FAI-CarvingSpeed

[morris 0]

Hi guys,

I´d like to know how you fly the official FAI-CarvingSpeed (75 degree).

Do you cheat a bit by not coming in straight?
Do you fly as close as possible to the inner side of the course (course half way done)? (looking for the "perfect (shortest) line")
Do you leave the course (at the end of the course) pretty much on the outside to fly a bit less than 75 degrees?
At what point you go from rears to toggles (if you do so at all)?

The way I do it is:
Coming in "hot" (it´s called "Speed" for a reason)
Coming in straight (trying to start with a perfect hit)
Close on the inside first, going more to the outside at the very end
Flying about the first 50% on rears

Thoughts welcome!

[superstu 0]

smooth and straight = fast

if you can't be straight, still be smooth. being smooth and efficient with your inputs (harness, risers, brakes, ect) is just as, if not more, important then having a straight line through the course in my opinion. but yeah, you still have to carry some juice going through the course and ideally a pilot should be able to go through it entirely (100%) on rear risers.

Slip Stream Air Sports
Do not go softly, do not go quietly, never back down

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Quote

ideally a pilot should be able to go through it entirely (100%) on rear risers

Assuming you have the airspeed, otherwise (ouch) the pilot runs the risk of doing what I did 2 years ago when I rear riser stalled my velo carving my turn through the speed course.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[superstu 0]

uhhhh, wouldn't that be ideally then?

Slip Stream Air Sports
Do not go softly, do not go quietly, never back down

[ianmdrennan 2]

I believe it would, Stu

Performance Designs Factory Team

[morris 0]

By "not coming in straight" I´m talking about entering the course at angle (10-15degrees) for not having to turn the whole 75 degrees.
(I don´t mean entering with a bank angle of the canopy.)
And I´m not sure if it´s perfect to fly it all on rears, but you might be right on this cause it´s not that far to go.
If it comes to distance I think that many pilots tend to stay too long on their rears...

[superstu 0]

Quote

By "not coming in straight" I´m talking about entering the course at angle (10-15degrees) for not having to turn the whole 75 degrees.
(I don´t mean entering with a bank angle of the canopy.)

yup, that's what i'm talking about too. hit the outside entry gate, hug the inside of the corner, hit the outside exit gate.

as far as the rear riser thing goes, do some experiments and see what works best for you, but i can tell you that the top dogs i've seen compete all run through the course 100% on rears and they smoke people who go to brakes.

Slip Stream Air Sports
Do not go softly, do not go quietly, never back down