Understanding Air Shows 101

Air Show Performances Offer Life Lessons

The expertise, proficiency, determination and focus of a well-trained aerobatic pilot sets a good example to spectators of all ages. Young people especially see through a demonstration of these traits that acquired skills in any demanding line of work take time and patience along with passion and ability.

Air Show Safety

Safety is a big concern at all air shows. The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has established certain rules that must be adhered to by all participants. Air show safety regulations are designed to eliminate risk to the audience and assure minimal risk to the pilot. The FAA and the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) work cooperatively to provide the highest level of entertainment with the maximum of safety.

About Aerobatics

There are few sports that demand as much physically and mentally from the participants as aerobatics.
The competition and air-show sequences, as the flights are called, must be flown with split-second timing, precise speed and altitude control, constant calculation for such variables as wind and temperature, and very precise planning on the pilot's part. Any wrong turn, misplaced pullout, and roll in the wrong direction can put the pilot out of the running or worse.

The competition sequences and air show performances are flown in an aerobatic zone over the airport commonly called the PERFORMANCE BOX. The altitude at the bottom of the box depends of the level of competency of the individual pilot. Beginners have to fly higher while the unlimited pilot is able to fly just above the ground. At air shows the display pilot has his own limits, which are approved by the aviation authorities. 

Air Show Terminology

Crowd line - This is a line (clearly marked by a fence) beyond which spectators are not able to go for safety considerations.

Show lines - Three show lines, 500, 1,000 and 1,500 feet are visible from the air. Pilots cannot fly any closer to the crowd than their designated show line, which is based on the speed of the aircraft. In other words, the faster the plane flies, the farther away from the crowd it must be.

Performance box - Imaginary box in the air in which all aerobatic maneuvers must be performed.

Air show waiver - A piece of paper from the FAA that waives specific rules to allow pilots to perform aerobatic maneuvers that would not otherwise be permitted near an airport.

Aresti System - adopted by the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale), the system consists of a standardized graphic illustration of each aerobatic maneuver that may be viewed and understood correctly by the pilot.

Aerobatic card - carried by aerobatic pilots, the card indicates that they are qualified to perform in an air show environment, with certain altitude limitations.

What's In a Name

Aerobatic Maneuvers have names such as, rolls, loops, and vertical maneuvers such as a hammerhead stall. The names of many aerobatic maneuvers reflect the fact that military pilots in dogfights originally used the maneuvers with the enemy. 

Rolls - there are several varieties - aileron, snap and barrel.

Sharks tooth - vertical turn-around maneuver to allow the pilot and plane to stay in a performance box.

Immelman - pilot starts into a loop and instead of completing it, right at the top of the loop, he rolls over.

Cuban Eight - the pilot flies two loop like maneuvers linked together to form a figure eight.

The Lomcevak - (pronounced LOHM-sheh-vock). A Czechoslovakian word translated as "Berserk Headache", it is actually a colloquialism meaning "Drunken Bum." The Lomcevak, also called the lump-lump, appears to be a totally out-of-control maneuver in which the plane tumbles nose over tail, wingtip over wingtip, across the sky.

Avalanche - a combination loop and snap roll.

Tail slide - the airplane goes straight up and when it runs out of speed it slides down backward with its tail pointing to the ground until it flips over and dives to the ground to regain airspeed.

Density altitude - very important in locations such as Pueblo. It is how high the plane perceives it is based on actual altitude, temperature and humidity. The higher the density altitude the less horsepower the engine produces and the less lift the wings generate. Pilots must use extreme care when flying at high altitude.