Lazy Eight's

On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:35:43 -0400, Dudley Henriques
wrote:

On 2007-06-24 10:51:51 -0400, "Dick" said:

After taking some rigorous Unusual Attitudes Training, now I can't do a
smooth Lazy Eight to save my soul G (or comfort my wife).

One item the course taught me was a Modified Wingover which allowed a blind
canyon 180* turn within a wingspan.

Only way to do this would be a Hammerhead, and a Hammerhead done
perfectly as well :-)





Unfortunately after I look left over the wing to line up with the entry
point and initiate first pitch/bank, I'm then at the 90* point and still too
fast.....

Advice please. Thanks, Dick

Hi Dick;

I won't get into the mechanics on Lazy 8's as there are literally
hundreds of competent sources available and I'm sure you have already
read them.
Procedure is only part of the equation when it comes to doing a good Lazy 8.
Contrary to what some might think, doing a good Lazy 8 within specific
parameters is actually not as easy as it might seem. In fact, as an
aerobatic instructor, I'll have even a competent acro pilot demonstrate
a good Lazy 8 to me before moving on into the "good stuff" :-)
The key to doing good Lazy 8's is control coordination and feel. You

"To me" and I emphasize to me and I have nowhere near a fraction of
the knowledge or skill in aerobatics as you, but I know what the lazy
8 is going to look like and "feel" like at each point in a particular
plane. "To me" all maneuvers are like that and probably more feel than
every thing else put together, but I know my plane well throughout the
envelope and know the feeling for all of the edges.


When I haven't flown for a while and my competency suffers, like now,
I go out and spend hours getting reacquainted before I am really
comfortable.

I found the much steeper lazy 8 far easier to learn than the 15, 30 15
degree banked civilian lazy 8.