A Special Plane for Special Maneuvers
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When aerobatic pilot Sean D. Tucker isn’t performing on the show circuit, he’s in the air with his crop dusting and helicopter business in Salinas. He describes aerobatics as an athletic event, for which he must train and prepare. He occasionally works with flying coach Alan Geringer, who helped him win the 1988 U.S. Aerobatic Advanced Competition Championship.
The plane’s engineer and co-owner, Tom Dygert, redesigned its engine, wingtips and tail to make Tucker’s performance more precise. The floor of the Pitts S-2S cockpit is transparent, allowing Tucker to keep ground reference points in sight. The plane is equipped with a special oil and fuel system, enabling it to fly upside down for extended periods. Tucker’s ground operations manager, Brian Norris, makes sure props like the ribbons Tucker cuts from 12 feet off the ground are in place and makes the show run smoothly. Here are some of Tucker’s favorite maneuvers:
* Randolph Slide: Traveling at 200 m.p.h. at about 100 feet off the ground, Tucker makes a snapping maneuver which pitches the plane to 60 degrees horizontally. He increases the pitch to 90 degrees and goes sliding vertically across the sky in front of the crowd.
* Tucker Upper: The plane tumbles end-over-end heading straight up at 200 m.p.h. At 900 feet, Tucker then flies upside down away from the crowd.
* Son of Edwin: A vertical maneuver which sends the plane into a Lomcevak, a gyroscopic tumble that means headache in Czech, because it sends the blood rushing to the pilot’s head at 5 negative Gs. After tumbling six times horizontally, the plane goes end-over-end vertically in front of the crowd.
“All of these maneuvers keep the pilot tap-dancing on the controls: right rudder, left rudder, ailerons. The idea is to perform safely, but still provide a thrilling show. I fly my heart out and I’m exhausted afterward,” said Tucker.
Sean D. Tucker will perform in his Pitts S-2S at 1:20 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the El Toro Air Show. Information: (714) 721-2100.
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