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.

Oh? Wings wasn't good enough for you?




































jk you'll have a blast Marco

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.

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).

This is a very interesting topic!

I would love to learn aerobatics!!

Quote:

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

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!!!