99.2 hours and counting...
Yeee-HAW!!
Just back from the Fall Aerobatic Championships at Sebring. There was an unusually large group of Primary competitors (9) including many with nice little airplanes, LOTS of experience (Commercial pilots) and a group of aeronautical degree students from the Embry-Riddle Aerobatic Club. I flew an Aviat Pitts S2-B while waiting for a Giles 202 to arrive, then flew another Giles before the one arrived that I was flying to compete. I flew a total of 4 practice flights including one flight with my safety pilot where he flew two of his intermediate sequences (+9 G's!) (whew!). He won the Intermediate category.
Primary flew on Saturday. I placed third in the first flight for a medal, outscoring all the Embry-Riddle boys AND their instructor! On the second flight, I came in fourth (the Instructor rallied to 3rd place). Just discovered that I have probably also placed (second?) in two annual regional championships as well... South-East AND Mid-America
The day after the contest, I had an opportunity to fly two more types of aircraft (almost 30 types total now!). First, a big STRONG Russian airplane (Da!)... The SUKHOI SU-29. WOWIE!!!
If you could stand this airplane on it's tail somehow, it's got enough power to take off from the ground in a vertical position! I flew with Sergie Boriak, several time World and European Aerobatic Champion and one of the most sought after Aerobatic coaches in the world. Strapping on THAT airplane is a life-altering experience. BIG 9 cylinder engine ROARS like big Russian bear. I ratcheted down the straps as tight as I possibly could and held onto the stick with TWO hands. Sergie put the plane through some of it's paces, then let me fly a few maneuvers. WOW! The seat reclines and your feet are strapped onto the rudders. It's possible to pull a lot of G's without even feeling them. I sure do feel it today though
I've got bruises on ALL of my attach points AND my butt. Good thing my Honey's here to make me feel better!
As soon as we got down, I hopped into another airplane, a Cap-10-B. (think "French Connection"). Certainly not as powerful as the Sukhoi, but well balanced and very capable. Graceful is the word that comes to mind.
I've now got 99.2 hours TT (Soooo close!). I may be able to accompany one of my neighbors for a short flight in a gorgeous 1941 Stearman with an R-985 engine and fly that around the patch a bit, and then get up with another neighbor in a Dutch Military trainer Fokker (S-11 Instructor) to hit hour one-hundred UP-SIDE-DOWN!!
I'm waiting for UPS to deliver my own parachute
THEN... I'm HOPING that this beautiful little Clipped-wing Taylorcraft that we've found up in Ohio works out and I'll have an AIRPLANE that I can fly OVER and OVER again.
(Well at least it's RELATED to a Supercub)