Flight Training - July 2022 - 36

rear seat. The controls are well balanced and forces are linear.
Aileron and elevator controls are activated by pushrods-not
cables and pulleys-so there's no slop or play whatsoever. The
airplane does exactly what the pilot commands it to do without
hesitation.
Aerobatic maneuvers in the Extra can be big, slow, and
graceful or abrupt and immediate depending on pilot control
inputs. Over-the-top maneuvers such as loops and Immelmanns
are an important part of upset training because those
maneuvers teach pilots to calibrate how hard they can pull
without overstressing an airframe.
In a typical loop, for example, pilots aim to pull about 3.5 Gs
at the start and finish of the maneuver. Most FAA standard-category
aircraft are rated for a maximum 3.8 Gs in normal flight.
That means pilots who learn what 3.5 Gs feels like while practicing
loops have a baseline for how heavy they should feel in the
seat while recovering from an upset in a Cirrus or a Bonanza.
The only criticism of the Extra from a flight training standpoint
is that its performance is so superlative that it doesn't
necessarily transfer to other aircraft categories. With a roll rate
of about 360 degrees per second, for example, the Extra rolls
about six times faster than a Cessna 182 or a 206.
Companies such as Stallion 51 in Kissimmee, Florida; Flight
Research in Mojave, California; and Victory Aviation in Denton,
Texas, use former military jets and other relatively heavy and
fast aircraft to train corporate and airline pilots in airplanes
that are similar to the ones they fly professionally. Aerobatic
training allows pilots to confidently and decisively control their
airplanes throughout the full 360-degree spectrum of pitch
and roll. It also shows them exactly where the critical angle of
attack resides, and it introduces the physical sensations of high
G loading so they know how much they can ask of an airplane in
an emergency.
Loss of aircraft control remains a persistent cause of accidents
in airplanes ranging from the smallest to some of the
largest, and pilots of a broad range of experience levels can succumb
to it. A Super Cub making a tight turn in a mountain valley,
a Cessna 172 with a heavy load on a hot day, a Learjet making
a tight turn in the traffic pattern, and an Airbus A330 with an
erroneous airspeed display have all unintentionally stalled with
tragic results. Unusual attitude and spin awareness training in
an aerobatic aircraft such as the AOPA Extra 300L give pilots
the knowledge and experience to guard against these kinds of
mishaps.
With a heightened sense of how airplanes behave close to
their critical angle of attack, pilots with this kind of specialized
training are more likely to recognize and avoid crossing the line.
And if they ever do stall inadvertently, they know to resist the
" panic pull " reflex that only makes things worse.
It's hard to imagine such a fun and exciting form of flying
having a more noble purpose. FT
dave.hirschman@aopa.org
This maneuver starts out like a loop and continues that
way until just after the half-way point. Then, with the
inverted airplane descending at a 45-degree angle, the
pilot keeps the nose pointed at the ground and half-rolls
to upright. Then, it's time to pull out of the dive. The
airplane should finish the maneuver at the same altitude
but reciprocal heading as it began.
36
FLIGHT TRAINING JULY 2022
Flight Training - July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - July 2022
