How many hours do people reckon to go from no aerobatic experience to flying competitions at Standard Level? 150 hours? Is 150 hours aerobatics per year a reasonable figure? Is that what those who currently fly competitions do?

I know the Basic Aeros AOPA course is based on around 10 hours training, but I have no idea what is "the norm" for moving on from that to flying competitions and starting to do it well.

Others will embellish but 150 hours aeros per year is a lot - nice if you can afford it, but out of reach of most I would guess. Probably 5 - 10 hours or so on top of the basic AOPA aeros course will see you put up a decent showing at Basic level BUT it very much depends on how that training is spent. 10 hours at somewhere like White Waltham including some ground critique from an experienced competition pilot is worth 100 hours heaving a C152 around the local area with no guidance, and you could be ready on completing the course with no further training. If you want to enter competitions look at the BAeA website and go from there. Progress to Standard level is not too difficult once you are happy at Basic, but as to doing it well........
Good luck anyway.

Difficult to give an answer to the number of hours before entering Standard level competitions. But DB6s answer is about right.

However, I would add that there are beginners competitions and L**p days run by the BAeA. see http://www.aerobatics.org.uk/sites08...02008%20v3.pdf
These are aimed at pilots who have completed the AOPA course. Most people do one or two of these and then go into Standard level.

ZA

Aerobatics training
 

Hi AG

It took me around 30 hrs from scratch in Pitts S2A to learn basic/standard aeros, how to land the little sod, and then to both compete at Standard level and also become aeros FI.

This was done over a period of around a year.

I now have my own S2A which I train people on. PM me if interested, or email [email protected].

PF

Well I have just looked at the web site for the thread starter - no more on it than the first lesson - has he given up, waiting for summer (though we have had some cracking winter days) or just given up on updating his web site?

Backpacker, A good friend of mine is the UK dealer for the Cap10, and has done lots of work on them including the issues mentioned here, and more! If you PM me I'll give you his number, he may have one which he is rebuilding in the pipeline.