The two pilots I look up to most are Sean D. Tucker and Mike Goulian. Imagine how happy I was when Goulian posted the following entry on his website. I read it and promptly emailed Mike. I didnt have his email address but I did what my friend James did with a famous photographer...I guessed. I was right and received a reply:
Hi Chris,
Greetings from Germany. Thanks for writing and I am glad you liked the post. Congrats on your flying.
I hope that EFA is doing a good job for you.
Please get in contact with me this fall and we will do some flying together.
Hope you are well and that Horizon is doing well. We need all of the aviation customers. possible these days.
Take care and fly safe,
Michael Goulian
Fly with Mike Goulian this fall? Okay!
His blog that prompted the email follows. Give it a read. Goulian is at the top of the sport/industry. Proof that this is all possible but not easy.
I WANT TO DO WHAT YOU DO
Posted on: 07-22-10
More often than not the e-mails we receive through our web site asks one of the following questions: “how do I get started”, “how do I become an air show pilot”, “how do I become a Red Bull Air Racer”, and last but not least, “how do I get a sponsor”. There are many avenues to get there, but I will share with you my thoughts on “making it” in the sport flying world.
GETTING STARTED
That’s an easy one. To start on your aerobatic flying career, simply go to www.iac.org and find an aerobatic flight school near you. I’m sure that once you do your first roll and see the world from a different perspective, you’ll be hooked. However, the journey is just beginning, and it’s not going to be an easy road to the top. The real answer to the question “how do I get started”, is that you need to have a dream and an undying passion for the sport in which you have started.
I personally started my flying career in a Decathlon trainer, but the more advanced two-seat Pitts and EXTRA are good too. They are certified and offer a good platform in which to learn.
GETTING TO THE TOP
Well, I think there is no such place as “the top”. It’s all about your perspective. For me, being invited to fly at EAA AirVenuture Oshkosh back in 1998 was a huge thrill. Then, my inclusion in the Red Bull Air Race was another real thrill for me. I’m excited and honored to be living a life in the air and I don’t take it for granted for one second.
To get to the top ranks of World Aerobatic Competition or air show flying, you’re looking at approximately ten years of practice and training. Maybe more. There is simply no easy way to get to the top except for old fashioned blood, sweat, and tears. It costs a lot of money and will take a lot of time. In fact, to get to “the top”, you’ll have to give up EVERYTHING for the next decade. That’s it, you can’t do anything else. Eat it, breathe it, sleep it, and live it. If you don’t give up everything to chase your dream, you won’t realize that dream. However, the kid in the next state or country who is just a little bit more hungry than you to “get there”, will make it. So don’t give up.
Money helps, but it’s not vital. Many people have made it in the sport by working like crazy at night while flying acro during the day. It’s a longer road, but one worth traveling. That reminds me of the winter of 1995 when I ran out of money and my parents couldn’t afford to help me make the bank payments on my EXTRA 300S. There was only one thing left to do…. put the payments on my credit card. I was not going to let a lack of money keep me from my dreams. So I built up about 20K worth of credit card debt over the next six months. That September I won the US Nationals and started making money flying air shows. After about a year, I had paid off my debt. Those are the kinds of tests that one will be faced with along the way. As the saying goes, “if it were easy, everyone would do it”.
RED BULL AIR RACING
To be in the RBAR, you have to become an aerobatic champion first. It’s that simple. To handle an aircraft like it’s an extension of your mind, flying MUST be second nature. You can only get that instinct through many hours of low level acro flying. Being invited to be in the RBAR is the ultimate honor and one not to be taken lightly. It’s an unforgiving game. BUT, it’s worth the wait!!!!
HOW DO I GET A SPONSOR
Most people say to me, “I need a sponsor and then become an air show pilot”. From my experience, the sponsors come last. First, you need to show courage and determination by becoming a winning aviator. Second, your flying and your attitude must be mature enough to handle the privilege and responsibility that comes with flying the colors of a company.
I took my first aerobatic lesson in 1985 and “signed on” with my first title sponsor in 2004. To me, the 19 year wait was worth it!
WHAT NOW
Well, that’s my two cents on getting started towards a life of sport flying. Now, all that’s left is to make a decision on whether it’s right for you. If you feel this is “your destiny”, you must “go for it” with all of your drive, determination, and passion. Again, it’s not an easy road. But, if you persevere, you’ll be rewarded with a life of adventure!!
http://mikegoulian.com/latest/blog/i-want-to-do-what-you-do
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Rainy Day Clean Away
We've had some steady rain for several days now in Rhode Island. There isn't a whole lot to do other than give the airplane some well deserved TLC. My vholdr camera is still kaputz so I attempted to make a snippet of a video using only my Motorola Droid phone. For what it is, its not bad. I'm hoping to make it to Keene, NH this weekend for a group practice session. Video post will follow!
As far as this is one is concerned, I dont think youtube could have chosen its initial thumbnail better. Has there ever been a more flattering shot of yours truly? I suggest and hope not. The volume may be a little soft. Go with the flow folks, it was shot with a cell phone.
Post-ed: Thumbnail has been changed for your protection.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Competition Reductions and Deductions
So boys and girls, did we learn something at our first competition?
-“Yeeessss Mister Pooorrrttteerrrr” (think 1st grade group greetings and Pledge of Allegiance)
1) Practice smarter – I can loop and roll and hammer and all that stuff. Great. Why didn’t I win? Because I can loop and roll and hammer safely but not necessarily as prettily as the next guy. How does one increase the prettiness of their flying as it appears from the ground? Get someone that knows what pretty looks like and have them coach you. From the cockpit I haven’t a clue how it looks from the ground. Unless there is a massive rule change, you cannot assign yourself points on the basis of “I thought it looked good from the cockpit.” That would be like Criss Angel applauding himself after doing an illusion in front of no one. Wait…he probably does. Moving on.
2) Use my own airplane: The EFA Decathlon was sweet as could be and anyone would be lucky to fly it. The only reason I say use my own airplane can be found in my bank statement. My share of the Decathlon for the weekend was only $504. Not bad at all considering what it was. If I didn’t have any other option, well there you go. But I do have another option…maybe. I spent $504 to put an hour in my logbook. Had I flown my Decathlon it probably would have cost me more but there would have been more hours in the logbook. If I can get the insurance debate settled that would be great. If not, well that will have to be the price of doing business. Once more, a huge thanks to EFA for allowing me to fly with them. I wouldn’t have been able to compete if it weren’t for all your efforts.
3) Don’t be such a whiner: 5.5 hours in a car drving back from New Jersey was a lot of time to get the wwaaaaahhhhhh I wanted the trophy waaaaaahhhhh’s out. Whatever. I competed. I had fun. Now I know what to work on for next year. I didn’t come home with a trophy but I came back with a huge insight as to how I may go about killing it next year. (note: I said killing “it” meaning the competition. Not me)
4) Double check the hotel room keys that are given to you before opening the hotel door you think you are supposed to open. Trust me on this one.
-“Yeeessss Mister Pooorrrttteerrrr” (think 1st grade group greetings and Pledge of Allegiance)
1) Practice smarter – I can loop and roll and hammer and all that stuff. Great. Why didn’t I win? Because I can loop and roll and hammer safely but not necessarily as prettily as the next guy. How does one increase the prettiness of their flying as it appears from the ground? Get someone that knows what pretty looks like and have them coach you. From the cockpit I haven’t a clue how it looks from the ground. Unless there is a massive rule change, you cannot assign yourself points on the basis of “I thought it looked good from the cockpit.” That would be like Criss Angel applauding himself after doing an illusion in front of no one. Wait…he probably does. Moving on.
2) Use my own airplane: The EFA Decathlon was sweet as could be and anyone would be lucky to fly it. The only reason I say use my own airplane can be found in my bank statement. My share of the Decathlon for the weekend was only $504. Not bad at all considering what it was. If I didn’t have any other option, well there you go. But I do have another option…maybe. I spent $504 to put an hour in my logbook. Had I flown my Decathlon it probably would have cost me more but there would have been more hours in the logbook. If I can get the insurance debate settled that would be great. If not, well that will have to be the price of doing business. Once more, a huge thanks to EFA for allowing me to fly with them. I wouldn’t have been able to compete if it weren’t for all your efforts.
3) Don’t be such a whiner: 5.5 hours in a car drving back from New Jersey was a lot of time to get the wwaaaaahhhhhh I wanted the trophy waaaaaahhhhh’s out. Whatever. I competed. I had fun. Now I know what to work on for next year. I didn’t come home with a trophy but I came back with a huge insight as to how I may go about killing it next year. (note: I said killing “it” meaning the competition. Not me)
4) Double check the hotel room keys that are given to you before opening the hotel door you think you are supposed to open. Trust me on this one.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Kathy Jaffe Challenge 2010 Part 3
There I was, thinking I was done. My first competition was in the bag and I placed a respectable 9th of 13 as the highest first time Sportsman competitor. So, it was with a slight gasp that I awoke Sunday morning to find out that we would all fly one more round. No guarantees.
There had been some talk that the folks at EFA would let me fly solo on the third flight with the first two rounds of competition counting as the rental checkout. Marc Nathanson gave me the green light and his phone so I could relay my credentials over the phone to their home office up in Bedford, MA. The morning briefing went as usual with the order of flight being read and all the rules and regs being released amongst an attentive if not fully awake audience of acronuts.
I wasn’t nervous. I wanted to show everyone that I could do this. I wanted to show everyone that I am a competitor and I know what I’m doing with the airplane. I wouldn’t have to think about having a person watching over my shoulder from the backseat. It was me and the airplane, with only the judges watching from the ground. I walked the airport all morning going through the routine in my mind (pull, set, count 1-2 roll 1-2-3-4 pop, float pull squeeze set verify pull set look wait...). I went through the odd looking practice of walking the sequence on the ground while several other pilots did the same little dance by their airplanes. The only thing missing was an iPod with the proper soundtrack cued up.
I was waiting for the orange DR-109 to start up with Del Coller at the controls. Once he was in his plane that would be my signal to get in 821EF and fire it up. A quick pop of his engine and I was running the acro harness over my shoulders and across my lap tightening the belts tight enough so that you couldn’t fit a finger under them. I like to be snug.
The climb to the holding pattern was quicker since I was lighter. I could see Del running through his sequence while I circled up to 3000 feet. The radio frequency came alive with a call “Porter you on freq?”
“Affirm Porter is up.”
“Chris Porter the box is open. You are cleared into the box have a fun flight.”
“On my way.”
Coming up on a right base to the box. There is the judges line. Roll upside down to check the belts. Everything is secure. Ok. 3000 feet at 140mph. Climb to 3500, get the speed down to 60 or 80. Ok. PUSH the nose over diving into the box. Wag your wings three times. The judges are announcing to one another that I’m diving in. Coming up on 3000 feet. 180mph. Level. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Coming up on my mark. Ready, PULL. 45 degrees nose up set don’t let the nose drop remember the comments hold hold altitude 3300…3400 speed dropping 3450 PUSH the nose over PULL the throttle to idle don’t let the nose drop here remember the comments hold hold hold stall warning annnnnd left rudder full aft stick one rotation coming up on..right rudder forward stick check wingtip for vertical set count 1 pull pull pull up to level set count airspeed 140 pull set at 45 wait 1 – 2 – 3 roll push nose up set count 1 – 2- 3- 4 airspeed 60 mph pop the nose float pull pull pull….
Keep that going another 8 figures. It all happens in the blink of an eye. If you blink at the wrong time you’ll screw up. I blinked at the wrong time.
As I was rolling inverted on the 45 upline during the wedge I inadvertently pushed my nose off heading by about 30 degrees. I knew it as soon as I pulled through the rest of the loop. Crap. I took an interruption and came back in on the proper heading so that I wouldn’t get horrible marks for the rest of the flight. Despite that one little snafu I felt that the flight was solid.
Back on the ground I got lots of pats on the back on a solid flight. My confidence was growing and growing with all the great feedback.
Then the scores came out. That 30 degree heading problem cost me HUGE in the points. HUGE. ASTRONOMICAL. The flight might have been good but I did not have enough to over the lost points on the wedge; the second highest point figure in the whole thing. My third flight would be my lowest scoring flight. I held on to 9th but lost the Sportsman trophy.
I then had 5 hours driving back to Rhode Island to come up with all sorts of conclusions…
There had been some talk that the folks at EFA would let me fly solo on the third flight with the first two rounds of competition counting as the rental checkout. Marc Nathanson gave me the green light and his phone so I could relay my credentials over the phone to their home office up in Bedford, MA. The morning briefing went as usual with the order of flight being read and all the rules and regs being released amongst an attentive if not fully awake audience of acronuts.
I wasn’t nervous. I wanted to show everyone that I could do this. I wanted to show everyone that I am a competitor and I know what I’m doing with the airplane. I wouldn’t have to think about having a person watching over my shoulder from the backseat. It was me and the airplane, with only the judges watching from the ground. I walked the airport all morning going through the routine in my mind (pull, set, count 1-2 roll 1-2-3-4 pop, float pull squeeze set verify pull set look wait...). I went through the odd looking practice of walking the sequence on the ground while several other pilots did the same little dance by their airplanes. The only thing missing was an iPod with the proper soundtrack cued up.
I was waiting for the orange DR-109 to start up with Del Coller at the controls. Once he was in his plane that would be my signal to get in 821EF and fire it up. A quick pop of his engine and I was running the acro harness over my shoulders and across my lap tightening the belts tight enough so that you couldn’t fit a finger under them. I like to be snug.
The climb to the holding pattern was quicker since I was lighter. I could see Del running through his sequence while I circled up to 3000 feet. The radio frequency came alive with a call “Porter you on freq?”
“Affirm Porter is up.”
“Chris Porter the box is open. You are cleared into the box have a fun flight.”
“On my way.”
Coming up on a right base to the box. There is the judges line. Roll upside down to check the belts. Everything is secure. Ok. 3000 feet at 140mph. Climb to 3500, get the speed down to 60 or 80. Ok. PUSH the nose over diving into the box. Wag your wings three times. The judges are announcing to one another that I’m diving in. Coming up on 3000 feet. 180mph. Level. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Coming up on my mark. Ready, PULL. 45 degrees nose up set don’t let the nose drop remember the comments hold hold altitude 3300…3400 speed dropping 3450 PUSH the nose over PULL the throttle to idle don’t let the nose drop here remember the comments hold hold hold stall warning annnnnd left rudder full aft stick one rotation coming up on..right rudder forward stick check wingtip for vertical set count 1 pull pull pull up to level set count airspeed 140 pull set at 45 wait 1 – 2 – 3 roll push nose up set count 1 – 2- 3- 4 airspeed 60 mph pop the nose float pull pull pull….
Keep that going another 8 figures. It all happens in the blink of an eye. If you blink at the wrong time you’ll screw up. I blinked at the wrong time.
As I was rolling inverted on the 45 upline during the wedge I inadvertently pushed my nose off heading by about 30 degrees. I knew it as soon as I pulled through the rest of the loop. Crap. I took an interruption and came back in on the proper heading so that I wouldn’t get horrible marks for the rest of the flight. Despite that one little snafu I felt that the flight was solid.
Back on the ground I got lots of pats on the back on a solid flight. My confidence was growing and growing with all the great feedback.
Then the scores came out. That 30 degree heading problem cost me HUGE in the points. HUGE. ASTRONOMICAL. The flight might have been good but I did not have enough to over the lost points on the wedge; the second highest point figure in the whole thing. My third flight would be my lowest scoring flight. I held on to 9th but lost the Sportsman trophy.
I then had 5 hours driving back to Rhode Island to come up with all sorts of conclusions…
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Kathy Jaffe Challenge 2010 Part 2
I was up by 6am. We all had to meet for the morning briefing at 7am. Topics covered include the holding patterns, wind direction, radio frequencies, staffing, and order of flight for the day. I would be flying 6th out of 13.
That whole morning was a bit of a blur. I wasn’t hungry so I skipped breakfast. A huge no-no in my book. I retreated to a spot away from the flight line where I could watch the first few competitors flying their sequences. I wasn’t nervous. I was ready to go, ready to fly, ready to see how all this would work. If anything I was anxious for my turn in the aerobatic box.
It felt like 30 seconds between the first sportsman pilot taking off before I was getting ready to strap into the Decathlon. N821EF still had that they new airplane smell to it. The paint still looked like it needed time to dry. I had a briefing with Tony Catonese, my safety pilot as provided by Executive Flyers. I had never officially had a rental checkout flight with EFA so I had to fly with Tony. I was worried about having a heavier airplane with a second person but thankfully Tony isn’t tipping many weight scales. Once we were both on the same page we were in the airplane.
It felt different. The seat. The seatbelts. The stick. The prop control. It was different. It was a Decathlon sure but it still felt strikingly different. The same way you step into someone else’s shoes and feel the contour of their feet instead of yours. Once we were airborne the differences were all too glaringly apparent. The airplane felt LIGHT. My chin hit my chest when I saw how effortless the airplane rolled inverted for a belt check. It was easily twice as fast as 317SD. I didn’t have too much time to explore the airplane. As soon as we were at 3000 feet I heard the radio call “Porter you are cleared into the box. Have a fun flight!” Here we go.
And then it was over. I breezed the whole routine in the blink of an eye. I wish there were more to say about it but the cliché rings true with aerobatics. When you are flying you don’t have time to think about anything other than the task at hand. It is a constant battle of “where am I, what am I doing, and what do I need to do next.” I got through the first flight with no big glaring issues and without taking an interruption. Before I knew it I was lining up to land back at the Flying W.
The scores from my first flight weren’t great but so what? I was 10th of 13 with at least one more flight to go. It was only a few hours later that we started running through the sportsman category again. Again, Tony and I briefed quickly and we running down the runway and into the aerobatic hold. Cleared into the box again I was trying to really hit this one out of the park. The second figure screwed me up. I under-rotated my spin by a whopping 30 or 40 degrees. I didn’t realize it until I was coming through the next figure. I knew it would be a giant point deduction if I continued on the present heading so I took an interruption. Taking an “I” costs you five points which is small potatoes compared to potentially getting a zero on entire figures.
To my surprise I moved up in the ranks. I was in 9th after the second flight. Rumor on the field was that we weren’t to fly again and this was the final standings. I was in 9th with the First Time Sportsman Competitor High Score trophy locked up. I felt great.
Funny thing about rumors though. They aren’t always true.
That whole morning was a bit of a blur. I wasn’t hungry so I skipped breakfast. A huge no-no in my book. I retreated to a spot away from the flight line where I could watch the first few competitors flying their sequences. I wasn’t nervous. I was ready to go, ready to fly, ready to see how all this would work. If anything I was anxious for my turn in the aerobatic box.
It felt like 30 seconds between the first sportsman pilot taking off before I was getting ready to strap into the Decathlon. N821EF still had that they new airplane smell to it. The paint still looked like it needed time to dry. I had a briefing with Tony Catonese, my safety pilot as provided by Executive Flyers. I had never officially had a rental checkout flight with EFA so I had to fly with Tony. I was worried about having a heavier airplane with a second person but thankfully Tony isn’t tipping many weight scales. Once we were both on the same page we were in the airplane.
It felt different. The seat. The seatbelts. The stick. The prop control. It was different. It was a Decathlon sure but it still felt strikingly different. The same way you step into someone else’s shoes and feel the contour of their feet instead of yours. Once we were airborne the differences were all too glaringly apparent. The airplane felt LIGHT. My chin hit my chest when I saw how effortless the airplane rolled inverted for a belt check. It was easily twice as fast as 317SD. I didn’t have too much time to explore the airplane. As soon as we were at 3000 feet I heard the radio call “Porter you are cleared into the box. Have a fun flight!” Here we go.
And then it was over. I breezed the whole routine in the blink of an eye. I wish there were more to say about it but the cliché rings true with aerobatics. When you are flying you don’t have time to think about anything other than the task at hand. It is a constant battle of “where am I, what am I doing, and what do I need to do next.” I got through the first flight with no big glaring issues and without taking an interruption. Before I knew it I was lining up to land back at the Flying W.
The scores from my first flight weren’t great but so what? I was 10th of 13 with at least one more flight to go. It was only a few hours later that we started running through the sportsman category again. Again, Tony and I briefed quickly and we running down the runway and into the aerobatic hold. Cleared into the box again I was trying to really hit this one out of the park. The second figure screwed me up. I under-rotated my spin by a whopping 30 or 40 degrees. I didn’t realize it until I was coming through the next figure. I knew it would be a giant point deduction if I continued on the present heading so I took an interruption. Taking an “I” costs you five points which is small potatoes compared to potentially getting a zero on entire figures.
To my surprise I moved up in the ranks. I was in 9th after the second flight. Rumor on the field was that we weren’t to fly again and this was the final standings. I was in 9th with the First Time Sportsman Competitor High Score trophy locked up. I felt great.
Funny thing about rumors though. They aren’t always true.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Kathy Jaffe Challenge 2010 Part 1
I know I posted 13,000 Facebook status updates throughout the Kathy Jaffe Challenge. You may be surprised that to know that there are plenty of details that are not encapsulated within those quick jolts of status. There were three days of competition and each day was its own little world of learning. To do the weekend justice, I am breaking the write up into three parts.
The Kathy Jaffe Challenge is held each year at the Flying W Airport and Resort in Lumberton, NJ. To catch you all up on how my arrangements for the contest became arranged here’s a quick recap: the insurance company that insures my school and the Decathlon decided to preclude closed course racing, airshow performing, and competing from our policy. At the last second, the folks from Executive Flyers welcomed me to fly their Decathlon. I never had a rental checkout so I would be flying with one of their instructors in the backseat to satisfy their insurance. Game on.
I DROVE the 5.5 hours to the Flying W Thursday after work. I started to pick up all the radio stations beaming out of Philadelphia. It is down there. I pulled into the parking lot sometime around 9pm. The motel concierge was closed but I was told the bar had my hotel key. While waiting at the bar for the next hour and a half for the key to show up I met some of the folks that I would be spending the weekend with. I was there to compete and see how I stacked up but honestly hanging out with these folks Thursday night was the highlight of the weekend. If any of you read this, thanks for welcoming me with open arms. You all made the contest for me.
We were rewarded with perfect weather on Friday. The morning was reserved for practice session in the box so folks could see where it was. Rumor was that the box was really hard to fly in. Competition flying started late that afternoon with intermediate, advanced, unlimited and primary categories getting their first flights in. I was assigned as a judge’s assistant to Doug Lovell during the intermediate category. I would watch the flights with him, announce and figure and offer any input if I saw something funky in someone’s flying. The sun baked us mercilessly for the next few hours. I spent the whole day on the judges line watching the seasoned vets fly routines that seem insane.
And then it was time to relax with everyone at the Friday night BBQ. The whole time I couldn’t help my mind from wandering to what would happen the next morning. My first dive into the box. My first call from a starter. The first time I would get validation on all the work I had done. Tons of questions I had would be answered and I would probably discover 1000 more. I didn’t realize that it would be more like 10,000 new questions.
The Kathy Jaffe Challenge is held each year at the Flying W Airport and Resort in Lumberton, NJ. To catch you all up on how my arrangements for the contest became arranged here’s a quick recap: the insurance company that insures my school and the Decathlon decided to preclude closed course racing, airshow performing, and competing from our policy. At the last second, the folks from Executive Flyers welcomed me to fly their Decathlon. I never had a rental checkout so I would be flying with one of their instructors in the backseat to satisfy their insurance. Game on.
I DROVE the 5.5 hours to the Flying W Thursday after work. I started to pick up all the radio stations beaming out of Philadelphia. It is down there. I pulled into the parking lot sometime around 9pm. The motel concierge was closed but I was told the bar had my hotel key. While waiting at the bar for the next hour and a half for the key to show up I met some of the folks that I would be spending the weekend with. I was there to compete and see how I stacked up but honestly hanging out with these folks Thursday night was the highlight of the weekend. If any of you read this, thanks for welcoming me with open arms. You all made the contest for me.
We were rewarded with perfect weather on Friday. The morning was reserved for practice session in the box so folks could see where it was. Rumor was that the box was really hard to fly in. Competition flying started late that afternoon with intermediate, advanced, unlimited and primary categories getting their first flights in. I was assigned as a judge’s assistant to Doug Lovell during the intermediate category. I would watch the flights with him, announce and figure and offer any input if I saw something funky in someone’s flying. The sun baked us mercilessly for the next few hours. I spent the whole day on the judges line watching the seasoned vets fly routines that seem insane.
And then it was time to relax with everyone at the Friday night BBQ. The whole time I couldn’t help my mind from wandering to what would happen the next morning. My first dive into the box. My first call from a starter. The first time I would get validation on all the work I had done. Tons of questions I had would be answered and I would probably discover 1000 more. I didn’t realize that it would be more like 10,000 new questions.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Fulton County Acro Bounty
An hour and a half later, I popped the buckles off of my harness and climbed out of the airplane. My bare feet hit the ramp and sizzled from the heat. Parked next to me was a bright yellow Giles 202 with two pilots hanging on the airplane. I saw one point at my shoeless feet. “I’m not the barefoot bandit! I swear.”
Welcome to practice day kid. You’re gonna do alright.
Fulton County Airport is a picturesque one-runway airport a handful of miles north of Albany, NY. Tucked alongside the Mohawk River, Johnstown, NY is home not only to Fulton Airport (NY0) but also a fine town with the traditional offerings of homestyle eateries, and prepackaged, microwaved, artificial grub. The staff at Friendly’s must have a median height of 6 feet. I’m convinced the local high school girl’s basketball all work at the Johnstown, NY Friendly’s. We tipped well.
The airport hosted an aerobatic practice session. You show up with your airplane, your sequence and your humility and get critiqued from the ground as you flop around the sky over the airport. Unless you have someone spotting you from the ground you have idea if your loop is in fact round or if it looks like an egg. It is an indispensable asset.
I was the rookie. The other two pilots and two coaches have been around the sport for years and could fly circles around most of us with their eyes closed. It was a privilege to have their input.
Jim Wells of Ithaca, NY put out the open invite. It was his Giles I parked next to on the ramp. He had just picked up the Giles having upgraded from a Pitts S2B.
I had met Hans Bok before at Nantucket a few years back. His Sukhoi 29 sounds like a tractor on engine start; a beautiful, powerful, throaty tractor that bridges the gap between nostalgic radial engines and brute force
Hilton Tallman laughs more in one day than most people could hope to in a week. He knows everybody in the sport and I can bet that most people want to know Hilty. If you don’t, you are missing out.
Jim Ward just happened to be in the area. His Extra 300 lives in Washington state along with the rest of his livelihood. Jim offered some great words of encouragement throughout the day.
We each flew three times over the airport. This was my first time being critiqued; being in a waivered box; and flying acro over an airport solo. I had the time of my life. There is nothing that compares to the thrill of diving in to start a sequence. It is like plugging in your guitar when you get on stage, only at 180mph. I thought I knew what I was weak on and the day confirmed it. After trial and error and superb guidance from the troops on the ground my Immelman, and rolls on lines were getting much better by the time I had to head back to PVD.
Flying home I had the overwhelming feeling that I was finally participating in aerobatics. I made the turn from outside spectator and enthusiast to competitor. Enroute home, at 5,500 feet over New York State I finally started to feel as though everything I’ve been working towards and dreaming about is within my reach. The finish line has never been drawn and I don’t know that I ever want it to be, but I am finally in the race, and I am running towards it.
My first contest is Friday.
Welcome to practice day kid. You’re gonna do alright.
Fulton County Airport is a picturesque one-runway airport a handful of miles north of Albany, NY. Tucked alongside the Mohawk River, Johnstown, NY is home not only to Fulton Airport (NY0) but also a fine town with the traditional offerings of homestyle eateries, and prepackaged, microwaved, artificial grub. The staff at Friendly’s must have a median height of 6 feet. I’m convinced the local high school girl’s basketball all work at the Johnstown, NY Friendly’s. We tipped well.
The airport hosted an aerobatic practice session. You show up with your airplane, your sequence and your humility and get critiqued from the ground as you flop around the sky over the airport. Unless you have someone spotting you from the ground you have idea if your loop is in fact round or if it looks like an egg. It is an indispensable asset.
I was the rookie. The other two pilots and two coaches have been around the sport for years and could fly circles around most of us with their eyes closed. It was a privilege to have their input.
Jim Wells of Ithaca, NY put out the open invite. It was his Giles I parked next to on the ramp. He had just picked up the Giles having upgraded from a Pitts S2B.
I had met Hans Bok before at Nantucket a few years back. His Sukhoi 29 sounds like a tractor on engine start; a beautiful, powerful, throaty tractor that bridges the gap between nostalgic radial engines and brute force
Hilton Tallman laughs more in one day than most people could hope to in a week. He knows everybody in the sport and I can bet that most people want to know Hilty. If you don’t, you are missing out.
Jim Ward just happened to be in the area. His Extra 300 lives in Washington state along with the rest of his livelihood. Jim offered some great words of encouragement throughout the day.
We each flew three times over the airport. This was my first time being critiqued; being in a waivered box; and flying acro over an airport solo. I had the time of my life. There is nothing that compares to the thrill of diving in to start a sequence. It is like plugging in your guitar when you get on stage, only at 180mph. I thought I knew what I was weak on and the day confirmed it. After trial and error and superb guidance from the troops on the ground my Immelman, and rolls on lines were getting much better by the time I had to head back to PVD.
Flying home I had the overwhelming feeling that I was finally participating in aerobatics. I made the turn from outside spectator and enthusiast to competitor. Enroute home, at 5,500 feet over New York State I finally started to feel as though everything I’ve been working towards and dreaming about is within my reach. The finish line has never been drawn and I don’t know that I ever want it to be, but I am finally in the race, and I am running towards it.
My first contest is Friday.
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