2006
“Roger that. 10-4. Negative Ghost rider. Over and Out” reciting my Top Gun inspired pilot vocabulary as I approached the San Luis Obispo airport to experience my first aerobatic adventure.
I arrived to the Fisher Aviation hanger prepped for flight; wearing goggles, an old fashioned flyers cap, and scarf. Captain Kurt and his fire engine red Pitts S-2 airplane were waiting on the tarmac for a pre-flight briefing, explaining the impending aerobatic flight. As we fastened our parachutes, he calmly informed me, in the case of an Emergency Exit he would shout ‘bail out’ three times, and then would be gone. It would be wise for me to follow his lead. “Roger that” I exclaimed while frantically searching for my rip cord.
We flew from San Luis Obispo Airport to Shell Beach, then headed down the coast line towards Vandenberg. I basked in the serenity of being 4000 ft above the ring of my cell phone, the traffic below, and the hum drum of everyday life. Just as I was being lulled into meditation by the buzz of the engine, Captain Kurt asked if I was ready to begin the acrobatics. “10-4” I enthusiastically replied.
Before beginning to tumble, Captain Kurt divulged the three magic words that would allow me to keep my lunch safely in my belly; “clench your legs”. I opted to cover all bases and practice a full body clenching any time the plane would spiral, plummet or fly upside down. We began with a sequence of gentle loops and rolls to introduce the sensations of riding a rollercoaster in the sky. Once acclimated, we moved on to more advanced aerobatics, spinning through the sky like a flying kaleidoscope. Of the 15,000 aerobatic maneuvers pilots can experiment with during flight, we did the following: Spins, Loops, Rolls, Snap Rolls, Four-Point Rolls, Cubans, Reverse Cubans, Hammerheads, Vertical Rolls and Prolonged Inverted Flight.
Prolonged Inverted Flight is not for those with a sensitive stomach. I felt as if I was being strung upside down from the heavens at 100 mph. It’s a breathtaking experience… and I don’t mean that because I was clenching so hard that breathing wasn’t really an option.
Once again flying straight and level with the blue sky above and Central Coast below, Captain Kurt asked if I would like to pilot the plane.
“That’s an affirmative, Captain Kurt!” I eagerly shouted.
He instructed me to take over the controls, “To roll the plane, turn the stick hard to your right.’’
As I moved the stick over as far as I could, Captain Kurt cried out “Your other right”
“Oops, Roger that.” As I moved the stick to the proper direction, the plane smoothly turned upside down then right side up again, picking up the horizon I had left behind moments before. I couldn’t suppress the ear to ear smile on my face as I set up for my next stomach churning defiance of gravity. I tried every maneuver he’d allow me to attempt. We were Maverick and Goose turning and burning along the Central Coast.
We headed back to the airport just in time; one more vertical roll and I may have been seeing stars before the day turned into night. Safely on the ground, I was a bit nervous getting out of the seat, thinking about my dislodged equilibrium. Stumbling out of the plane, would have been an embarrassing end to my acrobatic adventure. Thankfully, the repercussions of spiraling through the sky were minimal. Other than a mild case of sea legs, I was ready for a post-flight briefing with a Cadillac margarita and a bowl of chips and salsa.
Over and Out