Flight of a lifetime!

lieutfunaki · Post by **lieutfunaki** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 8:00 pm

Got to fly with Sean D. Tucker ( www.poweraerobatics.com ) in a Pitts S-2B recently. Super nice guy. I met him at San Jose International and chatted it up. In .6 hrs we did inverted flat spins, loops, rolls, 45 and 90 degree lomcovaks, centrifuges, and torque rolls. Absolutely awesome! I got to fly about half of the maneuvers. In the end the meter read +4/-3G's...and the positive G's really weren't bad...the neg hurt a bit. In retrospect, I wish I'd pulled +6G's just to max out the plane. I strongly recommend it!

Burner · Post by **Burner** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 8:24 pm

That sounds like a blast, I didn't know you could get a ride with him at his academy. Are you planning to do any aerobatic training there?

lieutfunaki · Post by **lieutfunaki** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 8:57 pm

Burner, my understanding is that generally you can't. I'm really not sure how it worked out that way. But yes. I've spent the last week, since the flight, semi-obsessing over my bank book on how I can afford lessons. But someday soon I hope to begin flying tailwheel and, as swiftly as possible, transition into aerobatics.

Burner · Post by **Burner** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 10:24 pm

IDK about Tucker taking ppl up but his school appears to- http://www.tutimaacademy.com/rides.html
He was great at Aviation Nation, congrats on getting to fly with a truely expert pilot.

lieutfunaki · Post by **lieutfunaki** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 1:27 am

Burner wrote:IDK about Tucker taking ppl up but his school appears to- http://www.tutimaacademy.com/rides.html
He was great at Aviation Nation, congrats on getting to fly with a truely expert pilot.

Yeah, I have pix up on my myspace:

www.myspace.com/supergreat

One of the pilots at my work who had been in Sean's "Stars of Tomorrow" program told me ahead of time that there was pretty much no way Sean would be the pilot on the flight (she has only flown with him once)...but he called me the night before and told me where to meet him and the Pitts S-2B (N50AL). She's jealous

I admit that I'm pretty proud that my first entry in my logbook is in a Pitts, and with Sean as an instructor.

necigrad · Post by **necigrad** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 4:16 am

I hope you used a good camera. Get that printed at 8X10, go to an airshow, and have him sign it!

lieutfunaki · Post by **lieutfunaki** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 1:36 pm

necigrad wrote:I hope you used a good camera. Get that printed at 8X10, go to an airshow, and have him sign it!

One of my buddies went down with me and took pics, but forgot his camera (some super nice digital thing)...so I had to use my 35mm instead. Can you tell I'm not too into cameras?

I already got his autograph a bunch of times at airshows as a kid. But I plan to make a shadowbox on my wall of the logbook entry, a picture from the flight, and the business card that he signed for me that says "good for one free flight lesson" on the back.

Thanks for the ideas though...I may try to get one enlarged.

Rhino · Post by **Rhino** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:53 pm

That is a flight of a lifetime lieut! I got to meet Sean a few years ago at Oshkosh and the guy is a class act let me tell you. He had about a half an hour of free time in which he could have gone to do something fun, but the guy stayed and talked with me and my dad for the whole half hour before he had to go to a briefing. The guy is awesome, and you are truly blessed to have gotten to fly with him!

Rotorblade · Post by **Rotorblade** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 10:40 am

That is pretty sweet! I too have met the fellow and I have been to his shop. Both times were a great experience.

Sounds like I should put the ride on my to do list when I am out there again. woohoO!

Thanks for posting your experience Lieutfunaki