I have a spectacular view of the water runway from my pillow and am usually entertained by the pleasant drone of our neighbor’s Sea Ray as he dutifully practices early morning take-offs and landings. It’s a sane sort of flying, and I really admire it.
Peter, however, has a single seat Pitt’s Special bi-plane. He started flying aerobatics at the age of 62. I’ve been watching his routine from the safety of our dock while sipping my Italian Roast coffee. Pittsy, as we affectionately call it, is the human equivalent of a chubby, hyper kid with a propeller beanie hat and too much allowance.
The plane is painted a Popsicle orange and easily spotted against the backdrop of the blue sky. As Pittsy spins, rolls and loops through the air with the grace of an Eagle on Redbull, I’ve often wondered, “Is Peter insane? What kind of a nut flips a plane upside down, snaps it into a roll and kills the engine—on purpose?”
I’m the gal who hates the Tea Cup ride at Disney world. In fact, I would rather wrestle starving alligators than ride anything that spins.
That said, at 3:58 p.m., the surprise showed up. My neighbor, Doug Vayda, arrived home from his job selling “Extra” airplanes, in a Waco. A great big papa bear of an aerobatic bi-plane with a roaring rotary engine.
“Do ya wanna ride?” He asked me.
“Yeah, sure, but no funny business,” I warned. There was no possible way I was doing any loops or rolls today or any other day.
I knew Doug’s, “No problem” response was not to be trusted. After all, I’m pretty sure he’s the kind of guy that spent way too much time in the principal’s office.
I climbed clumsily into the big white beast and was surprised at how beefy the front seat was. I’m used to small spaces in our Cub and Cessna. My childlike excitement ramped up when the plane began to taxi and the wind blew into the open cockpit whirling my hair into a frenzy. “Crap! I forgot to tie my hair back! How many hours would it take to get the knots out?” I pondered.
The nose was so high up, I could not see any of the runway. I asked Doug how in the world he taxied without a view. “Braille,” he quipped. Throttle all the way forward, we were quickly away and flying low and slow at about 500 feet and 100 knots.
The Waco was just as I imagined in my romantic heart; graceful, gentle and sweet. Like sipping Mint Juleps on a porch swing bathed in the fragrant air of a spring night. I don’t know exactly where the bit of braveness came from that soon found me saying, “Okay, maybe just one roll.” I vowed not to shut my eyes.
Doug obliged as he led the Waco into a Barrel Roll. Nose fiercely down as he picked up speed then pulled hard back on the stick until the world swept by me in one gloriously rolling motion.
Then a loop.
It’s analogous to a woman born without taste buds who suddenly finds them cured, and discovers chocolate and red wine for the first time.
No butterflies. No nausea. No urge to scream, “HELP@#$*&$%*!”
Just bliss.
What a lovely surprise. Life-long fear transformed into desire in one brief, rapturous moment.
I have a new problem these days.
There is no reasonably priced aircraft to make the leap from a single- seat Pitt’s to a two-seat aerobatic.
In fact, you’d think that a two-seater is nearly the same price as a one-seat aircraft with just the expense of a teensy bit more space in the fuselage. Not so. That extra seat is going to cost you twice the price. Slightly bigger engine, wings, same panel, same wheels. Roughly ten percent more airplane and twice the price. That’s pretty expensive square footage.
Although the budget may not allow me to pursue my new desire, we are fortunate to live in an airpark with people, airplanes and visitors who are a constant source of new adventures and inspirations.
USEFUL TIPS
1. U.S. aviation regulations are fairly liberal for aerobatic enthusiasts. Take off, land, flip, spin and twirl at your leisure. From Eagles Nest, there are endless places to practice.
2. You will find many good aerobatic schools within reasonable distance around Florida. While Peter was self-taught, he did his check ride at Wings Over Aerobatics with Steve Wolfe.
3. There are a few reasonably priced entry level aerobatic planes such as the Decathlon, Citabria etc. Doug Vayda knows all the ins and outs of aerobatic sales at Southeast Aero.
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