U.S. Aerobatic Team training hard for gold medals

Flight Journal, Jun 1998 by Gustafson, David A

The five men and three women who will represent the United States at the 1998 World Aerobatic Championships in Slovakia this August are already deep in the throes of a personalized and rigorous training program.

Building on the success of the Individual Pilot Training Program initiated before the 1996 Championships, the U.S. pilots have been given a lump sum by the U.S. Aerobatic Foundation (USAF) for training and allowed to choose the trainer(s) they feel will most benefit their style of flying. They can choose from a list of 12 internationally respected coaches approved by the USAF.

Typically, the U.S. pilots schedule three to four days a month with a trainer, flying three times a day and pushing in excess of 7G. After the intensive training session, the pilots practice what they have learned and refine techniques for the rest of the month before heading to another rigorous coaching session.

"The individual training program has a lot of benefits for the pilots," says USAF president and team pilot Phil Knight. "The critiquing and practice flights are conducted the way the pilots prefer, allowing all team members to customize a training plan that enables them to build to their personal peak just before the world contest. It lets all of us train the way we find most effective and will produce a refined and prepared group of pilots in a high state of readiness for world competition. The U.S. team should be highly competitive in Slovakia this summer."

The U.S. team relies on individual donations and corporate sponsors such as Aeroshell to help fund their training and competition expenses. To learn more about the U.S. team and how contributions can be made to help them in their quest for the gold, visit the USAF website at www.usaf-aerobatics.org.

-David A. Gustafson, Ph.D.