OLEAN — More than 20 pilots from across the Northeast will participate in an aerobatic flying competition next weekend at Olean Airport.
The Buffalo Wings, Chapter 126 of the International Aerobatic Club (IAC), will host the 2014 Bill Thomas U.S./Canada Aerobatic Open on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 6 and 7, at the hilltop airport off Route 16 in the town of Ischua.
The event is a sanctioned competition for pilots, not an air show, although spectators are welcome to watch the event from outside the airport’s perimeter fencing, as required by Federal Aviation Administration regulations. They will be allowed inside during a break in the action both days, from noon to 1 p.m., to visit with pilots and get a close-up look at their specially built planes.
“”We’ll have people providing guided tours of the aircraft,” said Pat Barrett, Buffalo Wings president. “People will have an opportunity to talk with the pilots and take photos. There will be many types of aircraft. You’d have to go a long way to find the variety of aircraft we’ll have there.”
This is the fourth time an IAC competition has been held at Olean Airport. This year’s event is named for and dedicated to the late Bill Thomas, a national champion aerobatic pilot who flew out of Olean. Prior to the competition, a plaque honoring the late Mr. Thomas, a member of the IAC Hall of Fame, will be presented for permanent display at the airport.
“He was a very soft-spoken guy and a very skilled pilot,” said Mr. Barrett, noting Mr. Thomas’ instruction books “are highly respected by anyone who flies aerobatics.”
Competition is scheduled to begin about 8 a.m. both days, weather permitting.
Pilots will compete in one of five categories, based on experience and expertise: primary, sportsman, intermediate, advanced and unlimited. Pilots in each category fly four pre-determined flight patterns, or sequences.
“The competition sequences must be flown with split-second timing, precise speed and altitude control, and with constant calculation for such variables as wind and temperature,” said Mr. Barrett. “Any wrong turn, misplaced pullout, and roll in the wrong direction can put the pilot out of the running.”
As the competition moves up in category, from primary through unlimited, the sequences are more complicated, requiring more precise flying. And as you go up in category, the bigger the horsepower and the more valuable the planes. “Some of the unlimited aircraft are in the $300,000 range,” said Mr. Barrett.
All the planes are specially built to be stronger and lighter than conventional aircraft. “They’re strengthened so they can withstand the stresses and G-forces of aerobatic maneuvers. You couldn’t do this in a traditional airplane,” said Mr. Barrett.
The pilots compete inside designated airspace known as “the box,” a block of air measuring 3,300 feet on each side. Markers on the ground below help pilots above define the aerobatic box. There are also designated high- and low-altitude flight lines that pilots must stay between.
A panel of judges, who have copies of the patterns the pilots are to fly, grades each pilot’s ability to precisely follow the pattern while keeping inside the box.
“There are all kinds of different maneuvers — loops, rolling turns. It’s all based on precision and timing,” said Mr. Barrett. “Each pilot starts out with a perfect score and is downgraded for any mistake he makes.”
The Olean event is drawing pilots and planes from Western New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Vermont, Massachusetts and Canada.
“They’re all looking forward to it,” said Mr. Barrett. “This is our fourth year at Olean Airport, although we weren’t here last year, and everyone’s enamored with the countryside, the beautiful view and the hospitality,” he said.
- Source: http://www.oleantimesherald.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment