Aerobatic Manoeuvres Explained
Every aerobatic figure is a defined shape with an entry speed, an exit speed and a minimum altitude. Below is the core repertoire, what each figure asks of the aeroplane, and what it does to the person in the back seat.
The loop
The oldest figure in the book and still the best introduction. You accelerate to the entry speed, pull smoothly into a vertical climb, continue over the top inverted, then let the nose fall through the back side and recover on the original heading and altitude.
What the participant feels: the pull-in is the highest positive load of the figure, typically the moment you meet real G for the first time. Over the top the load drops close to zero and the ground appears above your head. Judging a loop comes down to whether the shape is round. The most common error is an egg, produced by pulling too hard at the start.
The aileron roll
The aeroplane rotates 360 degrees around its longitudinal axis while the nose stays roughly on a point. In an Extra 300L the roll rate is fast enough that the horizon becomes a blur rather than a sequence of positions. Load stays close to +1G throughout, so the roll often surprises people: it looks the most violent from the ground and feels among the gentlest from inside.
The flick roll
A different manoeuvre, despite the similar name. Here one wing is deliberately stalled while the other keeps flying, so the aircraft autorotates around its own axis, which is a horizontal spin. It is abrupt, it is loud, and it is the figure most likely to make a first-time participant laugh out loud afterwards. It is not flown on the shortest package.
The Immelmann turn
Half a loop up, then half a roll at the top to return to upright flight. You end up higher than you started and pointing the opposite way. Named after Max Immelmann, a First World War pilot who used the principle to reverse direction while gaining an altitude advantage. In a modern sequence it is a connector: a way of changing direction without leaving the aerobatic box.
The split-S
The Immelmann in reverse. Half a roll to inverted, then the back half of a loop pulled through to upright flight, ending lower and pointing the opposite way. This is where the altitude margin matters most, because the figure trades height for direction change, and it is one reason participant sequences are flown high.
The hammerhead (stall turn)
Pull into a true vertical climb, let the speed decay, then pivot the aeroplane around its yaw axis with rudder at the moment it runs out of energy, and come back down vertically. Done well it looks as if the aeroplane has hinged on a point in the sky. The pivot itself is what separates the practised from the rest: a fraction of a second late and the aircraft slides backwards.
Inverted flight
Not a figure so much as a state, and the one that best explains why an aerobatic aeroplane is different. Sustained inverted flight needs an inverted fuel and oil system, and an aerobatic-category aircraft has one where a normal-category aircraft does not. For the participant it means hanging in the harness with the ground above and a load of about -1G, which is a strange few seconds.
Spins
A spin is autorotation after a stall, with one wing more stalled than the other. It is a recovery exercise as much as a figure: recognising the direction of rotation and applying the correct control inputs is a core part of the FCL.800 training syllabus. Inverted spins are the advanced version, and they feature in the Masterclass rather than in a first introductory flight.
How figures become a sequence
Competition aerobatics is written in the Aresti notation, a symbolic language where each figure has a drawn representation and a difficulty coefficient. A judged sequence has to fit inside a defined aerobatic box, so figures are chosen partly for what they do to your position and energy, not just for how they look. Linking figures smoothly, keeping speed and altitude usable from one to the next, is what takes years.
On a introductory flight the pilot builds the sequence around you: gentler figures first, then more as your tolerance becomes clear. If you want to see how the same repertoire is judged competitively, our post on aerobatic competitions covers the category system.
Frequently asked questions
What are the basic aerobatic figures?
The core repertoire is the loop, the aileron roll, the flick roll, the Immelmann turn, the split-S, the hammerhead or stall turn, inverted flight and the spin. Everything else is a variation or a combination of these.
Which figure produces the most G?
The pull into a loop and the pull-through on a split-S generate the highest positive loads. An aileron roll, by contrast, stays close to +1G, so it feels gentler than it looks from the ground.
What is the difference between an aileron roll and a flick roll?
An aileron roll rotates the aircraft around its longitudinal axis while it keeps flying normally. A flick roll deliberately stalls one wing so the aircraft autorotates, a horizontal spin. The flick is much more abrupt.
Why can only some aircraft fly inverted?
Sustained inverted flight requires an inverted fuel and oil system so the engine keeps running with negative load. Aircraft certified in the aerobatic category have one; normal and utility category aircraft do not.
What is Aresti notation?
A symbolic language used in competition aerobatics in which each figure has a drawn symbol and a difficulty coefficient, so a whole sequence can be written on a single card and judged consistently.
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.