Advanced Fixed Wing Power – AP

General

The Proficiency Scheme is run by the MFNZ as a National Scheme, and it is open to all members.

The aim of the Advanced certificate is to give the club flyer a personal attainment goal beyond the Basic Certificate; a demonstrated level of competence and safety which is attainable by the average pilot with a little thought and practice. The Advanced Certificate is designed to recognize the pilots more advanced ability and a demonstrated level of safety which may be considered by an event organiser as suitable for flying at a public display.

The long-term strategy behind this is that if enough club flyers qualify for their Advanced certificates, then the general standard of flying both within your club and nationally cannot help but rise.

A candidate wishing to take the Advanced test must already have passed the Basic test in that discipline.

The candidate for the Advanced test should have studied the MFNZ Members Manual. Most of the questions asked at the end of the test will be from the MFNZ Members Manual.

The Model

It is a common misconception that the candidate for the Advanced Certificate needs to fly an aerobatic model. In fact, the test can be performed with most powered fixed wing models. The options allowed in the test mean that even a three-channel trainer can cope if well-trimmed and flown.

Having said this, on no account may the candidate use the performance of the model as an excuse for a poor performance on their part. For instance, a candidate flying a three-channel model through the rolling manoeuvres accurately deserves the credit but one who makes a mess of the rolls with the same type of model cannot say that it is the fault of the model. You should make no allowances on this point.

You do not have the authority to alter the required manoeuvres to suit a model and if, in your opinion, the model is unsuitable for the test then you should explain this to the candidate and tell them that they cannot use that model. The selection of the model to do the test is the responsibility of the pilot and it is they you are testing, not the model.

Similarly, the type of model presented cannot be used as an excuse for not completing certain manoeuvres. A pilot cannot turn up with a twin, for instance, and then say that the spin is too dangerous because the model would not pull out of it.

Another important point to remember is that the candidate is not expected to build or even own the model they use. There is no reason why a flyer who does not own a suitable model could not borrow one from a friend or club mate. The use of a gyro or autopilot is not allowed during the test. If any such system is fitted to the model it must be disabled during the test.

Electric Powered Models must be treated as LIVE as soon as the main flight battery is connected, irrespective of radio state and great care must be demonstrated by the candidate. The arming sequence should be clearly understood and discussed/demonstrated by the candidate.

The minimum weight of a model used to take the test is 1 kg (2.2 lbs.) without fuel but with batteries.

Flight Test – AP

Pre Flight

Carry out pre-flight checks as required by the MFNZ documentation.

The pre-flight checks are laid out in the MFNZ Members Manual. The candidate should also go through the pre-flying session checks, also laid out in the MFNZ Members Manual. Ask the candidate to go through their checks as if the test flight was their first flight of the day. Particular attention should be given to airframe, control linkages and surfaces.

Points to look for are that the candidate has a steady and regular ground routine, especially when starting and tuning the engine. Nerves should not play a part in the pits, and you should satisfy yourself that the candidate is fully in control of what they are doing when preparing their aircraft for flight.

A tidy ground layout makes a good impression and is to be expected from Advanced certificate candidates.

A poor performance in this area is not grounds for failing the candidate, however, but it is inevitable that you will be making mental notes of all aspects of the candidates competence, and this is one that might have an effect on a real borderline case.

Pay particular attention to the way the candidate uses the local frequency control system and make sure that they fully understand it and use the correct sequence appropriate to their model. For “long wire” frequencies, this is usually get the peg, Tx on, Rx on. For 2.4 GHz, the candidate should be aware of any local transmitter usage limitations and if a flight peg is required, it must be obtained before the usual Tx on, Rx on sequence. Some radio equipment and, occasionally, a specific model requirement requires that the Rx be switched on first and, if this is the case, the candidate should explain this clearly to you.

With electric powered models, take note that the candidate is aware that the model is live as soon as the flight battery is plugged in and that they take appropriate safety precautions. If a separate receiver battery is fitted, the candidate should have the opportunity to check the operation of the radio equipment before the flight battery is plugged in.

Watch carefully and take note that the transmitter controls, trims and switches are checked by the pilot.

All candidates are required to be aware of the local the frequency control system and anyone who is required to use it but switches their radio on before doing so should be failed on the spot.

If there is no one else available then there is nothing to stop you aiding the candidate by holding the model for the power check, carrying it out for take-off etc. but any such actions must be performed by you directly on the instructions of the candidate. You must not prompt them or carry out any actions of your own accord.

The pilot must stand in the designated pilot area for the entirety of the flying part of the test.

Take off and complete a left (or right) hand circuit and overfly the take-off area.

Take off must be done with the model at a safe distance from the pits area and on a line which does not take the model towards the pits, other people or any other danger area.

The model may be carried out by the candidate or a helper or it may be taxied out from a safe position in front of the pits/pilots area. Taxying out of the pits is an instant failure. Prior to carrying or taxying out, the pilot should inform other pilots flying that his model is going out onto the active area.

Take off should be straight with the model not being pulled off the ground too soon. Abandoning the take-off for genuine reasons should not be penalised. Its far better that the candidate shows that they are thinking about what they are doing rather than trying to coax a model with a sick engine into the air. If a take-off is aborted in a safe manner, you should immediately reassure the candidate that they will not be penalised for taking correct actions, even though these may conflict with what the test requires.

Climb out should be at a steady angle and straight until operational height is reached when the throttle should be brought back to cruise power, the model levelled out and the first turn of the circuit started.

The type of circuit is not stated so either racetrack or rectangular is acceptable. This choice of circuit type applies to the rest of the flight as well except when a type of circuit is specified for a manoeuvre.

On completion of the circuit, the model will be flying into wind past the front of the pilot and, for safety reasons, just over the far edge of the take-off area. Tell the candidate prior to the flight the line that you want them to be following.

You must make sure that the candidate is clear on this, the line will be set by the model flying across in front of them on a heading which should be agreed before the flight (usually, but not always, into wind) and passing over a set point. This first pass in front of the pilot is extremely important as it sets the standard height and line for the rest of the test and this standard height and line will be referred to often in these notes.

Figure 8

Fly a “figure of eight” course with the cross-over in front of the pilot, height to be constant. The examiners will expect this manoeuvre to be flown more accurately than the similar manoeuvre in the Basic Certificate test.

The manoeuvre should be flown slightly better than as shown in the Basic Certificate diagrams in the MFNZ Members Manual. The crossover point must always be in front of the pilot and, after a run in at standard height and line, the model MUST be turned through ninety degrees in the first turn so that it is flying exactly away from the pilot.

The first circle must also end with the model flying exactly away from the pilot, through the crossover point before it is turned into the second circle. Both circles should be of the same diameter as seen from the ground and this implies that they will be flown at varying bank angles.

The main problems with this manoeuvre nearly always happen on the first circle and if they do not get it right, they will either finish up with the crossover way downwind, fly too near the pilots line or panic as the model accelerates towards them as it begins to come downwind and pull far too much bank (vertical!) to get the crossover point correct. This is not a sign that they have thought about the manoeuvre or practised it.

The second circle (3/4 circle actually) is rarely a problem. The manoeuvre finishes, as in the Basic certificate diagrams, with the model flying at standard height and line across the front of the pilot, not with another turn away.

Inside Loop

Fly into wind and complete one inside loop.

Run in height and line in should be standard and the manoeuvre should be performed exactly in front of the pilot. A perfect loop is not required but the exit height and line should be very close to the original.

Skewing out is a sign that the model has not been trimmed correctly or that the wings were not level at the start of the manoeuvre. The pilot should not get into this situation to start with but if they do then they must be able to compensate; if they cannot then you have to draw your own conclusions. Watch that the throttle is used during the manoeuvre and penalise the pilot if they fly the manoeuvre at a constant high throttle setting.

Outside Loop

Fly downwind and complete one outside loop downwards from the top i.e., a bunt.

The climb to an appropriate height for the manoeuvre should be executed neatly and, after tracking in on the standard line, the bunt should be executed directly in front of the pilot. A perfect bunt is not required but the exit height and line should be very close to the original.

Skewing out is a sign that the model has not been trimmed correctly or that the wings were not level at the start of the manoeuvre. The pilot should not get into this situation to start with but if they do then they must be able to compensate; if they cannot then you have to draw your own conclusions.

The throttle should be closed for the first part of the manoeuvre but don’t expect it to stay off for too long. Many models will not complete this manoeuvre if throttle opening is delayed to the bottom of the bunt.

Rolls

Complete two consecutive rolls into wind.

These should be performed from standard height and line and must be continuous rolls with no straight flight between them. The model should be halfway through the two rolls when it passes in front of the pilot although you may allow a little leeway here.

There should be no serious loss of height or direction during the manoeuvre although slight barrelling of the rolls is permissible. The speed of the rolls should be such that the pilot has to make noticeable elevator inputs to maintain the models height.

Twinkle rolls that are so fast that no visible elevator input is required are NOT acceptable, you have to be sure that the pilot is using the elevator. Slow rolls which require elevator and rudder input are acceptable if the pilot can perform them but are NOT a requirement.

Don’t forget to note which way the model rolls.

Opposite Roll

Complete two consecutive rolls downwind using the opposite direction of roll rotation to that used in the previous manoeuvre).

All the comments above apply but you can allow a little more leeway on the centring of the manoeuvre as the model will be travelling faster over the ground. You should, however, be satisfied that the pilot is making a reasonable effort to centre the manoeuvre. Make sure that the model rolls in the opposite direction.

Stall Turn

Complete a stall turn either left or right.

This should be flown from standard height and line but not directly in front of the pilot. The model should be flown past the pilot for about 100 yards before the manoeuvre is performed, returning past the pilot at standard height and line when the manoeuvre is complete.

The direction of the stall turn should be nominated by you, and it should be performed away from the flight line, i.e., if the wind is from the right, the model is flown past the pilot from left to right, pulled up and stall turned to the LEFT.

Although you should not expect a perfect manoeuvre, it should be a recognisable stall turn, not a chandelle or a wing over. The vertical climb and dive should be near vertical, the throttle should be used in the appropriate manner and the model should not fly over the top in a semi-circle.

Spin

“Gain height and perform a three-turn spin, the initial heading and the recovery heading must be into wind and the model must fall induced into the spin (no flick spin entry).

The spin should be performed in front of the pilot but a little further out than the other manoeuvres. The height should be appropriate to the type of model being flown and the pilot should gain that height in a smooth and neat manner. The model must be flown into wind and before it reaches a point in front of the pilot the throttle must be closed. As the model slows down, level flight must be maintained by steadily increasing amounts of up elevator until, at a point approximately in front of the pilot, full up elevator is reached (the model should be slow and nose up at this point but not climbing).

Full rudder must then be applied, and the model allowed to fall into the spin. The model should not stall and then spin but it should be flying close enough to the stall so that applying full rudder will cause one of the wings to stall and initiate the spin

Ailerons may be used in the spin (and many models will not stay in a spin without aileron being used) but they must NOT be applied until the model has begun to fall. Note that this does not mean that the model must actually be spinning before the ailerons are applied but it must at least be falling into the spin.

A flick entry, which is not allowed, will always result in one wing of the model rising as the manoeuvre is entered and part of the first rotation will take place in the horizontal plane instead of the vertical. In most cases it will then be very difficult to decide exactly when to start counting the turns of the spin, especially if the manoeuvre has been entered at too high a speed. Look carefully for all these points and insist on a correct low speed falling entry to the manoeuvre.

After an appropriate time (depending on the model) controls must be centralised, any anti- spin actions taken (sometimes necessary) and the model recovered onto the same heading it had when the manoeuvre was started. An aerobatics spin which finishes in a vertical dive is not required but is acceptable.

Allowances should be made for the heading of the model to be slightly offline (no more than ten or fifteen degrees) as the spin finishes, but this should be corrected during the pull out. Do not accept a manoeuvre which requires more correction than this during the pull out.

If the pilot cannot take the model at least through the beginning of the spin in a competent fashion it is a sure sign that they have not practised the manoeuvre. If they make a good job of the entry but are not accurate enough on the exit, you might consider allowing another attempt at the manoeuvre as the spin can, on some occasions, be a difficult manoeuvre to predict, depending sometimes on the model as much as the pilot.

If the model shows a genuine inability to spin you should fail the candidate on the basis of attempting the test with an inappropriate model.

Do not accept any excuses from the pilot that his model is too fragile to spin; the section on the suitability of models applies.

Overshoot

Fly a rectangular landing approach and overshoot from below 10 ft. Note that this manoeuvre is a baulked landing, not a low pass.

Watch out for the downwind leg not being flown parallel to the upwind leg and the turns being flown either too tight or too wide (most will try to fly them too tight and almost try to put a ninety degree snap turn in, which is not a requirement). Throttle should be reduced either just before or just after the last crosswind turn with the crosswind leg descending into the turn on to final approach.

Once established on final approach, online and descending, the throttle should be closed to idle to set up the final descent rate. The aim of all this is to have the model at a speed, position and rate of descent which will guarantee an accurate touchdown on the landing area. Only when this is QUITE CLEAR, and the model is below 10 feet should the throttle be opened, and the model climbed straight ahead back up to circuit height. Watch out for correct throttle control.

The pilot should call this manoeuvre out loudly as an OVERSHOOT and you should take note that he has visually checked the active area before and during the manoeuvre (watch for head movements).

Anything less than this is not satisfactory. Discuss this with the candidate before the flight as, if the overshoot is simply flown as a low pass, the candidate should fail.

Note that electric models are expected to follow typical i/c flight patterns and that they can sometimes quite easily do that with propellers stopped. Don’t be surprised if this happens, just take note that the flight path the model takes is what you would expect of an i/c model. These comments apply to the landing too.

Opposite Circuit

Fly a rectangular circuit in the opposite direction to that in (j) at a constant height of not more than 40 feet.

The comments above about parallel upwind and downwind legs and the type of turns required all apply. Height control should be good with no wavering and 40 feet is just over one (two storey) house high.

Landing

Fly a rectangular landing approach and land (wheels to touch within a pre- designated 20 metre boundary).

All the comments above apply accept that the pilot should call LANDING. The visual checks of the active area are very important and as above you should watch for head movement.

If the candidate opens the throttle and climbs away then they should have a very good reason, such as people on the runway. Any reasons offered by the candidate for an unscheduled overshoot cannot include not being lined up correctly or anything similar. At this stage they should be capable of getting it right.

Post Flight

Complete the post flight checks as required by the MFNZ documentation.

The candidate should ensure that it is safe to go onto the runway before leaving the pilot box. The model should be rendered safe as soon as possible by activating failsafe or shutting down combustion engines.

The post flight checks are set out in the MFNZ Members Manual, but you should watch particularly that the Rx off, Tx off, frequency system cleared sequence is followed correctly.

Remember that electric models must be assumed to be live until the flight battery has been disconnected and the handling of the aircraft by the candidate must reflect this during retrieval and in the pits area.

Note should also be taken of the intermediate landing Test Section below and the recommended actions.

At a pre-determined point in the flight an intermediate landing may be permitted for the sole purpose of either re-fuelling or the fitting of a freshly charged flight battery. This landing may only be made with the prior consent of the Examiner. The pre-determined point may be either after a specific manoeuvre or at a specific time of flight, whichever is requested by the candidate and agreed by the Examiner.

Full pre and post flight checks are not normally required during an intermediate landing and take-off unless the model suffered a hard landing. However, the candidate should give the model at least a quick visual examination whilst on the ground.

The Oral Test – AP

The candidate must answer correctly a minimum of five of the Mandatory Questions (Refer – Mandatory Questions for all Disciplines (1-15)) on safety matters, based on the MFNZ documents for general flying and local flying rules.

The candidate must also answer correctly a minimum of eight questions from the General and Specific Discipline Questions (Refer General Questions (16-29) & Pilot Specific Questions (30-44)) on safety matters, based on the MFNZ documents for general flying and local flying rules.

It is suggested that the questions are asked before the flying test.

Prior to the flying test the examiner should also ask a minimum of three Local site/club Rules.

Such questions should query the maximum altitude models can fly over the flying site as well as the boundaries of the site together with site etiquette and pilot safety.

Remember, the Proficiency scheme is a test of both flying ability and knowledge. It doesn’t matter how well the candidate can fly, if they cannot answer the safety questions they should not pass.

As an examiner however, you should prepare yourself thoroughly for any testing that you do, and you may wish to review your own personal and private list of sensible questions. Don’t forget that you can use any local rules which you know and which the candidate should be aware of. Remember that the majority of questions you ask are to be BASED on the MFNZ documents; you are not expected to ask them parrot fashion and the candidate is not expected to answer that way either.

This opens up the possibility of asking a candidate if they can think of reasons behind specific rules. For instance, why is the club frequency control system operated as it is and what might go wrong? Why operating transmitters should not be taken out when retrieving models from an active flying area? Or why should models not be taxied in or out of the pits area?