Narrative:

I had been out practicing my airshow performance above 1500 ft AGL. As I was finishing my practice session, I returned to the airport. I still had not been able to practice my closing maneuver, which is an inverted pass down the runway. As an airshow pilot I have earned an unrestr low level waiver that permits me to perform this at a very low altitude in waivered airspace. You must practice this maneuver at a low level to develop proper depth perception. On the date of this occurrence, the WX was beautiful! It was the first truly nice day in weeks that I had had a chance to practice. As I returned to the airport I felt that I needed to practice my closing inverted pass due to the beautiful day and the fact that in this sport practice is what keeps you alive! While positioning myself for pass I noticed I was well below 1500 ft in waivered airspace, but I continued on the length of the runway before gaining back my altitude. I had led myself to believe that since this was a rural uncontrolled airport and I heard no one on the advisory frequency that it wouldn't hurt this one time, especially since it was the first nice day in weeks. I normally fly approximately 40 mi to lubbock industrial airpark to practice this maneuver in their waivered aerobatic box, but this day I did not have the time or the fuel for the trip up and back to practice the one maneuver. This was very poor judgement and also dangerous. I was later told an aircraft was exiting the area as I was arriving. The other aircraft had no radio or chose not to use it because he presented no communication. While he left the area well before my inverted pass, it could have been a very dangerous situation if he had stayed. I let the euphoria of the first beautiful day in weeks cloud my judgement while practicing my airshow maneuvers. In essence, I got carried away. To remedy the problem of not having any locally waived airspace for practice of my maneuvers that need to be practiced lower than 1500 ft, I plan to get the proper paperwork started on a local aerobatic box. In the meantime, if I need to work on my low level maneuvers, I plan on going to the lubbock box in order to keep it all safe!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA AEROBATIC ACFT MADE AN INVERTED FLT OVER RWY AT A NON CTLED ARPT WITHOUT WAIVER.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN OUT PRACTICING MY AIRSHOW PERFORMANCE ABOVE 1500 FT AGL. AS I WAS FINISHING MY PRACTICE SESSION, I RETURNED TO THE ARPT. I STILL HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO PRACTICE MY CLOSING MANEUVER, WHICH IS AN INVERTED PASS DOWN THE RWY. AS AN AIRSHOW PLT I HAVE EARNED AN UNRESTR LOW LEVEL WAIVER THAT PERMITS ME TO PERFORM THIS AT A VERY LOW ALT IN WAIVERED AIRSPACE. YOU MUST PRACTICE THIS MANEUVER AT A LOW LEVEL TO DEVELOP PROPER DEPTH PERCEPTION. ON THE DATE OF THIS OCCURRENCE, THE WX WAS BEAUTIFUL! IT WAS THE FIRST TRULY NICE DAY IN WKS THAT I HAD HAD A CHANCE TO PRACTICE. AS I RETURNED TO THE ARPT I FELT THAT I NEEDED TO PRACTICE MY CLOSING INVERTED PASS DUE TO THE BEAUTIFUL DAY AND THE FACT THAT IN THIS SPORT PRACTICE IS WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE! WHILE POSITIONING MYSELF FOR PASS I NOTICED I WAS WELL BELOW 1500 FT IN WAIVERED AIRSPACE, BUT I CONTINUED ON THE LENGTH OF THE RWY BEFORE GAINING BACK MY ALT. I HAD LED MYSELF TO BELIEVE THAT SINCE THIS WAS A RURAL UNCTLED ARPT AND I HEARD NO ONE ON THE ADVISORY FREQ THAT IT WOULDN'T HURT THIS ONE TIME, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT WAS THE FIRST NICE DAY IN WKS. I NORMALLY FLY APPROX 40 MI TO LUBBOCK INDUSTRIAL AIRPARK TO PRACTICE THIS MANEUVER IN THEIR WAIVERED AEROBATIC BOX, BUT THIS DAY I DID NOT HAVE THE TIME OR THE FUEL FOR THE TRIP UP AND BACK TO PRACTICE THE ONE MANEUVER. THIS WAS VERY POOR JUDGEMENT AND ALSO DANGEROUS. I WAS LATER TOLD AN ACFT WAS EXITING THE AREA AS I WAS ARRIVING. THE OTHER ACFT HAD NO RADIO OR CHOSE NOT TO USE IT BECAUSE HE PRESENTED NO COM. WHILE HE LEFT THE AREA WELL BEFORE MY INVERTED PASS, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SIT IF HE HAD STAYED. I LET THE EUPHORIA OF THE FIRST BEAUTIFUL DAY IN WKS CLOUD MY JUDGEMENT WHILE PRACTICING MY AIRSHOW MANEUVERS. IN ESSENCE, I GOT CARRIED AWAY. TO REMEDY THE PROB OF NOT HAVING ANY LOCALLY WAIVED AIRSPACE FOR PRACTICE OF MY MANEUVERS THAT NEED TO BE PRACTICED LOWER THAN 1500 FT, I PLAN TO GET THE PROPER PAPERWORK STARTED ON A LCL AEROBATIC BOX. IN THE MEANTIME, IF I NEED TO WORK ON MY LOW LEVEL MANEUVERS, I PLAN ON GOING TO THE LUBBOCK BOX IN ORDER TO KEEP IT ALL SAFE!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.