Hello,
I'm entering my first contest next month, and I'd like to know the purpose of the caller. Is he esentially just a spotter? Or does he call out manuevers for the judges (seems unlikely).

Thanks,
John

Its very good to use your caller to the fullest and after he holds your aircraft while you start it. The caller will call each maneuver to you before you execute them and also help keep you out of trouble (keeping you on track). The caller also watches for other aircraft. Please sign up for and attend a F&J Seminar in your area.

Kp

A good caller is worth his weight in gold. Yes, he does some spotting, but his main job is to call the maneuvers to the flier. In the known sequence most fliers have it adequately memorized, but in the heat of the contest, some do have a brain freeze and need the reminder of the correct maneuver. The caller can supply helpful insight by noting line deviations and helping with rudder input if necessary. He can remind the flier for the need to gain altitude, for instance, prior to complicated downline maneuvers. He can be a calming influence.
In the unknown sequence he becomes even more important. Since the unknowns are passed out after the end of the first day of competition, the sequences are not memorized as well as the constantly flown knows. So here the caller can really help...usually giving each step of the maneuver. For instance he might say for instance.." cross box humpty bump. Pull to vertical upline with 3/4 roll right on the way up, pull over the top to a vertical downline, 1/4 roll right, pull to upright exit."
The caller and the flier can act as a team.
Hope this helps

I agree with Jerry implicidly. Find someone you are comfortable with but use someon else from time to time so you don't get too comfortable with one caller as if he/she is another flier, especially in a different class there may come a time when the two of you are flying at the same time so you don't want to get all freaked out when you have to have someone standin for your regular.

Two pairs of eyes are always better then one. You are so focussed on the airplane sometimes you do not toice what is going on around you and you do not always see all of yur own mistakes otherwise we would all be flying 10s.

That's very helpful. Thanks guys!

GG

Last season I did my first contest and my main purpose was:
1. Not to crash my plane
2. Just go throught the motions and learn what a contest was all about.
3. Not to worry about results.

My first contest I went by myself and someone volunteered to call for me. He tried to tell me how to fly and that was very unnerving. I suggest you find someone to go with you to the event that you are familiar with and have a routine worked out. I'm a one word guy, anything else throws me off. You will find out what works best for you.

Thanks for the offer Randy, but I am in the Phoenix area.

Do a search on "YouTube" for "The Wayne and Stan Show".. This will give a clear picture of what "callers" are all about. Not sure they have it on YouTube but if not, they should have!

Posted By Ron Storer on 26 Apr 2009 7:45
Do a search on "YouTube" for "The Wayne and Stan Show".. This will give a clear picture of what "callers" are all about. Not sure they have it on YouTube but if not, they should have!

Now that is funny right there....

I don't think they would post the the Wayne and Stan show on Youtube.....

without an "R" Rating!!!!

Posted By Curtis Cozier on 26 Apr 2009 20:04

Posted By Ron Storer on 26 Apr 2009 7:45
Do a search on "YouTube" for "The Wayne and Stan Show".. This will give a clear picture of what "callers" are all about. Not sure they have it on YouTube but if not, they should have!

Now that is funny right there....

I don't think they would post the the Wayne and Stan show on Youtube.....

without an "R" Rating!!!!

I did do a search... not posted there. Man Iwas looking forward to seeing this.

Everyone likes something different in a caller.

Here is what I am looking for for knowns:
1. Handle my score sheets and get them to the judges
2. Drag my airplane to and from the runway, tell me when to takeoff/land

3. Spot for midairs, crashing airplanes, bad landings that I might have to jump out of the way of, etc - this is #1 in importance... if nothing else this is the main job of a caller/spotter

4. Be very quiet other than the occasional NICE!, Sweet!, Wow, dude you nailed that, etc - really loud so the judges hear it too and maybe 2nd guess their score LOL!!! (no I am not joking)

I don't like them to call anything for the Known. If I don't know it thats my problem... normally I will have flown it a LOT beforehand and should be able to fly it in any conditions half asleep nervous or not.

For the unknown I try and memorize it the night before... but I do like the caller to remind me in very simple terms of the manuver geometry "teardrop, figure N, split-s, etc" and on any cross box manuvers I usually write down what I want them to say going left or right so that I don't roll the wrong way... or if there are opposite rolls for example.

I rarely get the same caller consistently at each contest. I don't like to rely on anyone to "talk me through" the sequence. I used to like this but it leads to mistakes and flying behind the airplane or flying HUGE waiting on the caller to say whats next. If you want to fly well you have to be thinking ahead of the airplane and trying to fly good geometry not relying on a caller to say whats next or how to fly it...

But everyone is different. The best callers do it the way the pilot wants

Your first contest having somone to talk you through it might be a good thing if you are not 100% comfortable with the sequence. If you're starting in Basic you should be able to memorize the seqence in just a few "flights" with a stick airplane. More than anything they can probably help you with positioning... telling you how far out to fly, how your line lengths are etc.

I did do a search... not posted there. Man Iwas looking forward to seeing this.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that went looking for this <PHEW>.

I pretty much like my caller the same way Chris describes.

As a caller I tend to go with whatever the pilots wants. I've given complete breakdowns with rudder corrections and such to standing there and be nothing more than a spotter telling the pilot where the other plane is.

For me I like my caller to read the Aresti just the way it is written. As you move up in class's you will see the need to be proficient in reading and understanding Aresti especially for unknowns. Take the time to really learn Aresti this was burned into me when i first started competing by Julie Johnson and i tell you that she was 100% right. After all Aresti is the language of aerobatic pilots.

how many planes fly at one time during a sequence?

Normally there will be two aircraft flying the sequence, and possibly up two more in a holding pattern waiting to fly the sequence. A small contest may only be 1 or 2, a large contest, 40-050 pilots, would be as above

how many minutes of fuel do you need to get through,,,do you do the sequence one or twice?

thanks

One round is 2 sequences....

so you fly the sequence twice before landing.....

should be able to go around 10 to 12 minutes safely (to have room to circle around if needed)

maybe slightly longer in the upper classes...

Posted By t-sk8 on 18 Dec 2009 20:20
how many minutes of fuel do you need to get through,,,do you do the sequence one or twice?

thanks

A single basic sequences takes about 4 minutes to fly maybe a bit less and you fly it twice with no landing in-between so you want at least 10 minutes of fuel but you also need to account for the possibility you may be held in the air before or after the sequence. Like was mentioned above, you could be asked to takeoff when the previous pilot in your class is still in the air and that means you go into a holding pattern away from his sequence and wait until he is done and the judges are ready for you. I typical make sure I have at least 12 minutes of fuel available at all times.

A DA100 on a 32 ounce take can easily last fifteen minutes or a tad longer with good throttle management

Thanks for the info guys,,,Can't wait !! i'll be practicing,,