Congratulations

[The Broker]

Congratulations to Martin and Terry who took and passed their A Test today, no doubt they will go into detail about it in their respective flight logs 8) 8)

[swatson144]

8) Congrats you two!

Steve

[G-MRM]

Thanks, more in my flight log but I pleased it is over! I have been training hard for for this test and somedays things did not go well and that just puts you off, other days it all comes together and you feel happy that your taking the test !

But like any test, you have to do it on the day in question with the tester next to you, all the times you did it correct by your self just don't count!

Thanks

Martin

[eddiemoth]

Martin and Terry, congratulation for passing the A Test. So what is the next step? Is there any other test?

[G-MRM]

Thanks Eddie, the next is a big steep, The B test.
It needs two examiners and includes hovering M, top hat, LH and RH circuits, true fig 8 crossing point in front of pilot, 20 sec nose in hover, double stall turns and a 45 deg approach to land in a 2mtr box marked on the ground.

I will stay with my A for a while !

[Helitek]

Hi Peeps !!!
Thanks for the mail's, both me and martin are sure glad today has been and gone !!.
Nerve racking to say the lease, windy was a under statement, 12mph - 20mph but worth taking it under those conditions, shows how good we really are !! LOL :D
Next up the 'B' but not for a while yet !

[swatson144]

Thanks Eddie, the next is a big steep, The B test.
It needs two examiners and includes hovering M, top hat, LH and RH circuits, true fig 8 crossing point in front of pilot, 20 sec nose in hover, double stall turns and a 45 deg approach to land in a 2mtr box marked on the ground.

I will stay with my A for a while !

Man it's hard to believe they are requiring 540 degree stall turns, for me those were a pain and caused a lot of damage learning. I still don't like them and only do them on the best of days! But what the heck is a "tophat" and "hovering M" The rest sounds like you are already there.

I had a look at http://www.bmfa.org/achievement/files/ASFullLeafletJun06.pdf and it has drawings for the A test but no description of the tophat and M.

Steve

[Ranger]

Congratulations Martin and Terry, good to see you did it under such windy conditions!
I think I have to do something like that before I can race my boat.

[cheymike1]

Congrats Martin and Terry! WELL DONE!!

[G-MRM]

Thanks again guys. Even the day after I am still happy !!

Hovering M is hovering at eye level and make the shape of the letter M. Top Hat is I think sideways move uo 2 mtrs go along then down 2 mtrs and move along a little more shape of a top hat. Both these are kept to a hight of +/- 1 foot I think.

Fireant will chip in as he is the only one on here I know with the B test rating !!

[BSD]

Congratulations Martin and Terry, way to keep the skids down!!!

[Fireant]

Well done Martin and Terry. It's almost 6 months since I did my B and the next step is heli examiner. With the pred still down, I haven't been able to practice much.

The idea of the B test is to prove the pilot is capable and safe to fly at public events.

540 degree stall turns

Steve. They're not 540's, but one stall turn at each end of the flight line. The turns have to be away from the flight line, ie one to the left and one to the right. This is very important and it's easy to mess up.

Hovering M is hovering at eye level and make the shape of the letter M
Start in the middle and lift the model into a hover. Move it to either side and bring it back until the main shaft is in line with the pilot. (I've heard many examiner's have different ideas on this as it could be interpreted as flying behind). Move the model forward approx 5m, hold, back to the middle, out to the other side, back down to the opposite shoulder and then finish in the middle. All done with skids at eye level and hovering for 2 secs at each point.

Top Hat is I think sideways move uo 2 mtrs go along then down 2 mtrs and move along a little more shape of a top hat. Both these are kept to a hight of +/- 1 foot I think.

This is done by flying in from one side, skids at eye level, and stopping approx 45 degs from the pilot for about 2 secs. Then do a vertical climb , +/- 3m, hold it again for about 2 secs, fly across in front and stop at approx 45 degs, hold it for 2 secs, descend to eye level and then fly out. This tests the pilot's ability to handle the model in a 45 deg NI, sideways and 45 deg TI attitude.

The fig 8's are two circles joined together so that when you end one to start the other, the model is flying straight towards you. Totally different to lazy 8's which some of our members did and subsequently failed.

The test is taken with two examiners or one chief examiner.

[swatson144]

Thanks Ant I think I get it now 2 seperate stall turns yawing in different directions. Many people call 540s "double stall turns" . Which I really couldn't understand the testing value of. :oops: Have heart, you new A class folks, as stall turns come pretty natural just by flattening out a figure 8 or the natural recovery from heading in too hot in a restricted space like the backyard. 540s on the other hand are completely unnatural intentional show offish manuever.

The M is a constant altitude (flat) manuever that tests side in on both sides by moving the heli in position to the pilot TI in front, 1/4 L SI while still out front and to the right, then L SI while beside the pilot on the right etc. That makes sense as it prequalifies a pilot for the top hat attempt and no reason to go further if the pilot can't "side in". I can understand the concern of "some examiners" If the pilot "looses it" there is a good chance it can go behind or towards the pilot/examiner. (for the people who haven't flown in a club, behind the pilot is where people/pits are and as such it is a no fly zone. flying behind is and should be unforgivable. Most conscientous pilots leave a few yards of buffer in front to ABSOLUTELY avoid that). It sounds bad at first but I assume they stop open flying and move the flightline towards the middle of the runway. The club I flew in, the bottoms of the M would put you hovering on the wrong side of a chainlink fence (to stop runaway taxis) on the normal flight line. I think that is why I had such a hard time getting my mind wrapped around it.

The top hat is basically my much suggested T exercise. With flying a vertical top hat shape at the top of the T. 8) That one I'm completely "with" and makes a lot of sense. I often recommend people learning FF to use the T beginning with keeping the top horizontal cross of the T short and the vertical long (stand at the base of the T), lengthening the top and shortening the vertical as they progress. Obviously this test is done with the top long and the vertical short. This gives a lot of nearly NI moving to SI then nearly TI and vertical climbs and decents to keep it interesting. I hadn't thought of adding a vertical element to the flight across the top of the T.

Many call lazy 8s 8s there is a big difference you have to be able to NI to do real 8s and can bull your way through lazy 8s.

Cool thanks again Ant now I think I'll test myself if the wind ever gets below 20 mph. I should be about good to go though I don't know about the Top Hat, sounds simple but sometimes the simple stuff.... Then again doing it alone and with the examiner present is completly different one tends to overthink and brain lock.

Congratulations again to the new A pilots. It ain't easy being tested while trying for perfection, anyone that don't believe that should try it.

Steve

[Fireant]

Here's the examiner's guidance notes on the helicopter B test. http://www.bmfa.org/achievement/files/Hel-B-Issue5.pdf