(NOTE: The following flight maneuvers or "maneuver combinations" are described herein for further clarity or definition to those provided in the AMA Scale Rules. Consult the AMA Rules for additional descriptions.)

The contestant has five options to elect beyond the mandatory maneuvers. No specific order is required except the Overall Flight Realism is listed as the last item for judging.

Contestants may change flight options between rounds, but no changes may be made once their flight has begun.

1. Taxi (optional in AMA Competition, removed from USSMA): When selected, both a prototypical taxi out and taxi back are to be considered as one maneuver (5 points each). The maneuver begins in front of the judges on the near side of the runway or taxiway hereafter considered the hangar. For a tail-dragger, taxi should include a prototypical "S" pattern zigzagging for assimilating forward visibility. When taxing downwind with a tail-dragger, the elevator surfaces should also optimally be in a downward position for best positive steering control. For a tricycle nose gear configuration, no "S" pattern is required and elevators can remain essentially neutral during a downwind taxi. A minimum of 50 feet taxi is required on the near side of the runway or taxiway before a pause or full stop is established in an attitude position to check traffic prior to further taxi to the active runway for takeoff. Taxi should display sufficient engine idle control to permit a full stop for Realism and safety when required. The first half of this optional maneuver is not complete until the position is established on the active runway for start of takeoff. The last half of this maneuver begins after the landing maneuver is completed. The aircraft is then taxied from the active runway to the near side for return to the hangar in a similar manner required for the first half of the maneuver. Any faults observed in scoring this optionally selected maneuver are attributable only to the maneuver and not continuity in Overall Flight Realism.

1.1. Taxi may be further combined with various scale operational features and scored as one "maneuver combination" in overall content, thus diluting some of the pilot Precision that is otherwise emphasized. Such examples of complementing features may include moving pilot, sliding canopy, wheel brakes, etc. Sudden and exaggerated unrealistic stops are not a complement to proportionally applied "mechanical" braking Precision or Realism. However an engine "run up" with brakes applied is complementary and convincing. All such scale operations should be demonstrated within reasonable viewing distance before proceeding too far away from the hangar and judges for best viewing.

1.2. If an engine failure and restart is necessary during taxi out or back and is manually handled, that portion of the maneuver (5 points each) will score zero. See exceptions in "Time Limit and Official Delays".

1.3. Aircraft that are not prototypically steerable in taxi may not select this option. (NOTE: The required minimums of 50 feet of taxi before and after the flight shall optimally be performed on the near side of the runway or taxiway and not on the active runway (facilities permitting) where other traffic may be affected. Taxi is subject to ground option limitations described in this Guide.)

2. Touch-and-Go (optional): The touch-and-go option requires the aircraft to slow sufficiently after landing to below flying speed, before again accelerating for the "GO" prior to take-off. This does not require that the tail wheel settle to the ground for "tail draggers". All other qualities expected of landing and takeoff will prevail. The maximum score for this maneuver sequence is 20 points, i.e. 10 points for "TOUCH" and 10 points for "GO". The start of the "GO" maneuver will coincide with the throttle acceleration after previously being slowed. Each maneuver must be listed by the contestant on two separate consecutive lines of the score sheet as "Touch" followed by "Go".

3. Traffic Pattern (optional): The traffic pattern maneuver may be elected as an option for any aircraft. It may be performed as a standard rectangular pattern as described by the AMA or with other prototypical described Navy methods such as with a semicircular 180 degree pattern replacing the last 90 degree crosswind leg before final approach. The initial part of a traffic pattern entry may also be revised for applicable prototypical tactics to minimize exposure of attack in military aircraft. This may include a low entry approach on the far side of the defined runway and a notably climbing pitch out away from the judges into a 180 degree turn, during which retracts (if applicable) are initiated in extension and continued into the downwind leg. This shall be followed by a rectangle or semicircle entry to final approach. Traffic pattern variations must be briefly described to judges prior to flight. Only one traffic pattern maneuver option variant may be chosen in a flight, unless further choosing the AMA described "Side Slip" on a separately judged final approach performance.

3.1. If any one of these traffic pattern options is chosen, it will include the final approach to landing in alignment to the runway down to the flare preceding the landing. At this time the landing maneuver content scoring would immediately begin. The decent may initially begin in the final cross wind leg (or semicircle) and shall continue through a straight final approach descending to the runway. This option effectively delays the starting point of the mandatory-landing maneuver to the point at which flare begins.

3.2. If flaps, slats, and (or) retracts are prototypical features of the aircraft, they must be timely deployed for optimum Overall Flight Realism scoring. Retracts shall be deployed in the downwind leg for the standard rectangular traffic pattern. Flaps (and slats) shall be deployed initially either in the downwind leg or in the final crosswind (or semicircle) and progressively increased thereafter as may be prototypical to the aircraft. This maneuver shall not be classified as a "maneuver combination" to dilute pilot Precision, or Placement with scale operations. The failure of anticipated prototypical scale operation(s) to timely deploy will be downgraded for lack of "OPTION Precision" and "Continuity" for that portion of Overall Flight Realism score.

4. Spot Landing (optional): The optional spot landing maneuver is given the same score as landing if the initial wheel touchdown is within a 100 foot diameter circle centered in front of the judges and defined runway. If the runway width prohibits this defined circle, then the judges and contestant must agree that the spot landing area be a rectangle whose width is that of the defined runway and length is 100 feet centered in front of the judges, i.e. 50 feet to the left and right. If the aircraft initially touches down inside this defined area, the score for spot landing option becomes the same as that given for landing. If the initial touchdown is outside this defined region, the spot landing option score becomes zero, and the landing is scored in the same manner it would have been without spot landing considerations. Both judges must agree as to whether or not the aircraft touched down in the defined region. This maneuver may not be listed as a "combination maneuver" with flaps/slats or retracts to dilute pilot Precision.

4.1. Due to difficulties in judging regions offset from "judges centerline", no offset centering of the defined 100 foot region will be permitted, unless approved by the CD. (NOTE: CONTESTANT BEWARE: With limited runway length, this maneuver option may not be very practical for certain aircraft or when runway facilities are not parallel or adjacent to the judging flight line. In such cases, the C.D. may preclude this option entirely at the event to preserve a high level of overall judging accuracy.)

5. Slow Speed "Dirty" Inspection Pass (optional "maneuver combination"): It is the only maneuver combination permitted where flaps, slats, and retracts shall dilute piloting Precision, Placement, and Realism content in scoring.

5.1. The pilot must demonstrate the ability to smoothly coordinate the aircraft into and out of this high-drag and reduced-stall-speed configuration employing the applicable "dirty" scale operational features. The maneuver must be remarkably slower than the mandatory fly-by during which time the minimum scale operation feature of flaps must be fully deployed and (if applicable) slats and retracts must also be deployed for optimum "dirty qualities" in pilot Precision and Realism content. The 300 foot fly-by positioning will be the same as the mandatory fly-by maneuver (including direction) except elevation shall be doubled (20 to 40 feet) for safety purposes. The maneuver will also include a prolonged transition entry for deployment of the "dirty features", and the exit for "clean-up" while speed is again increased. It is the latter clean-up transition that particularly makes this maneuver unique in skill since full flaps are not required on takeoff.

6. Chandelle (optional): This prototypical optional maneuver can be performed by any aircraft.

6.1. See the AMA Guide, rule 4.3.27

7. Procedure Turn (optional): This individual maneuver may be done by any aircraft similar to that described by the AMA rules. However, it shall not include the straight-flight entry or exit as additional scored options. The Procedure Turn is positioned in the Scale Masters Program where the initial 90 degree turn away from the runway begins before reaching judging center, and the remaining 270 degree turn optimally starts at judging center to the left or right. (NOTE: This is identical in desired position as the start of the mandatory figure eight for optimum judging view.)

8. Roll Variations (optional): A variety of roll styles or configurations may be chosen as options which are not considered redundant in skill if carefully performed with the noted differences described in the AMA rules. These include axial rolls, barrel rolls, inside or outside snap rolls, etc. Also swing wing aircraft may perform two different axial style rolls if they are aerodynamically different when the swept wing mode becomes a "taileron roll" and the extended wing mode remains a conventional "aileron roll". For such examples, swing-wings effectively provide greater aerodynamic flight options similar to full size. If "taileron roll" is selected in this manner, it may optionally be performed as a "maneuver combination" to dilute pilot Precision with the variable swept wing feature. However this "maneuver combination" option can be elected only if the variable swing-wing feature has not become redundant or combined elsewhere to also dilute pilot Precision such as "taxi with swing-wings".

9. Other Non-redundant Flight Options: Any other maneuver or "maneuver combination" options prototypical to the aircraft may also qualify where non-redundant pilot Precision skills are required for the maneuver or geometry, and it also has not been combined with an individual scale operation previously used to dilute pilot Precision on another maneuver.

9.1. Each flight option must be separately performed in an independent manner recognizable for judging in the sequence listed on the score sheet. The CD should clear unusual examples. Documentation is always welcome. Use of redundant flight options will be scored zero for such maneuver or maneuver combination selections. So, contestants beware.