Aerobatics

Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers with aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights, done for training, recreation, entertainment or sport. The Wikipedia lead says the term is a portmanteau of aeroplane and acrobatics. Most maneuvers rotate the aircraft about its longitudinal roll axis or its lateral pitch axis, while others, such as a spin, displace it about the vertical yaw axis, and maneuvers are often combined into a complete sequence for display or competition. Aerobatic flying demands a broader set of piloting skills and loads the airframe more than normal flight, and in some countries the pilot must wear a parachute. The lead notes that aerobatic training improves a pilot's ability to recover from unusual flight conditions, and that some pilots compete in aerobatic competitions, a judged sport governed by the FAI Aerobatics Commission, known as CIVA.