How Aerobatic Competitions Work
Competition aerobatics is a precision sport, closer to gymnastics than to racing. Pilots fly a defined sequence alone inside a marked cube of airspace while judges on the ground score every figure against the geometry it is supposed to have.
The category ladder
| Category | Character |
|---|---|
| Sportsman | Entry level. Basic figures, moderate load factors, the usual way in. |
| Intermediate | Adds negative-G figures and more complex combinations. |
| Advanced | Demanding sequences, high precision requirements, a serious commitment. |
| Unlimited | The top level. No restriction on figure difficulty; world championship category. |
Progression depends on training, experience and the entry rules of the competition. Discuss the appropriate category with your instructor.
Aresti: the language of a sequence
A competition sequence is written in the Aresti notation, devised by the Spanish pilot José Luis Aresti. Each figure has a drawn symbol and a difficulty coefficient (the K factor). A whole programme fits on one card, and any judge anywhere in the world reads it the same way.
Your score for a figure is the judge score multiplied by its K factor, so a difficult figure flown well is worth more than an easy one flown perfectly, while a difficult figure flown badly costs you accordingly. Sequence design is therefore a genuine strategic exercise, not just a list of tricks.
The box
Flying takes place inside the aerobatic box: a cube of airspace, typically 1,000 metres on each side, with a defined floor and ceiling. Leaving it costs points, and going below the floor can end your flight. Managing energy so that you finish each figure in a position that sets up the next one, inside those walls, is what separates the top of the field from the middle.
How judging works
A panel of judges scores every figure from 0 to 10 against the geometry it should have. A loop must be round; lines must be straight; rolls must be centred; headings must be held. Deviations are deducted in fixed increments, typically one point per five degrees of error. A figure flown in the wrong direction, or a manoeuvre not on the card, scores zero.
Judges sit at the edge of the box looking up, so what looks spectacular from the crowd line and what scores well are not always the same thing. The score reflects the judging criteria.
What the programmes are
A championship normally consists of several programmes: a known sequence published in advance and flown by everyone, a free programme designed by the pilot within the rules, and one or more unknown sequences handed out shortly before the flight with no practice permitted. The unknown is the one that separates pilots who have learned a routine from pilots who can fly whatever is put in front of them.
Poland, and our own results
Polish aerobatics has a long competitive tradition, and the domestic calendar includes the national championship and the Polish Cup, with pilots also entering European and world championships through the FAI system.
For context on who you fly with: Maciej Kulaszewski is FAI Intermediate World Champion 2022, Polish National Champion 2026 in the Advanced class and winner of the 2026 Polish Cup. Both 2026 titles were flown on SP-EKS, the same aircraft used for introductory flights and for FCL.800 training. He is also a multiple Polish champion, five-time UK champion and German champion, and his students have taken the Polish Intermediate title in 2026 and 2025 and the UK Intermediate title in 2022.
Getting into competition yourself
Start with the aerobatic rating, regular supervised practice and a review of competition entry requirements. Ground judging and scorecards help identify errors to work on in subsequent training.
Frequently asked questions
What are the categories in competition aerobatics?
Sportsman, Intermediate, Advanced and Unlimited, in increasing order of difficulty. Sportsman is the entry level and Unlimited is the world championship category with no restriction on figure difficulty.
How are aerobatic competitions judged?
A panel of judges scores each figure from 0 to 10 against the geometry it should have, deducting typically one point for every five degrees of deviation. The score is multiplied by the difficulty coefficient, or K factor, of that figure.
What is the aerobatic box?
A defined cube of airspace, typically 1,000 metres on each side, with a floor and a ceiling. Flying outside it costs points and descending below the floor can end the flight.
What is Aresti notation?
A symbolic language in which every aerobatic figure has a drawn symbol and a difficulty coefficient, allowing a full sequence to be written on one card and judged identically anywhere in the world.
What is an unknown sequence?
A programme handed to pilots shortly before the flight with no practice permitted. It distinguishes pilots who have memorised a routine from pilots who can fly any sequence put in front of them.
Fly it yourself
Aerobatic flights in the Extra 300L SP-EKS from Radom-Piastów (EPRP), 100 km from Warsaw. From 2,222 PLN, no licence or experience required. Gift vouchers are issued as a PDF after payment confirmation and stay valid for 12 months.