"John R. Copeland" wrote in message
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"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
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John R. Copeland wrote:


Julie Clark prides herself on smoothness, too.


Can she pour a glass of water while doing a roll?

Matt

Probably.
But Bob Hoover can even do that backhanded!

Not taking anything away from Bob, who is one of the finest pilots in the
world, but that iced tea on the glareshield is really no big deal for any
trained aerobatic pilot. There are two distinct factors involved in doing a
barrel roll correctly and keeping it centered all the way around. The
easiest is keeping positive g on the airplane through the roll which isn't
all that hard. The REAL hard part, and what will get you a lap full of iced
tea every time, is misuse of the rudder during the roll that enters even a
smidgen of either positive or negative yaw into the roll equation. If your
rudder work isn't PERFECTLY coordinated for the amount of aileron and
elevator you are using in the roll, that glass will SLIDE sideways and end
up right in your lap.
Again, any good acro pilot can keep it centered.
Bob is a great showman as well as being a great pilot. I've never known him
to pass up an opportunity at being a good showman. The iced tea on the panel
is just one small thing that demonstrates Bob's tremendous ability to
combine skill with showmanship.
Dudley Henriques