Coaching R/C Aerobatics

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Coaching R/C Aerobatics
developed by Bob Skinner
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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.

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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 coachs
  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

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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
• Dont 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 theyve had
  a good flight, or have done a perfect manoeuvre
  in your opinion.

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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 dont 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.

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Truism

• Dont 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 youll get.

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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. Dont arrive and say I forgot some
  score sheets, or we dont have box markers, so
  well 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

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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
  youre 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

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Coaching secret

• There is no secret to coaching
• There is however the need to plan, and a
  willingness to learn
• If anything, its 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 Lets
  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. Dont get side-tracked
  by other issues.

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Coaching communication

• Do I have the pilots attention?
• Does the pilot understand what Im telling him?
• Does the pilot believe what Im telling him?
• Does the pilot accept what Im 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
• Dont 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.

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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.

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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.

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Coaching method

• Maximise training sessions
• Dont 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.