I must be insane

[MarcoAviator]

There's a guy that gives aerobatic lessons in a Pitts S2B at Doylestown, PA.

For some reason I can't quite fathom I decided to start taking lessons with him in his plane.

This means he's gonna teach me spins, rolls, loops ... the works. Aerobatics 101.

I am going to schedule for 3/26, weather allowing.

I don't even like roller coasters.

I must be insane.

:-/

[Craig.]

big differance between aerobatics and rollercoasters.  being enclosed makes all the differance i believe.
Have a great time i am sure you'll love it.

[Rocket_Bird]

Man... lucky you!!  ;D

[beefhole]

Oh? Wings wasn't good enough for you? >:(




































jk you'll have a blast Marco

[Saratoga]

Lol insane? NAH!!! I got my aerobatic lessons in the military, doin' that lunatic shi....stuff in the T-38. AWESOME. It's something that will literally make your day. Word of advice: Don't eat prior to flying until you have at least a few lessons, then it's standard and won't bother you. Also, hopefully you're well built since you'll be takin' some G's. Just remember there are many out there (myself included) who took that "insane" leap and loved it. I'm sure you will too!

[Hagar]

Almost 2 years ago I had the most fantastic birthday present I could imagine. An advanced aerobatics lesson in the Extra 300 in my avatar. This is something I've fancied doing for as long as I can remember. When I've seen those guys hurling their small aerobatics planes around at all sorts of crazy angles I'd often wondered what it would feel like to actually be up there doing it. I've done simple aerobatics in aircraft like the Chipmunk & Tiger Moth & enjoyed it tremendously but I hadn't taken the controls of a light aircraft for almost 40 years. I also enjoy rollercoasters & fairground rides so although I was now 60 years old I thought I was up for it.

The great day came & after a long briefing including which manoeuvres I wanted to do I was finally strapped in the Extra with an ex Red Arrows team member in the back. I felt fine until immediately after take-off when he demonstrated a gentle climb. The controls are so sensitive there's nothing gentle about anything in the Extra. A small amount of back stick almost threw my stomach through the seat & I felt as though a great weight was pressing on my whole upper body. This baby was no Chipmunk. Then he levelled off & my stomach came up from somewhere below the seat into my mouth & it was all I could do to prevent throwing up. I've never even felt queasy in an aircraft before. At this point I was beginning to think that it was all a big mistake but as everyone had gone to so much trouble decided to press on. I'm sure that my instructor knew perfectly well how I was feeling.

My first loop with him on the controls was like no loop I'd ever experienced before & I was really not enjoying it at all. Then we did an aileron roll. Fantastic as there was no G involved. I'll have more of that. The instructor had told me that the Extra can roll faster than the Red Arrows Hawk. Anyways, he asked me if I would like to try a loop myself. OK, I'm here now so I might as well give it a bash. Well, all I can say is that it was quite different when I was in in control. From this point I stared enjoying myself & my intructor knew it. We put that thing through all the manoeuvres we'd discussed beforehand & I was sorry when it all ended. The last thing we did was a steep turn to check out my ability to withstand G. I've flown in a Hawker Hunter with all the gear, including an anti-G suit. No such luxury this time. My instructor was very surprised when I took 5G, the maximum for a first-timer, with no ill-effects. Not bad for an oldie.

The flight had lasted 25 minutes which they told me was more than enough for the first time. They were right as my whole body, including muscles I didn't even know I had, ached for the rest of the day. I enjoyed it so much that I seriously considered signing up for the full course but as this would involve getting my PPL first I decided against it. My age is another factor as you need to be really fit to do something like this. Just keeping my feet on the rudder pedals during some of those manoeuvres was impossible & I would need to work out seriously before being able to do anything like these chaps do every day. It's all muscle power & knowing how fit they have to be gave me a new respect for those aerobatic pilots.

I hope you enjoy it Marco but I think if this was me I would have taken a trial lesson first. As for me, I would do it all again tomorrow without a second's thought but I don't wish to spoil what for me was a very special day. I can still remember every minute.

[beaky]

I was lucky enough to get some stick time in a Zlin 242  at Stewart w/ a very good instructor (won 1/2 hour free lesson at an airshow raffle)... couldn't do any spins because of haze, but we did some loops and rolls. It is demanding physically, so you may be uncomfortable at first. But as Hagar points out, once you get the stick, it's a whole 'nother deal!! Suddenly I didn't mind pulling 3-4 gs at the bottom of a loop!! Did pretty well, too... Holy crap-  to be upside-down in an airplane...!! Yippee!! And while the Zlin isn't as hot as a Pitts, it was a thrill just to have my hand on 300 horses in a plane that weighs about the same as a Cessna! You're gonna love that part of it...
We landed and I decided to pay for another 1/2 hour. We went back up, and he showed me some rudder-coordination exercises and unusual-attitude recovery stuff that would work in a 172 or similar non-aerobatic bird. Fun!!!!! And useful...
 A little advice: don't do what I did, which is have a light breakfast. I noticed Saratoga's post, but ...According to my aerobatic CFI, you're better off with some ballast in there ( " I always have a big ol' greasy breakfast before I go flying!"). But be prepared for that odd feeling when you're "pulling gee": feels like your guts are being shoved down into your pelvis. And if you drink coffee, take it easy that morning- caffeine doesn't help with the nausea, either. And being a smoker didn't help me, so if you're dumb enough to smoke (as I do), then  beware. The diminished 02 in the blood will not help matters. If you don't work out and there's time, I'd even advise a little light exercise every day before you start the lessons, to bolster yourself a little. But i'm no expert- ask your instructor about all that.
I received all that advice when the CFI noticed I was getting a little green and sweaty at the bottom of each loop ("let me guess", he said after we landed, "you're a smoker, you drink coffee, and you purposely had a light breakfast..."); didn't barf or anything. But if I had, I would have been smiling while I did so...
  Don't let anything I've said here put you off: just trying to help  you prepare. As a pilot, you're gonna have a ball!! And if time permits, ask him if there's anything he can show you to help you be safer in the 180. Even if you just horse around, though, you'll come away feeling more secure in your knowledge of what flying is all about.
 
Enjoy!!!

[MarcoAviator]

Hey guys ... well, I didn't imagine that there were so many folks that had done this.

I am not built like marathon runner (I wish) but I do run twice a week and do my situps and push ups (and I am still overweight). I don't smoke and I generally dont' get sick on rollercoasters (I don't like them, it's not that I get sick on them).

So, while I not exactly your idea of a hot-shot pilot, I might be able to hack it ... (says Marco comfortably sitting at his office chair pulling 1G).

[Hagar]

Hi Marco. I'm no athlete myself but I've always been reasonably fit. I'm a smoker like Rotty but if that affected anything I didn't notice. Surprised how well I coped with the G & the instructor commented on it. They explained a little trick to help but I forgot all about it in the excitement. Put simply, this involves straining as you would while sat on the toilet but obviously not following through. It helps keep the blood in your upper body & obviously your brain. My main problem was keeping my feet on the rudder pedals during negative G manoeuvres. If I was going to do this again I would have to do a few exercises to strengthen those thigh & upper leg muscles.

Aerobatic pilots come in all shapes & sizes. I don't think physique has anything to do with it as long as you're reasonably fit & healthy. I remember reading that one British aerobatic champion was sick every time he went up but he obviously loved it so much this didn't stop him doing it. It would obviously be better if you don't feel ill as you would enjoy it much more wthout worrying about throwing up. I'm used to flying & I've never been sick on any form of transport or fairground ride in my life, although I've come close to it a couple of times. I had no breakfast on the morning of my flight in the Extra & that was probably just as well. I don't drink coffee & never start the day without a cup of tea so that's all I'd had that morning. I think this depends on your own constitution.

One other strange effect of all that G. It seemed to cause a stupid grin on my face that lasted about a week afterwards.

[Ben_M_K]

This is a very interesting topic!

I would love to learn aerobatics!!

[chomp_rock]

Aerobatics are the best! The more "extreme" the better!

Ask your instructor to do a lomcevak for you a few times, it is the most fun aerobatic maneuver IMO

[MarcoAviator]

Aerobatics are the best! The more "extreme" the better!

Ask your instructor to do a lomcevak for you a few times, it is the most fun aerobatic maneuver IMO

and it's also the one manouver that causes the most  frequent and copious, spontaneous discharge of bodily fluids, I bet.  :-X

[Hagar]

I looked out a few shots as this thread gives me an excuse to post them. I've never been one to miss out on anything.

This is top British aerobatic pilot Will Curtis with the Honda Dream Team Pitts Special & Sukhoi Su 26. I took these at Shoreham during the Airbourne event at Eastbourne. Will flies the Sukhoi & recently broke the world record for cutting eight streamers in a row while inverted, along Biggin Hill's main runway.



Display pilots Peter Metcalfe on the left with Denny Dobson. That might be Denny's wife in the centre as she usually accompanies him in the aircraft to & from displays. Not sure if she's a pilot too. They say pet owners resemble their pets. I wonder if this applies to aircraft owners? Peter flies Denny's old Pitts Special. Denny now flies an Extra 300.


And this is me. The most sprightly 60 year-old in the world on this particular morning.


After the flight complete with stupid grin. You can't fake a grin like that. Also note the lack or wrinkles on my face.

My instructor Chris Carder in the back seat.

This this proves what I said about aerobatic pilots coming in all shapes & sizes.

[MarcoAviator]

yes that grin cannot be faked.

It's caused by spasmodic contraction of the face muscles accompanied by consequent seizure of the nerve endings as a consequence of extreme flight-induced happiness.



Can't wait!!!

[C]

My advice: always eat well prior to flying - when you're pulling G you'll need the energy, and I find it more comfortable than flying on an empty stomach...

Always carry a sick back - personally I carry two. If I don't carry one it just plays on my mind during the flight, even though I've never had to use one.

I am not built like marathon runner (I wish) but I do run twice a week and do my situps and push ups (and I am still overweight). I don't smoke and I generally dont' get sick on rollercoasters (I don't like them, it's not that I get sick on them).  

So, while I not exactly your idea of a hot-shot pilot, I might be able to hack it ...

You should be ok - I'm 6'3" and not very well built, but I'm generally fine under G...

PS - I find rollercoasters exceptionally boring - but then again I never get particularly excited about anything...  ;D