How many laps in a pattern?

[Tim Wescott]

So if there's a nominal speed for the stunt pattern, it seems to be one that causes you to have six second laps and take six minutes overall, for a total of 60 laps (that's all?!?).

Am I correct here?  Does that mean that if you didn't mind looking a bit rushed, and you were going to do the pattern with a combat ship or a teeny 1/2-A stunter you'd take three minutes and do three-second laps?  Or if you could have the rules relaxed, you could put quarter-mile long lines on a full scale Extra 300 and take 30 minutes to do a pattern with 30 second laps (and presumably a hefty weight belt)?

So can one say, as a general rule, that one's complete pattern time is equal to 60 times one's lap time?

[PJ Rowland]

to finish the pattern in 6 minutes is quite slow.

Generally, Id be finished 5:10 - 5:20 mark. after clover.

[FLOYD CARTER]

I'm often thankful for our 8 minute allowance.  The stopwatch has saved the bacon more than once, when an engine is balky starting, or that extra click on the needle gives a slightly lean run....

On the other hand, I remember a contest in Portland last year where my OS35S ran over 10 minutes on 3 1/2 oz.  Must have been some crud in the fuel line making it go lean!

Floyd

[Steve Helmick]

Five second laps are a lot more common than 6 second laps. I have seen 6 second laps, but it was years ago, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't intentional.

takeoff & level flight (5 is legal, but 6 is most often done)
reverse wing over +2 after
inside rounds +2 after
inverted +6
outside rounds +2 after
inside squares +2 after
outside squares +2 after
triangles +2 after
horizontal 8's +2 after
horizontal square 8's +2 after
vertical 8's +2 after
hourglass +2.5 after
overhead 8's +2 after
cloverleaf +2 after
landing

I get 50.5 laps from release, using 5 prior to the RWO, 2.5 before the OH8 and 2 prior to the landing. That's minimum. At 5 sec. laps, that's more like 4 min. 13 seconds, if my math are rite. With a couple minutes starting,  a lap gliding, and 10 sec. rolling, you done went over 8 minutes....  Steve

[Tim Wescott]

Five second laps are a lot more common than 6 second laps. I have seen 6 second laps, but it was years ago, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't intentional.

takeoff & level flight (5 is legal, but 6 is most often done)
reverse wing over +2 after
inside rounds +2 after
inverted +6
outside rounds +2 after
inside squares +2 after
outside squares +2 after
triangles +2 after
horizontal 8's +2 after
horizontal square 8's +2 after
vertical 8's +2 after
hourglass +2.5 after
overhead 8's +2 after
cloverleaf +2 after
landing

I get 50.5 laps from release, using 5 prior to the RWO, 2.5 before the OH8 and 2 prior to the landing. That's minimum. At 5 sec. laps, that's more like 4 min. 13 seconds, if my math are rite. With a couple minutes starting,  a lap gliding, and 10 sec. rolling, you done went over 8 minutes....  Steve

59 if you count each lap as a maneuver.  This matches the "six minute, six second laps".

All that, in just 60 laps.  That's almost few enough that you could name each one.

Fred, Martha, Ralph, Mabel, Joe, Bob, Joe-bob, Singh, Kurt, Sue, Mary, Marharuthulsa, Floyd, ...

[john e. holliday]

He remembeed the name of all his kids.  

[Steve Helmick]

"59 if you count each lap as a maneuver."

If you count each lap as a maneuver...   What do you count each maneuver as? Did you mean to write "if you count each maneuver as a lap"? That still doesn't seem to work.

I noticed that my post does have a math error, in that I have +2 laps after the inside round loops, and then 6 laps inverted, when those 6 laps include the 2 laps after the loops. A mental lapse....pun intended. So that makes 48.5 level laps, minimum. And I still don't understand what the point of this thread is. Hardly anybody claims to fly 6 sec. laps on purpose, and on a regular basis....and most of them are probably storyin' us.    Steve

[Jim Thomerson]

If you are flying 5 sec laps, that is 12 laps per minute.  A five minute pattern would then be the equivalent of 60 laps.  I think you have to count the maneuvers as laps or parts of laps in terms of time spent. 

If you don't get a fairly quick start, something is wrong. I would take an attempt, leave the circle, and go sort it out.