New Maneuvers for 2009

Blaze · Post by **Blaze** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 12:59 pm

Lawndart wrote:On another note, all the Opposing Knife Edge Passes this year will have canopy-to-canopy hits, and the Opposing Inverted Pass will have a belly-on-belly hit as seen from the crowd. Next season (assuming the show stays the same), the Opposing Knife Edge Passes will be belly-to-belly hits with the Opposing Inverted Pass canopy-on-canopy.

Yea I kinda figured that from watching the video. The crossover switch makes a lot more sense than the basket switch. Believe it or not I actually understood all of that.

Ripper · Post by **Ripper** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:14 am

It seems like the T-Birds are always using a D model for #4. Any specific reason for this?

Ripper

Post by **Lawndart** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 10:42 am

They put the D model in slot for symmetry as all the airframes are rotated through maintenance checks throughout the year. The numbers (and names under the canopy) are stickers that can easily be changed for each show. Putting the D in slot, regardless of which bird is out, balances the look of the formation and allows the left and right wingmen to fly a normal sight picture.

Unless they have 7 C models handy I have a suspicion that they opt for putting a D in slot as well, and keep a single C model spare if one of the pilots need to swap jets after starting up. If so, you'd likely see a D model in slot any time they have only 6 C models on the road. Hope this helps shed some light on the reasons behind often seeing a D model in slot (usually during the first half of the show season).

Ripper · Post by **Ripper** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 6:25 pm

Yep! Thanks Lawndart!

FutureThunderbird · Post by **FutureThunderbird** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 11:44 pm

Lawndart wrote:
Blaze wrote:...seems that with the Opposing Split-S the solos don't end up on the side of the showline they normally would after the Opposing 4-Point (right solo show left and left solo show right). Instead they end up on the same side they started on, which means they need to make a hasty sprint to the opposite sides behind the crowd for their next maneuvers!
There's no basket swap. The "left solo" is to the left, and the "right solo" is to the right as they're inbound for Crossover Break now (opposite of last year's show). Using the current year as an example, the left solo or #5, will be in left line abreast and break to the right (in front of #6) before exiting to the right basket. This means "Tonka" is inbound from the right basket for the next opposing maneuver and with the Split S reversal they perform he then exits to the right basket once again, hence no basket swap needed before his High Alpha.

So in other words, the solo to the right is actually the left solo (#5), and the solo to the left is actually the right solo (#6). Next year it will be the other way around with #5 to the left and #6 to the right, but the right solo will still be the starting to the left, and the left solo will still be starting to the right! Also, this year the left solo to the right flies closest to the crowd, but next season the right solo to the left will fly closest to the crowd. How's that for confuscious?!!

On another note, all the Opposing Knife Edge Passes this year will have canopy-to-canopy hits, and the Opposing Inverted Pass will have a belly-on-belly hit as seen from the crowd. Next season (assuming the show stays the same), the Opposing Knife Edge Passes will be belly-to-belly hits with the Opposing Inverted Pass canopy-on-canopy.

Trust me, there's a method to the madness!

LD has all the answers! Thanks because I was just going to ask about this. My only question now though is with 5 exiting to the right after the Crossover Break and 6 exiting to the left, that would require a "basket swap" during the low show before or after the Opp. 4-point to set up for the Sneak Pass and High Alpha, correct?

EDIT: After watching the video from their flat show at Keesler it appears they perform this swap prior to the Opposing 4-Point as Maj. Douglas appears to be on the left and Maj. Goodman on the right for the 4-Point... am I correct with this?

Post by **Lawndart** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 1:21 am

If you look even closer it appears the Crossover Break has #5 breaking left (if a Flat Show). Otherwise there would be a swap prior to the Op4P.

Blaze · Post by **Blaze** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 11:12 am

Lawndart wrote:If you look even closer it appears the Crossover Break has #5 breaking left (if a Flat Show). Otherwise there would be a swap prior to the Op4P.

So the crossover would use the same profile as the old show where the left solo breaks left and the right solo breaks right because the Op4P takes care of the "switch".

FutureThunderbird · Post by **FutureThunderbird** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 1:40 pm

Lawndart wrote:If you look even closer it appears the Crossover Break has #5 breaking left (if a Flat Show). Otherwise there would be a swap prior to the Op4P.

Okay so they actually switch sides for the Crossover Break. During the High Show Maj. Douglas on the left breaks right, and Maj. Goodman on the right breaks left, and for the Low and Flat Show Maj. Goodman on the left breaks right and Maj. Douglas on the right breaks left?

Blaze · Post by **Blaze** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 1:47 pm

FutureThunderbird wrote:
Lawndart wrote:If you look even closer it appears the Crossover Break has #5 breaking left (if a Flat Show). Otherwise there would be a swap prior to the Op4P.
Okay so they actually switch sides for the Crossover Break. During the High Show Maj. Douglas on the left breaks right, and Maj. Goodman on the right breaks left, and for the Low and Flat Show Maj. Goodman on the left breaks right and Maj. Douglas on the right breaks left?

Yea, since they don't do an opposing split-s during the flat show, they just switch the direction they break in the crossover (instead of the high show where the right solo breaks left and the left solo breaks right, in the flat show the right solo breaks right and the left solo breaks left) so when they come in for the Op4P, naturally they will finish on the proper side they need to be, unlike the OpSplit-S where they finish on the same side they start, so they need to switch the crossover so they end up on the right sides afterwards for their next maneuvers (right solo with the sneak pass and left solo with the high alpha).