above ground level) and the base 100
metres AGL. Contestants will fly three sequences - firstly, a
'Known' or internationally accepted pre-published qualifying
sequence at which 60% or more must be scored to 'qualify';
secondly a 'free' or pilot designated sequence, and then one or
more 'unknown' compulsory sequences that are not even seen by
the pilots until after the first two sequences have been
completed. These latter will often be the most complex and
difficult sets of figures flown during the competition. A
non-compulsory 4-minute 'Freestyle' will usually follow and will
be adjudicated as a separate competition. |
Each sequence, comprising up to fifteen figures, is adjudicated
by a team of up to ten judges who determine how each individual
figure was executed. Consideration is also given to the
sequence's positioning within the box. All figures if perfectly
flown, will have a mark of ten, and judges will reduce this
having considered the precision of lines and angles, symmetry of
the figures, and other factors. |
In 1996, the World Aerobatic Championships was hosted in
Oklahoma, USA. The Smithsonian Institute's Air & Space magazine hosted a
comprehensive website to provide information on the history the World Aerobatic
Championship. That website is still available and serves as a valuable archive
to support current championships. We have distilled the information above from
this site and recommend you visit their website using the links below if you
want to know more about Aerobatic Championships. We also recommend, if you want
to follow current and future championships, that you bookmark this page. We will
be posting regular bulletins about British Team participation in future years
and will provide further links as they are announced. |
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Past British Team Diaries |
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2007 World
Aerobatic Championships,
Grenada, Spain |
2007 World Glider Aerobatic
Championships, Niederöblarn, Austria |
2007 European Advanced Aerobatic
Championships, Joensuu, Finland |
2006 European Aerobatic Championships
Grenschen, Switzerland |
2006 Advanced
World Aerobatic
Championships, Radom, Poland |
2006 World Glider Aerobatic
Championships, Rybnik, Poland |
2005 World Aerobatic Championships,
Burgos, Spain |
2005 World
Glider Aerobatic Championships, Serpuchov, Russia |
2005 Advanced
European Championships
Hradec Králové, Czech Republic |
2004 European Aerobatic
Championships, Kaunas, Lithuania |
2004 European Glider
Aerobatic Champs
Moravska
Trebova,
Czech Republic |
2004 Advanced World Aerobatic
Championships, Ljungbyhed, Sweden |
2003 World Aerobatic Championships, Lakeland, USA |
2003 Advanced European Aerobatic
Championships,
Kalsborg, Sweden |
2003 Glider Aerobatic Championships,Pčr, Hungary |
2002 European Aerobatic
Championships, Stanioniai, Lithuania |
2002 Advanced World
Aerobatic Champs
Murska Sobota, Slovenia |
2002 European Glider Aerobatic
Championships, Pasewalk, Germany |
2001 World Aerobatic
Championships, Burgos, Spain |
2001 Advanced European Aerobatic
Championships, Siofok-Kiliti, Hungary |
2001 World Glider Aerobatic
Championships, Cordoba, Spain |
2000 World Aerobatic
Championships, Muret, France |
2000 Advanced World
Aerobatic Championships,
Germany |
1999 Advanced World Aerobatic
Championships,
Czech Republic |
1998 World Aerobatic
Championships |
1997 Advanced World Aerobatic Championships,
Kansas, USA |
Aerobatic
history
The Smithsonian Institute view
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