This weekend saw the third of our (now almost annual) Powered Get Into Aeros events. The aim of these is to give an introduction to what is involved in all aspects of competition aerobatics as well as some presentations/activities intended to inspire the participants about the opportunities out there and, if they take up the sport, to encourage them to think about how to get the most out of their training to make every penny count!

The weather was kind so we were able to get cracking as soon as the initial briefings had concluded, which also had a chat on what the judges are looking for and a discussion with the instructors on how to fly their respective aircraft. There is a huge amount to learn in a really short space of time so the flights really are just a brief introduction to the sport but most of the participants felt able to complete a sequence in the overhead and get some feedback on their figures-always instructive in itself!

The forecast for Sunday wasn’t great so we cracked on with some of the second flights on Saturday (the ones that count, for those who have a bit of a competitive streak!) in the hope that this would help allow everyone to get theirs completed. The evening concluded with some demonstration flights at the different levels (Sports, Intermediate and Advanced) to show what increasingly complicated sequences look like and how the first of those is definitely achievable in the not too distant future!

Starting the second flights early turned out to be a good plan as we concluded the last sequence on Sunday just as the cloud base was dropping and we would have had to stop!

There seemed to be quite a bit of a change in the scores from the first flight’s practice sequences to the ones that formed the basis of a bit of friendly competition. It’s a harsh sport having to go straight in to the box and fly without a practice but hopefully a realistic demonstration of what is involved in the sport.

As ever, a huge thank you must go out to our host, the Shropshire Aero Club; Nigel Lamb for joining us again and chatting with the participants; all the helpers (there are many and if I try to name them I’ll miss someone out-so thanks to you all), without you the event wouldn’t be possible; and of course the participants, who got stuck in with all the good humour you would hope for. We hope to see at least some of you at again!