Aerobatics: Extreme Pilots and Types of Flights

If you can do it on skis, you can do it in a plane, as former Red Bull Air Race world champion Hannes Arch proved when he flew slalom through a wind farm in Austria’s Styrian Alps. This meant controlling his plane at almost 322kph, while coping with the kind of weather you get at 6,000ft above sea level – all the while moving up and down, twisting and turning through 230ft-high spinning turbines! Aerobatics sure contrasts with the comfort and luxury of your usual private jet rental, but it comes with some adrenaline-pumping action you won’t want to miss.

In other daring Red Bull stunts, over in the UK, Paul Bonhomme and wingman Steve Jones flew their Xtreme Air XA41 planes through a hangar at Llanbedr Airfield in North Wales, travelling at 300kph just 3ft off the ground; while the Red Bull Air Force team pulled off eight aerial disciplines in one continuous sequence in the Moab Desert in the US state of Utah. The jaw-dropping sequence involved skydivers/high-speed parachute flyers, wingsuit pilots, BASE jumpers, and aerobatic plane pilot Kirby Chambliss. 

There are so many out-of-this-world stunts that extreme pilots get to do in the sky. However, planes are still dependent on aerodynamics to be able to do all these incredible air stunts. The quality that some of these powerful jets possess is called supermaneuverability – flying without relying on aerodynamics. 

Aerobatic aircraft: capable and specialist

There are two types of aircraft used in aerobatics: specialist aerobatic planes and aerobatic-capable aircraft. For a moment, let’s forget about private plane costs and all their specifications. Let’s look at these speedy aircraft and their agility in the sky. Specialist aerobatic planes including the Pitts Special are modified for aerobatic performance. Aerobatic-capable aircraft such as the Cessna 152 Aerobat or R2160 Acrobin, meanwhile, are still fit for general use – in other words, they can perform aerobatics while still being equipped to carry passengers and luggage.

Jets are used in aerobatics mainly for formation flying because they can’t use the gyroscopic forces that a propeller-driven aircraft can exploit, and their speed increases the size of aerobatic figures, and the amount of time a pilot must withstand increased g-forces.

One of the most popular aerobatics airplanes is the Extra 330SC, favoured by many aerobatics stars including ‘the first lady of aerobatics’ Patty Wagstaff. Wagstaff’s achievements include winning three US National Aerobatic Championships back to back, as well as many awards, such as the Charlie Hillard Trophy for being the top-scoring American pilot at the 1996 World Aerobatic Championships. 

Other popular aerobatic aircraft

Sukhoi Su-29: This two-seater aerobatic aircraft was built in Russia, with origins in the military. In fact, it was designed as a training aircraft. The Sukhoi Su-29 is known for its steep learning curve and for being a pistol-driven airplane that’s quite nimble in the air. This plane debuted in the US in 1992 and it performs well at high altitudes in extreme temperatures.

Pitts S2C and S-½ Series: Many aerobatic pilots favour the Pitts airplanes because they are handcrafted and can adapt well to new technology. The Pitts S2C has beautiful, sleek, vertical lines with noteworthy “hang” time. It also offers two seats – just like the Su-29. If you’re a pilot looking to start your aerobatic aviation journey, the Pitts airplanes are a good choice at a price far less than the Extra 300SC.

XtremeAir Sbach 300: Designed by Philipp Steinbach, this German aircraft was deemed a ready-to-fly-aircraft in 2012. The Sbach 300 is predominantly constructed out of carbon fiber, and features a single-seat cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed conventional landing gear as well as a single-engine in tractor configuration. 

The pilots: a motley crew

Taking a look at some of the world’s top aerobatics pilots shows a diverse group of individuals from different backgrounds with a common love of aviation – and an incredible appetite for daredevilry.

• Italian Mirko Flaim is one of only five pilots in the world to hold an aerobatics licence for helicopters  –and the only Italian with a civil helicopter aerobatics flight licence. His love of flying began when his godfather got him a helicopter sightseeing flight as a gift. Flaim flies many types of rotorcraft, including the Bell Cobra, the Bell 47, and the Airbus Helicopters H135.

• Cecilia Aragon holds the record for the shortest time taken to progress from her first solo flight in an airplane to joining the US aerobatic team, achieving the feat in under six years! The computer scientist and academic professor was a bronze medallist at the 1993 US National Aerobatic Championships and the 1994 World Aerobatic Championships, and has since won more than 70 trophies in regional aerobatic competitions – a truly incredible achievement.

• Briton Paul Bonhomme is the owner and race pilot of Team Bonhomme, and was Red Bull Air Race World Champion in 2015. The commercial airline pilot comes from an aviation-crazy family: his father was an airline pilot; his mother, a flight attendant; and his brother, a commercial pilot. Among his accolades, he won the first Red Bull Air Race, which took place in Japan over the upturned heads of an incredible 60,000 spectators!

• Russian aerobatic pilot Svetlana Kapanina went to medical school and graduated in pharmaceutical sciences. By the age of 22, she was already an instructor pilot at former Soviet paramilitary sport organization DOSAAF's Irkutsk Club, and was a member of the Russian national aerobatic team. In 1996, she became the World Aerobatic Champion in the women’s category – and collected gold medals at an impressive rate.

Aerobatics shows: the world’s biggest and best extreme flying

There’s a whole host of aerobatics shows taking place around the world. Some of the most popular include:

• The EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, held in the US state of Wisconsin, is the world’s largest airshow of its kind. More than 10,000 aircraft and pilots take part, and the event attracts 500,000 spectators each year.

• Every year on the third weekend of July, the Royal International Air Tattoo takes place at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England. It is the world’s largest military air show, held in support of The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, and draws crowds of 150,000. Celebrations of the iconic airshow’s 50th anniversary this year will be tempered owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, although the Trust aims to build on the success of 2020’s Virtual Air Tattoo, held in the summer.

• Canada’s biggest airshow, the Abbotsford Airshow, treats more than 125,000 spectators to performances by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, SkyHawks parachute team, Thunderbirds (the US Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron), and Blue Angels.

• The UK’s Bournemouth Air Festival is one of the most popular free annual airshows in Europe. It combines four days of fun at the beach with daring aerobatics displays.

• The International Paris Air Show is the world’s largest aviation expo. A selection of the 150 aircraft take to the skies every afternoon over the historic city, treating crowds to spectacular aerobatic flying displays.

The future of extreme flight: drone aerobatics and racing

One of the most exciting new sports around is drone racing. The Red Bull DR.ONE event was  held for the first time in September 2017, and featured fantastic speeds, displays of incredible talent, and a spirit of aviation innovation. Held in Austria, the event tested the navigation skills of some of the world’s best pilots on a fast, technical track with weight and height as the only limits.

In fact, there isn’t another area of model flight that has expanded so quickly in such a short time. According to DR.ONE Race Director Jörg Bumba, the possible speeds and maneuvers are mind-blowing: he sees parallels with races such as Formula One or the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. Given the constant developments in drone technology, as well as the training and talent required by drone pilots, Bumba is optimistic that this niche sport will go mainstream in the coming years.

The Drone Racing League is designed for elite pilots with drones that are custom-made to fly at speeds of 145kph. Spectators can watch pilots race through some seriously mind-bending courses in both virtual and physical competitions (though they might need slow-motion replay).

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