Coaching R/C Aerobatics

1. Coaching R/C Aerobatics developed by Bob Skinner

2. FOREWORD • Coaching can work for an individual pilot, or for a team • To achieve sustainable success, every pilot needs to invest in a trainer/coach • The trainer/coach needs to have judging capabilities • This is only a suggested training method. Methods may differ.

3. Coaching principles • Coaching is a TWO-WAY STREET • Coach and pilot influence each other. • Both parties should communicate openly • Pilot will respect and feed off coach’s rejuvenated attitude. • Work in spirit of cooperation • With all role players and stakeholders. Provide pilot with maximum opportunity to develop to full potential. • Educate pilot • In technical, tactical, and physical demands

4. Coaching principles • You must concentrate on areas that need attention • Maybe the geometric shape of manoeuvres is incorrect • Perhaps the shapes are good, but the smoothness and gracefulness lacks • Maybe the flying distance is too great, or the positioning of manoeuvres is poor, or the sizes are inconsistent. • Use specific examples • Don’t be general. Try and pinpoint exactly where the mistake was observed. • Maintain a positive approach to correcting problems • Offer constructive solutions, rather than just saying: “you screwed up the avalanche” • Provide praise • Pilots want to know that they are doing well. Encourage them with compliments when they’ve had a good flight, or have done a perfect manoeuvre in your opinion.

5. Coaching principles • Appraisal: • What was done well? • What was done incorrectly? • What needs to be done differently? • Ask pilot what he learnt • Ability to offer guidance • Speak from a position of knowledge and strength. If you are unable to explain yourself, the pilot is going to doubt the advice that you give. • Impart enthusiasm • Be enthusiastic when you work with pilot. Always be positive and don’t criticise others, especially officials • Understand human behaviour and responses • You will know (or you must learn) how the pilot reacts to comments, criticism, advice. Know when to approach a subject, and try to predict what the response is going to be.

6. Truism • Don’t assume that hard training will increase chances of success • In most other sports, the athletes will get in shape by just taking part in the sport. • In radio control aerobatics, you need to coach and train with a pilot long before the first competition, so that he can be in optimum condition for the event, or season. This coaching needs to be maintained throughout the season. • “The more you practice, the luckier you’ll get”.

7. What is a coach? • A leader • A good coach will listen to opinions, ideas, and suggestions, but come up with ideas of his own. Be innovative - always lead the way. Anticipate what others may be doing, and adjust strategy if necessary. • An example • A coach must set an example by being punctual, disciplined, and well prepared for the training sessions. Don’t arrive and say: “I forgot some score sheets”, or “we don’t have box markers, so we’ll just use the lorry on the left”. • An inspirer • Build self-esteem. You must inspire a pilot to always be better, and to strive higher. Use Motivation 1: Good enough never is. • A planner • You must present the pilot with a coaching/training plan, and then work with him to find out what is most practical, and achievable. • Set goals • Monitor performance and progress • Give regular feedback

8. What is a coach? • A friend • You must be a friend of the pilot you are coaching. It is going to be very difficult to build mutual trust if the pilot feels that he cannot share information with you, or trust what you’re saying. • A strategist • You must develop a strategy with the pilot. Seek to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. • A confidante • The pilot must be able to share needs and desires with you • An instructor • You need to be able to instruct the pilot what to do, how to correct mistakes • A neutral party • Especially at a competitive event, you need to remain absolutely neutral if you are also a judge. It is imperative that you show no positive or negative bias. This is incredibly difficult, since you know what your pilot is capable of, and what is expected of him. • A secondary figure • The coach seldom seeks the limelight. The pilot is the star

9. Coaching secret • There is no secret to coaching • There is however the need to plan, and a willingness to learn • If anything, it’s identification • Identify potential, and develop it • Identify strengths, and enhance them • Identify opportunities, and maximise them • Identify weaknesses/mistakes, and rectify them • Identify threats, and eliminate them • Be careful of overtraining • The pilot needs to maintain the desire to win, or be the best, without ever having to feel “Let’s get this over and done with, I want to go home”. • He must feel that every training session has been a learning curve, and that there is progression. • He must feel that he constantly needs training/coaching, and must never settle on the notion of “I know it all, nobody can teach me anything”. • Remain focused • Stick to the primary goal. Don’t get side-tracked by other issues.

10. Coaching communication • Do I have the pilot’s attention? • Does the pilot understand what I’m telling him? • Does the pilot believe what I’m telling him? • Does the pilot accept what I’m saying? • Am I explaining myself in a clear, easily-understood manner? • Be clear • Give correct information. Speak intelligently. • Be concise • Avoid being long-winded. Get straight to the point. • Be accurate • Don’t give misleading, or conflicting information. Be consistent with previous training sessions, advice, and criticism. • Be complete • Give all the information, not just part of it. • Be courteous • Be polite, non-threatening, but yet assertive and confident. • Be constructive • Be positive. Avoid being overly critical and negative.

11. Coaching method • Complete flights • Good for checking overall flying ability/standard • Fly one complete P-05 or F-05 schedule, with no repeats of manoeuvres • Give feedback on good points of flight • Concentrate on areas where errors were observed • Get pilot to affirm that mistakes did indeed occur • Offer constructive solutions on what corrective action needs to be taken. • Segmented flights • Good for checking faults in geometry/precision • Break P-05 and F-05 schedules down to manageable segments. Choose four or five manoeuvres, and make up an entire schedule with five repetitions. • Fly one segmented flight and make comments on score sheet. Develop a cryptic/shorthand method of noting mistakes. Or use a Dictaphone, if the coach is confident in using one. Not everyone likes to hear his own recorded voice! • After the flight, discuss this information to the pilot. Augment with drawings if possible. Telling a pilot what went wrong is quickly forgotten - showing him in graphic format reinforces the statement. • Fly another segmented flight and observe of same mistakes are performed consistently.

12. Coaching method • Individual manoeuvres • Where consistent mistakes are observed: use one flight with multiple repeats of the same manoeuvre. Comment while the pilot is performing the manoeuvre. Identify the mistake, offer solution, and monitor the progress. • Eliminate the mistake so that it is never repeated. • Distance monitoring • Fly one complete flight, only with dead-passes, with no manoeuvres. • Have a third person, standing right on the 150m-mark. With voice communication, relay distances back to pilot/coach/caller. Reinforce distance perception. • Cold flying ability • Closer to a competition: Get pilot to fly ONE FLIGHT ONLY during a coaching session, with no prior warm-up. Do not repeat manoeuvres. Do not fly a second schedule, unless at least five hours later. • Inculcate the ability to fly cold, and get to a situation where every flight is a good flight, and a counting flight. • W/Ch and E/Ch traditionally have only one flight per day, with limited opportunity to perform a warm-up flight.

13. Coaching method • Maximise training sessions • Don’t waste time by having to set up engines, or trims. These are issues which should always be correct. • Try not to have more than five flights per pilot, per session. Concentration starts waning after five flights, and the benefits are negated. • Planning of sessions • Always start with a range check. Many models have been saved this way. Never entertain the idea of: “It worked yesterday, it should be okay today”’ • Start with a first flight, where no attention is paid to specifics. Encourage pilot to not analyse the flight in ANY way. Treat it only as a warm-up flight. Get into a flying mood. Warm up the fingers, and the brain. • Do four more flights, with a minimum of 20 minutes between flights. • Ensure mental alertness. If pilot looks tired or despondent, stop session. • Use remaining time for discussion. • Keep a record of each flight, and each training session. • Ideal situation is to train/practice twice a week, and to increase the frequency to four times a week before a major event. • Refrain from intensive training two days before a major event. If your pilot needs to practice a day before an event, the coaching plan was not effective.