Whether you’re studying to become a professional or is already one, you’ve probably been to an air show. If so, then you’ve surely borne witness to an array of death-defying stunts by aerobatic pilots.
Two things often come to mind — one is that being an aerobatic pilot seems like a lot of fun (and dangerous). Two is that there’s no way learning to do any of the stunts would have any practical application in general aviation, or is there?
Well, what you may not realize is that there is more to aerobatic flying than the ability to pull off amazing aerial stunts with a high-performance aircraft.
What aspects of aerobatic training translate to general aviation?
More than you think — consider that many of the things that you will learn in aerobatics training will help you maintain control of an aircraft in any situation.
Many things can happen in flight that can put a passenger/cargo plane in an awkward/potentially dangerous situation — turbulence, mechanical problems, pilot error, etc. Commercial pilots can find themselves in an unexpected situation that needs immediate and precise correction before they know it.
It is good to know then that one of the foundations of Flight & Aerobatic training in Sydney is the mastery of aircraft recovery techniques. This includes, among other things, obtaining a fundamental understanding and experience dealing with the physiological factors present when an aircraft is in distress. More importantly, pilots learn about the limits of their aircraft’s performance and what to do (and what not to do) in an emergency.
Also, merely learning about maintaining control of an aircraft in adverse situations helps uplift a pilot’s confidence in their abilities. After all, it’d be impossible for pilots to find the same confidence level if they’ve never put themselves in that situation before.
Think about it — you can study all you want about what to do should your aircraft begin to stall or even memorize the procedures. That said, it’s easy to panic when you’ve never had to deal with the same situation on a real flight (whether on purpose or not).
Hence, it is safe to say that pilots who’ve undergone aerobatics training can better respond and remain calm amid an emergency. This is perhaps the single most crucial benefit of aerobatics training. So while you may not see yourself flying a 747 upside down or pulling some serious Gs on a charter plane, that’s no guarantee that you’re never going to find yourself in such a situation.
As the old saying goes — it’s better to have something and not need it than find yourself in a situation wherein you need something but don’t have it. Of course, in this case, we’re referring to knowledge and experience in aerobatic flight.
Conclusion
Indeed aerobatic training is never bad for someone looking to pursue an exciting and rewarding career as a professional pilot. While it’s not exactly the type of exercise you’d jump into for mastering aircraft safety and recovery, it cannot be denied that aerobatics training is just as practical when it comes to building up one’s confidence as a pilot.
More importantly, aerobatics training gives pilots real-world experience in maintaining control of an aircraft in any situation. That’s something that you’ll never be able to get through flight simulators or by reading about it.
