C . M . R. MAURITIUS
PHILOSOPHY OF PILOTS’ FORMATION
Because of the many dangers to which spectators and flyers are exposed to on the Flying Field and, in order to promote safety and discipline, CMR has set up a Method of Colour Grading to determine the flying knowledge and aptitude of its pilots in view of avoiding accidents which could occur by their lack of skill.
Any newcomer who plans to use his transmitter and fly his model for the first time will directly endanger his vicinity if not watched over by an elder member. For that reason all newcomers should be restricted from carrying out alone, any performing activities on the Flying Field before they ascend the Colour Grading classification.
The Colour grading system first introduces a newcomer to flight basics and, step-by-step leads him up to more complicated disciplines which targets him to reliable flying expertise.
Colour Grading is not an aerobatic discipline but a selection of different levels of pilots which helps towards safety and peace of mind of members and spectators, as far as enjoyment of the hobby is concerned, and also contributes to the continued health of models.
By progressively going up the Colour Grading scale, a beginner overcomes the restrictions initially imposed to him and is released from flying constraints up to absolute enjoyment of his pastime whilst keeping a safe standard of flying towards his neighbourhood.
Colour Grading has been prepared by the Club in the form of a circular guide which can be used by pilots as a self-motivation to upgrade their levels and as a reference to judges, and to candidates when competing for a colour. Conditions to obtain these grades are explained here-after.
TEST PROCEDURE
The responsibility of assuming whether a trainee has attained a grade level applies to the Instructor responsible of the formation (as described in the Club’s Rules & Regulation § 21). The trainee applies for a test-flight, where the judges will bring special attention to procedures which have an incidence on the control of flying ability and on visual aspects of the flight, so as to proffer a maximum of safety.
If during the test-flight, the candidate shows signs of lack of knowledge in the performance to be achieved and incompetence on the practical aspects, the examinor may abort the test as soon as he estimates that the candidate is UNFIT to perform the test.
HOW TO USE THE GUIDE
For each Colour test, this guide will state the performance level required and will give a description and directives to evaluate the candidate.
PREFLIGHT
Description
The candidate might be checked on his knowledge of the different parts of the model and also that the latter is in flying condition. This must include the following verifications
(a) Prior to installing a plane’s wing to its fuselage and after having placed his peg on the board, Radio should be switched on and the following checks carried out for:-
Battery & RX installations, wire connections, servos rigidity, movements and clevis connections to links inside the plane and on moving control surfaces.
(b) After having fixed the wing, ailerons should be checked for free and correct sense movements.
(c) Radio switched off, a look around the plane should be done, checking for :
- Tank & engine tubing connections.
- Propeller, silencer & glow plug tightness.
- No cracks on fuselage sides.
- Wing & ailerons hinges pins.
- Wheels & collets.
- Tailplane & fixation on fuselage.
- Elevator & hinges pins.
- Fin & fixation & hinges pins.
Evaluation
The candidate must show methodic procedure in the pre-flight check. He will have to know the reason of each verification and be able to detect any failure which could lead to a dangerous situation.
TAXI
Description
The candidate might be checked on his knowledge of the taxiing rules which are –
(a) When taxiing, - KEEP LEFT, with Priority to the Right.
Priority should also be given to any incoming plane taxiing away from the runway (i.e Planes must be allowed to leave the runway first).
(b) Planes should not taxi too fast.
(c) When taxiing out to take off, all pilots must stop at the HALT LINE, Yellow line furthest to the runway and make sure that no other person is in front of the line and are satisfied that there is no other plane in final leg or in the runway area about to land or take off. In all cases priority must be given to any pilot about to land.
(d) “CLEARANCE’ If a flight-controller is around, Clear approval must be obtained before proceeding to the take off perimeter.
Evaluation
If requested, The candidate should taxi his plane with precaution showing ability to control taxi speed.
WHITE COLOUR GRADE
Description
* WHITE is the lowest grade attributed to a beginner who neither takes off nor lands.
While being graded White, a beginner must ALWAYS:-
(a) Ask his instructor or a flight-controller permission to switch on his transmittor, for the first time, on each flying day.
(b) He must always be flying under supervision of a flight instructor.
(c) He must not wear a neck strap
(d) He has no right to fly a plane other than a basic trainer, or a thermal glider .
(e) He must be taught to know by heart:- - his trims and features settings (for take-off & landing) which he will advise his instructor on each flying day.
(f) He should not be allowed to execute any aerobatics or any other manoeuvres except Basic Eights.
Evaluation
The candidate must show interest to accept evidence of adaptation to Club’s preliminary regulations and careful conduct on the flying site.
BLUE COLOUR GRADE
Description
* BLUE = Beginner shifts to this grade after having effected 5 Take-Offs alone on a basic trainer within a maximum time of two months (certified by his instructor), and after having been presented for his first test-flight where he will be checked on One Take-Off and One Basic-8 upwind.
TAKE-OFF
(a) Before taking off, an operating check must be made in the following order:
- Nose-Up engine running at full throttle.
- Then checks made for :-
- Wind direction for correct take off.
- TX and RX antennas fully extended.
- TX meter reading correct output.
- Trims & features set for take off.
- Controls, free and full travel and in correct sense.
- Clear runway area.
- Noted sun’s position.
(b) Take-off should be positive and secure as defined here-under
- Plane gathers speed upwind with minimum deviation (not more than 60o – otherwise abort).
- Take-off made at correct speed.
- The plane engaged in a gentle climb to let it gather speed so as to avoid nearing stalling speed.
- T.O axis should be kept until sufficient height is gained. In no way should a plane deviate more than 90o during initial climb out.
- If, during take-off run, the plane happens to face the car-park and the public, take-off should be cancelled immediately.
Evaluation
The candidate will be judged on his technique to control correction of wind effects during take-off run, control of throttle power and trajectory during initial climb-out.
Climb angle should be smooth and gradual avoiding to display visual aspects of excessive extrados colour and excessive detached tailplane from the wing.
BASIC-8 UPWIND
- Straight and level flight upwind, seeking for hands-off autostability.
- Left 360o turns, banking < 45o and showing the visual reference of a smooth turn.
- Followed by another Straight and level flight upwind .
- Right 360o turns, banking < 45o with the same visual reference as for the left turn.
Evaluation
The candidate will be judged on his capacity to maintain straight line and to enter smooth banks to start the turns.
During the turns, he will have to show the following visual signs :
Outboard wing hidden, - increase bank slowly to display extrados colour glimpse.
Candidate should avoid to show the outboard wing underneath the fuselage during the first 180o part of the turns.
When the plane faces the pilot, both wings appear and bank should be controlled to complete the turns as far as possible in the pilot’s axis.
Both wings should then be kept visual during end of the turns and afterwards during the straight lines.
GREEN COLOUR GRADE
Description
* GREEN = Pilot is upgraded to this colour after having made these 4 manoeuvres :
à One Basic-8 downwind à a stall à a final approach and à a correct landing.
- Success of the event will allow the candidate to fly on his own without being permanently supervised by an instructor.
- He may now wear a neck strap and begin to perform primary aerobatics (under instructor’s assistance).
He is however still not authorised to fly rolls, upside-down and knife-edges.
He keeps this colour during all his training stage on a Basic Trainer.
BASIC-8 DOWNWIND
- The action begins far downwind, the plane in the pilot’s axis and facing him.
- Straight and level flight upwind seeking for hands-off autostability.
- Left 360o turns, banking < 45o and showing the visual aspects of a smooth turn.
- Followed by another Straight and level flight upwind towards the pilot.
- Right 360o turns, banking < 45o with the same visual aspects as for the left turn.
Evaluation
The candidate will be judged on his capacity to sustain reverse flight and to initiate smooth banks to enter the turns.
During the turns, the candidate will have to show the following visual signs :
Leaving the straight line, the plane enters a gentle turn, nearly flat, keeping both wings in sight until the tail faces the pilot.
Increasing the bank to look for extrados colour glimpse, the plane continues to turn at constant Æ-angle until it faces the pilot again, and reverse flight is initiated.
Candidate should avoid to display the outboard wing underneath the fuselage during the turn.
STALL RECOVERY
The candidate will be asked to execute a stall by reducing power and increasing angle of attack, up to full-up elevator, until stall speed is attained.
Evaluation
The candidate will be judged on his flying ability to control the model during decelaration, and to execute an accurate stall recovery, at safe altitude.
FINAL APPROACH
The candidate will have to demonstrate that he can make a constant and steady approach by showing advent vision of the plane pinpointed visually on final leg for approximately 10 seconds.
Evaluation
The candidate will be judged on his capacity to control the model during approach.
Slight lateral and vertical motion are accepted but pilot should be able to keep minimum displacement.
Note : Approach need not be immediately followed by landing.
LANDING
The candidate will have to demonstrate that he can make a straightforward landing.
A correct landing is as follows:-
- Final base-leg turn finishes more-or-less in landing axis.
- Final approach FLAT & LEVEL attitude, plane losing height progressively.
- Plane should not deviate from landing axis.
- If any deviation occurs, corrections should be done with a maximum of 20o banks.
- Flare-out should be smooth, gradual and progressive.
- Plane should not be flown into the runway or be stalled before touch down.
- Touchdown should be as smooth as possible and Engine should still be running.
Evaluation
The candidate will be judged on his capacity to control the model during flare-out and landing, and should detect early evidence of missed approach, engaging quick corrective action.
Any absence of reaction of the pilot which could lead to dangerous circumstances or situation towards spectators and whereabouts will motivate a decision of Inaptitude.
YELLOW COLOUR GRADE
Description
*YELLOW=. Pilot has to perform with a trainer:
2 loopings (at this stage, loops need not be consecutive.)
1 spiral dive >540o
3 consecutive landings with correct flare out, – tap or roll on the tarmac, take off again without engine-cut and in one go.
Aim :
Determine whether the candidate is able to achieve the above manoeuvres and is able to fly and & land safely and unmistakably on a basic trainer in all conditions that can be met normally.
LOOPINGS
Evaluation
The loops will be considered as being correct even if they are operated separately. The candidate will however be judged on the manner of effecting the action by applying full power and full elevator and confirm that he is able to master the plane during the exercise.
SPIRAL DIVE
Evaluation
The candidate will have to start action at safe altitude. After having reduced power completely, he will have to stall and rotate the model in a nose-down attitude throughout at least one-and-a-half turn and resume normal flight in a gentle and flat recovery.
2 TOUCH & GOes followed by LANDING.
Evaluation
As for the landing, the candidate will be judged on his flying ability to execute positive touch-downs. Ground impact can be either tap, touch or roll-and-go concluded by a full-stop landing with engine remaining on.
Any absence of reaction of the pilot to detect early evidence of missed approach which could lead to dangerous circumstances or situation towards spectators and whereabouts will motivate a decision of Inaptitude.
ORANGE COLOUR GRADE
Description
* ORANGE = The pilot must carry out with a 4 function intermediate model,:
- 2 consecutive loopings
- 1 three-turn spin.
- 1 Immelman.
- 3 consecutive rolls.
- 2 touch or roll-&goes followed by a landing.
Aim :
The candidate will have to reveal a good standard to accomplish the above manoeuvres in all conditions that can be met generally before moving to advanced training flight & aerobatics on (low-wings, scales, multi engines, aerobatic etc) class aeroplanes. -
Evaluation LOOPINGS
The candidate will be expected to accomplish this primary discipline in a more skilful way than for the yellow badge. Power should be decreased when the plane is inverted and adequate up-elevator applied to accomplish large consecutive loops.
Evaluation SPIN
As for the spiral dive, the candidate will have to start action at safe altitude. After having reduced power completely, he will have to stall and maintain the model in a diving attitude using either rudder only, or ailerons, or both, gyrating the plane through three complete turns and resuming normal flight in a gentle and flat recovery.
Evaluation IMMELMAN
The candidate will need to execute an Immelman by originating a half-loop followed by a half-roll, keeping his machine under full control and exiting opposite his entry axis.
Evaluation ROLLS
The candidate will have to perform and complete three consecutive rolls either upwind or downwind and will not be penalised if changes are observed in the roll-rate, trajectory or altitude. Use of elevator to prevent loss of height is allowed. However loss of control will motivate a decision of Inaptitude.
Evaluation 2 TOUCH & GOes followed by LANDING.
As defined earlier, the candidate will be judged on his flying ability to execute positive tap, touch or roll-and -goes concluded by a full-stop with engine still on.
Any absence of quick corrective action in case of missed approach, will motivate a decision of Inaptitude.
RED COLOUR GRADE
Description
* RED = Proficient pilot being able to fly an aerobatic model with accuracy, doing :
- 2 consecutive loopings.
- 1 Stall turn.
- 3 consecutive rolls.
- 1 three-turn spin.
- 1 outside loop.
- 1 basic eight inverted.
- 2 touch or roll-&-goes followed by a full stop.
Aim :
The candidate will have to prove that he has the competence to carry out inverted flight properly and that he is qualified to accomplish the above manoeuvres in all conditions that can usually be met.
Evaluation
LOOPINGS, ROLLS, SPINS and TOUCH&GOes have already been explained earlier. The candidate will be judged on his expertise to accomplish them in a talented way.
STALL TURN
Evaluation
The candidate will have to maintain the model in a vertical nose-up attitude, reduce power completely and, using rudder only, stall and yaw the plane through 180o into a dive and resume normal flight in a gentle and gradual recovery in a direction which exceeds 90o from the entry heading.
OUTSIDE LOOP
Evaluation
The outside-loop will be evaluated in the same manner as for the inside loop spelt-out before. Power should be decreased when the plane is at the top of the loop and adequate down-elevator and power should be applied to accomplish a large loop.
The pilot may at his discretion, enter the feat inverted.
BASIC-8 INVERTED
Evaluation
The candidate will be judged on his capacity to enter upside-down, constant 360o turns, banking either approx 30o or up to < 60o left & right, completing the turns in the pilot’s axis.
He should exhibit the visual parameters of smooth steady turns keeping as far as possible same altitude.
.
BROWN COLOUR GRADE
* BROWN : Only Practice and Experience gained over many flying sessions will entitle a pilot to qualify for the BROWN badge which consists mainly of flying Rolling Circles.
Description
The candidate will first be asked to fly an inverted basic-8, plus perform any three of the other stunts needed for the red badge (chosen by the testors), which are listed above, and then to fly One Rolling Basic- 8.
Manoeuvres selected by the judges will be communicated to the competitor at least 5 minutes before the flight.
Evaluation
The candidate will confirm his know-how to illustrate different flight configurations endowed with talent.
* OTHER colours will be defined later.
CRITERIAS
COLOUR QUALIFICATIONS
(a) - To qualify for a colour a pilot must fly the corresponding manoeuvres in front of at least two Orange graded members, one of them being a Committee member. Besides, before undergoing test for a new grade, a pilot must first perform manoeuvres corresponding to his actual colour grade within one month prior to the date of the test.
(b) - Colour grading YELLOW and above are valid for one year only and before the end of that period the pilot must confirm his actual level. Otherwise he is automatically down-graded to the previous colour and should consider himself as untrained and a potential danger to his surroundings.
(c) - A pilot who wants to overstep a colour must be constantly accompanied by a senior pilot and is not allowed to take-off, land or fly low.
CHALLENGE
A pilot’s colour may be contested by at least 2 members if the latter suppose that the pilot is overgraded and if the grading dates back more than one year.
If challenged, a pilot must prove his level within 3 months of the contested date by performing the manoeuvres corresponding to his colour. The pilot keeps the present colour during that period.
In case of success, the pilot keeps his colour and cannot be challenged for one further year.
Otherwise he is downgraded to the previous grade and may be challenged again after 3 months.
We sincerely think that the grading and judging criterias have been kept to a minimum so as to encourage members in improving their flying skills.
Please also note that only Orange graded pilots and above will be authorised to perform during shows, open days etc…, thus for the security of the public.
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