How Long to Complete a Beginner Pattern?

[Crist Rigotti]

What's the flight time to complete a Beginner pattern?  Time actually flown, not including engine starting and walking out to the handle.
Thanks.

[Dan McEntee]

  There is only what, 8 maneuvers in the beginner pattern? Takeoff, level flight, wingover (not reverse), 3 inside loops, 3 outside loops, 2 inside square loops, 2 vertical 8's, and 2 over head 8's, if I remember correctly. That is half the regular pattern, and a typical 5.1 or so lap time usually gets one to finishing the clover at 5:45 or so from hand signal and a quick start. Half of that should be close, around 3:30, maybe padded a bit due to a longer start time. I have a foggy memory of thinking I wanted to short tank flights at large contests to 4 minutes to get on and off the circle quickly, after being cautioned about it looking better to the judges if you don't keep them sitting in the hot sun taking a long time to start an engine and flying needless laps at the end of a flight. That's my take.
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[James Mills]

Crist,

I'd have to pull the timer from Ben's plane, but I think I have it set for close to 4 min.  I can pull it and check if you want a more exact answer.

James

[Sean McEntee]

  There is only what, 8 maneuvers in the beginner pattern? Takeoff, level flight, wingover (not reverse), 3 inside loops, 3 outside loops, 2 inside square loops, 2 vertical 8's, and 2 over head 8's, if I remember correctly. That is half the regular pattern, and a typical 5.1 or so lap time usually gets one to finishing the clover at 5:45 or so from hand signal and a quick start. Half of that should be close, around 3:30, maybe padded a bit due to a longer start time. I have a foggy memory of thinking I wanted to short tank flights at large contests to 4 minutes to get on and off the circle quickly, after being cautioned about it looking better to the judges if you don't keep them sitting in the hot sun taking a long time to start an engine and flying needless laps at the end of a flight. That's my take.
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

    Horizontal eights dad.  You don't remember teaching me vertical eights in the grass at VSC '97 hours before the first round?  

     Dad is pretty accurate on the time though.  Got on Picasim and flew it, and from takeoff to landing (2 laps after the overheads and cut the throttle) it was about 3:30.

[Crist Rigotti]

Thanks guys!  I'll go with a run time of 4 minutes when figuring what I need for 1/2A electric stunt which flys the Beginner pattern.

[Doug Burright]

Oh, electric.

I short-tanked my Fancherized Twister this weekend for just that reason- to be more kind to the judges, but I'll bet I still flew for 6 minutes, total. I'll prepare better for the next one!

[Dan McEntee]

  Well, I got the 8 part correct at least, same number of maneuvers. Depending on the model and line length, Crist, you should be about the same. At a 5 sec lap time with two laps between tricks and allowing some time to do the actual maneuver, you only need about 2 1/2 Minutes of run time, I think, and no allowance for error of any kind. Many years ago at one of Bob Rogers' Quicny, IL contests, he had a 1/2A one design contest using the Cox Chipmunk of ME-109 stunters, and we flew the beginner pattern. I won because I was the only one to get the whole pattern in! Even the SIG 1/2A Skyray is capable of a recognizable beginner pattern. That is what I trained Sean on when he decided to get serious about things. Lots of designs capable of the full pattern today, so I wonder why they are just having the beginner pattern?
  One more thing to put on the agenda for next year!
   Type at you later,
     Dan McEntee

[Tim Wescott]

My first few beginner patterns only lasted about a minute and a half, and then I had to repair the airplane!

[Dennis Moritz]

I believe you are allowed 6 minutes. I guess for beginners to overcome a poor starting routine.

[Norm Furutani]

It takes me 2 1/2 oz with an LA40 or 46 with laps to spare

Norm

[RknRusty]

What's the flight time to complete a Beginner pattern?  Time actually flown, not including engine starting and walking out to the handle.
Thanks.

The beginner pattern took me 3:12 from takeoff to landing, including 8 laps after the OH8.


At this contest in all classes including beginner, the judges were allowing 8 minutes from the hand wave to landing.
Rusty

[Crist Rigotti]

Thanks Rusty.  Exactly what I needed.

[john e. holliday]

Thanks for the video Rusty.   I see I had better not try Beginner as you would beat me.   Now,  why is it your YouTube video played and another person who posted on here, his video came up with an error message?

[Tim Wescott]

At this contest in all classes including beginner, the judges were allowing 8 minutes from the hand wave to landing.

That's what the rules say.  It's because there's a whole set of skills involved with engine management that you need to learn to hit the 8-minute mark with the full pattern.  In beginner you can start with less fuel and get a lot longer to get the engine running than in the higher classes.

[RknRusty]

Thanks for the video Rusty.   I see I had better not try Beginner as you would beat me.   Now,  why is it your YouTube video played and another person who posted on here, his video came up with an error message?

I don't know about the Youtube problem. I'm going to start posting in a lower resolution to help keep the jerkiness to a minimum, especially in full screen mode. I recommend always clicking the Youtube logo and watching directly on that site. I guess it deals with fewer servers between you and them.

Well John, you won't have to worry about me whuppin' up on you in beginner Lol. As of this morning, I'm officially flying intermediate. I still have yet to do a clover leaf and an hourglass, but I managed the rest pretty well. I was yanking my triangles all out of shape though. A lot of details to tune up before October. Probably won't be so easy to bring home the trophies any more though. I flew in two beginner contests, October and May. See, you planted the seed and created a monster when you mailed me that bellcrank last year.

Crist, please keep us posted on your stunt flying adventures.
Rusty

[Shug Emery]

The beginner pattern took me 3:12 from takeoff to landing, including 8 laps after the OH8.


At this contest in all classes including beginner, the judges were allowing 8 minutes from the hand wave to landing.
Rusty

Nice Rusty.........inspires me to get out and get at it)))))
Shug

[BYU]

In my case 31 Years. 

But now I can finally do the beginner pattern I would say 4 Minutes or so.

[Bill Heher]

I fly ( try?) the Beginner Pattern, and have flown it with quite a few of the tndrd combos, Rinmater/ Fox35 / OS25, Twisters with OS, 40 and 35 FP, LA 46, ARF Oriental  OS 40' etc.
With most of those combos I can do 2 full Beginner Paterns on 4 to 6 oz of fuel. The OS 25 is a sipper and can do the pattern on less than 3 with plenty of extra laps. Even the LA .46 on a ARF Tutor will use under 4 oz with plenty to spare,

Pick a thank tt is big enough for 7-8 minutes, and start nearing your fuel into tank. Track the time and soon you have a table of oz to minutes of run time.