Learning aerobatics is a great way to ehance your skills, as well as providing a more exciting element to your flying activities.
There is no formal aerobatics rating issued by the CAA. However the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA) do offer courses and certification in aerobatics.
The AOPA Basic Aerobatics Certificate
Pilots who show an interest in learning the skills to perform basic aerobatic manouevres may comeplete the AOPA Basic Aerobatics Course. A pilot may commence the course provided they have either a PPL or NPPL, there is no minumum hour requirements.
The course provides a minimum of 8 hours of flying tuition coupled with 8 hours ground tuition. Pilots with prevoius aerobatics experience may be given permission to complete the course in less time, provided they match up to the required standard.
The course covers the following aerobatic elements:
- Advanced turning
- Slow flight, level, climbing, descending
- Stalls, entry and recovery
- Spiral dive recoveries
- Engine restart during flight
- Unusual attitude recoveries
- Loop
- Ballistic roll
- Barrel roll
- Slow roll
- Stall turn
- Combination manoueuvres
- Physical, aircraft, airframe and engine limitations
- Emergency drills
- The ARESTI system
The minimum cost of completing the course should be around £1500 at a regular flying school. Costs can increase when the student fails to meet the required standards within 8 hours flying time.
The AOPA Basic Aerobatics Certificate allows pilots to participate in aerobatic events for beginners which are organised by the British Aerobatic Association (BAeA).
Pilots wishing to learn more advanced aerobatic manoueuvres may complete the AOPA Standard Aerobatic Course.
The AOPA Standard Aerobatic Course
The AOPA Standard Aerobatics Course aims to build on the Basic Aerobatic Course by developing a pilots skills to complete more complicated manoueuvres.
Unlike the basic course AOPA require a minimum of 6 hours dual flying tuition instead of 8. Similarly 6 hours of theoretical training is required. To begin the course you must have completed the AOPA Basic Aerobatics Course, there is no minimum hour requirements.
This course requires an air test which must be in addition to the 6 hours flying tuition.
The standard aerobatics course covers the following aerobatic elements:
- Kinetic & potential energy, energy management
- Aircraft characteristics
- Emergency drills
- The ARESTI system
- Sequence appreciation
- Spins & recoveries
- Precision wingovers
- Cuban eight
- Half roll and half loop down
- Two/Four point roll
- Stall turn
- Hesitation loops
- Combination manoueuvres
On qualification of the AOPA Standard Aerobatics Certificate you will be able to participate in standard class aerobatic events organised by the British Aerobatic Association.
The cost of course will cover 6 hours flying training with an instructor and 6 hours ground school, as well as the test fee. Expect to pay between £1000 and £1500 to complete this course.
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