Inverted Flight

Client Air Show Pilot: Ryan Laughlin

INVERTED FLIGHT

AEROBATIC MANEUVER

Category (Basic, Advanced or Extreme): Basic

 

What’s Happening? In this video clip (below), Paul BJ Ransbury demonstrates Inverted Flight to Ryan. Mid-way through the maneuver Ryan takes control, waves to the camera and then proceeds to recover to upright flight.

Inverted Flight is accomplished by ensuring the aircraft is at a safe altitude, clear of other traffic and setup in the proper flight condition. In this clip, the entry starts from level flight at 160 kts (~185 mph) at altitude of approximately 6,000 feet. By pulling back on the stick, the nose of the aircraft is pitched up to approximately 20 degrees nose-high and then rolled inverted. During the roll to inverted flight, it is important not to be pulling backwards on the stick (ie. a loaded roll) to ensure the nose does not get buried below the horizon. A proper entry results in an inverted nose-high attitude of approximately 15 degrees as the stick is gently, yet firmly, pushed forward to establish negative 1-G inverted flight. At this point, Ryan takes control and waives at the camera prior to recovering to upright level flight. The Extra 300L is capable of sustaining inverted flight for approximately 4 minutes.

Although this a very basic maneuver, it is certainly a lot of fun and a nice introduction into the advanced phase of the aerobatic Flight of Your Life program. Come watch BJ and Ryan have some fun with it …

Important Note: Without exception, all mission profiles are “challenge by choice” at Fighter Combat International. We will not put anyone through any maneuver without their expressed permission and expressed desire to do so. Each mission profile follows a building block approach from basic maneuvers working towards the client’s self-determined limitations. The customer chooses, at each stage of the building block process, whether to keep it basic and gentle or to move progressively towards the extreme