Misty to Infinity – The new connection

One of the latest aerobatic tricks, the Misty to Tumbling was invented by Herminio Cordido in 2003.
This maneuver starts with an extremely dynamic Misty Flip, which is a perfectly controlled 360 degrees spin of the glider with high pitch. During the exit the pilot swings down with a big momentum and at the same time the canopy shoots forward very fast. Instead of stopping in front the pilot lets the glider go beneath with full speed. If everything goes well the following dive is big enough to pass above the wing in Tumbling movement.
To perform this maneuver not only the pilot’s skills are necessary but a specific glider too. It is like Infinity Tumbling, only the best acro-wings are suited to this.

Until this year we could not see the Misty to Tumbling in acro competitions. One reason could be that it has the same coefficient in scoring as a normal tumbling which is way easier and safer to perform. So the small group of competitors who would be able to learn this top level maneuver are not motivated to put it in their routine because it is too risky. Most of the acro pilots agree that the coefficient of Misty to Tumbling has to be raised.
Anyway when the Infinity appeared the Misty to Tumbling got into background. By now almost 10 pilots have acquired the skills to do Infinity so the competitors have to show something new to get the best results.

30th September 2006
On a sunny Saturday afternoon at Mevo Hamma, Israel I made my first Misty to Tumbling and after few attempts I built up the maneuver to Infinity.
However it took few turns to reach the perfect angle by rhytmization, I think it is possible to enter the Infinity right in the first turn directly from the powerful shoot of the Misty Flip.

I had to concentrate not only on the maneuver but on the mountain below which is an old minefield close to the Syrian border. My glider was stable all the way so I could just exit clearly in the level of the takeoff. I am very happy because in my opinion it is the most beautiful connection of all the tricks and with the Twister it is very easy to get it.